Dear Parishioners,
I gave a Monday Evening of Prayer talk a few weeks ago on Elijah. Elijah is the subject of our first reading. He is one of the more unique figures in the Old Testament, and it is peculiar why he "makes the cut" to be with Jesus during the Transfiguration. Remember, it is Moses and Elijah who appear alongside the Lord in his glory in this moment atop Mount Tabor. Why Elijah? Why not Abraham, the father of Israel? Why not King David? Or why not one of the "greater prophets" — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel or Ezekiel? Those prophets each have their own books in the Old Testament, while Elijah only has a few chapters in the Books of Kings.
Dear Parishioners,
Halloween decorations outside homes intrigue me. They've certainly become more intense over the years. We've moved on from the traditional jack-o'-lantern, witch, Frankenstein, bat, spider, and black cat. Death seems to be more present now. Lots of skeletons, tombs, possessed clowns, and other things from the netherworld. Perhaps this is fitting, as Halloween, really, is the celebration of the afterlife. Halloween is the "Eve of All Saints" — November 1st being the Solemnity of All Saints.
Dear Parishioners,
My office at Mundelein Seminary, where I teach, is located in the library, and outside my office door is this icon (see image below). It is named "Virgin of Tenderness II." When I'm waiting for appointments — spiritual directees or students to torture — I will gaze upon this beautiful image of the Blessed Mother.
Father James Wallace grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and attended Sts. Faith Hope and Charity grammar school, New Trier High School, and then The George Washington University in Washington DC, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science in 2007. He attended seminary at The Pontifical North American College in Rome and was ordained a priest in 2012 for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In addition to being the pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross Parish, he serves as a canon lawyer for the Archdiocese, a dean in Vicariate II, and a professor of canon law and spiritual director at Mundelein Seminary. He is also one of the featured Mercy Home Sunday Mass celebrants, airing Sundays at 9:30am on WGN.
Phone: (847) 825-7605
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