I know that last weekend was Memorial Day but I think it is worth remembering what today is. Today is the anniversary of D-Day, the date of the Normandy invasion which ultimately caused the end of the war in Europe and spelled defeat for Nazi Germany and the Axis powers. My father and my uncles were a part of that invasion. Many brave men lost their lives that day. Luckily none of my relatives were among those who died but they were permanently scarred by the horrors of war. I really think that an anniversary such as this occurring on the Feast of the Body of Christ should remind us once again of the need of the Body of Christ, His Church to be a place where everyone can be accepted and at peace. As we celebrate the great gift of the Body and Blood of the Lord, we should be working daily to bring about the unity and the presence of God that is so real in the Body and Blood of the Lord. War and discord should not be a part of the people that is the Lord’s. We need to live out what the Eucharist calls us to be, a people of life and love. There is little room in the church of Christ for discord.
The feast of “Corpus Christi “used to be a day of great ceremony marked with processions and extra Eucharistic devotions. There were many public displays of the pride of the church in the Eucharist and the recognition of what an amazing gift the Lord had given us. While things are not as public or formal in the church today, the reverence for the Eucharist remains and this becomes a day of all of us realizing how much the presence of the Lord impacts our church and our community. Jesus gives us His Body and Blood and we in turn become the living Body of Christ in the church. Our church is enlivened by the Eucharist and the presence of the Lord makes the church space sacred and holy. There are plans in the works through the Parish Council to provide some regular time at Our Lady of Hope for Eucharistic Adoration. At the present time we are only in the planning stages but we hope to provide a time on a regular basis where there would be the opportunity for adoration at least once a month. If you would like to be a part of this planning please give me a call. In order for it to be done properly we will need the help of many people, the Liturgy Committee and the Spiritual Life Committee of the Parish Council cannot be expected to be totally responsible for this happening. They will need the help and the ideas of all those who are interested. Again, if you are interested give a call and we will keep you posted on the progress of this opportunity for prayer at Our Lady of Hope.
Our Lady of Hope will be getting a face lift very soon , We have contracted for the outside painting of the plant and for the roof repairs that are necessary to prevent the leaks that cause damage to our beautiful building. The finance committee has gone over the bids and in both cases we believe we have quality companies that will provide the necessary work. Our Lady of Hope is an edifice to be proud of and this work should insure the beauty and safety of the building for many years to come. Your generous donations make such work possible without asking for additional funds so I want to use this occasion to remind you that while the summer vacation time has arrived the bills of your parish do not take a vacation. It is wonderful that during these hard economic times our collections have been better than last year.
Thank you for your generosity but don’t forget us during the summer months. The painting and the roof are an example of the things that we try to do to keep the physical plant of Our Lady of Hope in line with the great spiritual community that worships here.
I recently have received letters thanking us for being a welcoming and inviting community. The credit for these letters should really go to you. It is your spirit that makes others feel at home here. Know that it is recognized and appreciated.
Save the date for Hopefest August 15th. Have a Great Week. Know that you are loved and live that love.
Go Blackhawks !
Fr. Clem