Thank you for your warmth, kindness, prayers, and all your support as I was installed as pastor last weekend. I cannot say enough how grateful I am and blessed I feel to be a part of this amazing community of faith. I will give you my best.
A special thank you to the planning committee: Jeanne Murphy, Pat Aschom, Pat Kolvek, Diane Kostecki,
Ed Magistrado, Teresa McCutchan, Marlene Sweeney, Joyce Vlnka, and Gwen Voncina. You, and all who helped you, made it very special for all of us.
I also was so pleased and grateful to meet Mr. Bill McLeod and his wife Joane. Mr. McLeod is the current mayor of Hoffman Estates and came to offer all of us well as we go forward. It was a blessing to have them with us!
A Second Collection to Help Flood Victims Next Sunday we’ll take up a second collection to help those in Texas devastated by the hurricane and tropical storms. We will send the contributions to Catholic Charities, who are on the ground already at work. In the meantime, there is more information about how to contribute on page 7 of the bulletin—including a prayer for all those affected.
Discerning God’s Will—Something We All Can Do Today’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans is just two sentences long. Here’s one of them:
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
To “discern” is one of those terms that comes from the Catholic tradition. It’s to discover where God is leading us and then to make a decision with one goal in mind: to align our own will with God’s. The challenge in our world today, is that often times we don’t always consider God’s will for our life. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. And so in making important decisions, it’s “good and pleasing and perfect” to pray it through. We can listen to God by diving into his word, the teachings of the Church, our own reasoning and the wisdom and counsel of others. Much of discerning, is paying attention and listening.
What the author of today’s psalm desires more than anything is God’s help and wisdom. “My soul is thirsting for You, O Lord my God.” (Psalm 63). Discernment is discovering that God is the life-giving water that nourishes us and allows us to grow. It’s realizing what God wants for us.
The Seminarians Are Coming! Mundelein Seminary has identified St. Hubert as a great place for a seminarian (someone discerning priesthood) to gain experience and learn what it means to be a parish priest. We’ve been designated by the seminary as one of their “Teaching Parishes” which is quite an honor.
So next weekend at the Masses, we’ll officially welcome Ryan Brady (studying for the Archdiocese of Chicago), Thomas Heathershaw (studying for the Archdiocese of Dubuque) and David Jameson (studying for the Diocese of Grand Rapids). They’ll be with us on Sundays and will be involved in some ministries here to gain pastoral experience. They’re looking forward to meeting you and serving the St. Hubert community.
As we head into a new week, let us continue to pray for each other,