November 20, 2022

Dear Parishioners,

King David was anointed three times as a king. This was the custom in ancient Israel.

The first anointing was done in private between the man and the prophet. This occurs in 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel anoints David in secret. This private anointing emphasizes the spiritual aspect of the kingship. The man of God anoints the king.

The second anointing occurred on a larger level within the man’s clan or his village. We read about this in 2 Samuel 2 when David is anointed in Judah. Judah was his tribe. The men of Judah anoint the king.

The third anointing is before the entire nation, and this is what we have for our first reading this weekend. David is anointed before all of Israel. He is now king over the nation. The men of Israel anoint the king.

These three anointings didn’t happen simultaneously. It was probably 13 years between the first and second anointings (David still had to defeat Saul) and perhaps another 7 years between the second and third anointings (David had to conquer Jerusalem).

Could we claim that Christ (meaning ‘the anointed one’) was anointed three times? Perhaps his first anointing was in Bethlehem as a child. Bethlehem, by the way, was where David was first anointed by Samuel. And the Holy Family is given myrrh, an anointing oil. This was done in private, more or less, and the crib was the first throne. The second anointing would have been at the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. He is before the village here. And the third anointing? Calvary. When Christ hangs on the cross before the entire nation in Jerusalem, he is truly king. Let us adore him upon the true throne, wood of the cross.

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This weekend throughout the Archdiocese is a special collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). For over 50 years, the mission of CCHD has been to address the root causes of poverty in the United States through the promotion and support of organizations that help people help themselves. CCHD supports these local groups as they create jobs, improve neighborhoods, keep schools safe and enriching for children and raise leaders for the future. CCHD-sponsored programs effectively break the cycle of poverty by building collective power so that people can take action on the issues that affect their lives, families and communities. Thank you for your contribution to this appeal. Please place your donation in the special marked envelope and drop in the regular collection basket. Donations can also be made year-round at CCHDchicago.org.

In next weekend’s bulletin we will be publishing the Parish Annual Report, which covers July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. As you will see, we had a very strong year financially, thanks to your wonderful generosity.

Our parish school is on Thanksgiving Break this week. Have a wonderful holiday, everyone. A reminder, our special Thanksgiving Mass is at 10am on Thursday, November 24th (there will be no 6:25am or 8:30am Mass that day). Also, there will be no 6:25am Mass on Friday, November 25th – just the 8:30am.

Once again, a special thanks to Jewel-Osco grocery store (on Busse) for donating the Thanksgiving dinners to our food pantry. This Saturday the 19th we were able to deliver turkeys, boxes of sides, pies and more to our clients so they can have a fitting celebration on Thursday. And thank you to all who volunteered to help with the distribution.

Safe travels for all who will be out of town this week. And welcome to all those visiting. We hope you have a great time with your families on this great American holiday.

Your Servant in Christ,