Our Lady of the
Blessed Sacrament
Community Digest
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"Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths."
~ Psalm 25:4
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Repent and Believe in the Gospel |
Lent is the time of year we devote to scrutinizing our lives in the light of our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus. This Sunday’s readings are a nice shorthand catechism of what our baptized lives mean. As Noah passed through the waters of the flood to a covenant with God, so did we enter into a covenant, a promised relationship with God through our baptism.
Peter’s letter gives an explicit explanation of what our baptism means: it is an appeal we make to God for a clear conscience. How do we obtain this clear conscience? The words proclaimed by Jesus immediately following his temptation show us the way: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
It might be a good spiritual exercise to keep these readings before us throughout the entire season of Lent, a means to help us return to a life lived by our baptismal promises.
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
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RSVP for Sunday Liturgies |
RSVP for the First Sunday of Lent is live February 17th at 7:00pm!
Additionally, with this First Sunday of Lent, the new Mass Schedule is in effect. Please check times below and in the signup. We look forward to seeing you in church!
Please note, attendance is limited and registration is required. Schedule as follows:
Saturday
SJE Church, 5:00pm
Sunday
QR Church, 8:00am
SJE Church, 9:15am
QR Church, 10:30am
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Beginning this Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, we are adding a parking lot Mass at the 10:30am Mass at QR. This option is restricted to those with underlying medical conditions, who, due to the ongoing pandemic are unable to join us in church at this time. Please select QR Parking Lot* on the SignUp so we know how many to expect. Park in the NW lot in front of the steps and tune to the provided FM radio channel to listen to Mass on your car radio, or watch from your phone on our Facebook page. At Communion, an Extraordinary Minister will distribute the Holy Eucharist to guests in each car.
*In case of inclement weather, the parking lot option will not be available and we will do our best to contact you in advance of the 10:30am Mass.
Important Note: The following safety protocols continue to be enforced at ALL liturgies and in-person gatherings at both churches, parish centers and on parish grounds: face covering worn securely over nose and mouth, hands sanitized upon entry (and again prior to receiving Holy Communion), seating in marked areas only to respect social distancing, temperature checks for all events involving youth or food service and no congregating in church facilities including parking lots.
If in the previous 14 days you have traveled outside the state, experienced any cold or flu symptoms or have spent time with anyone experiencing symptoms, we ask out of an abundance of caution that you please stay home to help insure the safety of our parish family.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time.
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Chicken Fajitas. They're what's for dinner next week for Winter Supper!
Ready to get cooking? Follow this link to sign up to shop, cook, prep or clean up for the February 24th Supper.
Teens, this is a great way to earn Lenten Service Hours or volunteer as a family!
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Mr. Van, OLBS Youth Minister is Calling All Teens to Take the Teen Lenten Challenge! |
On Ash Wednesday we begin the liturgical season of Lent. During Lent, we recall how Jesus Christ sacrificed his own life to take on the sin of the world and open the gates of Heaven for us! This year, Mr. Van introduces the Teen Lenten Challenge, an opportunity to make Lent personal and meaningful for our teen community. Each week during Lent, he’ll focus on two Stations of the Cross, followed by a challenge to accomplish during the week. The challenges will help teens "walk the way of the Cross" with Jesus through Lent. Though our own sacrifices may be small, we can show Jesus we understand and truly appreciate His amazing gift.
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Join us in church to pray the Stations of the Cross at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays during Lent beginning Friday, February 19th at Queen of the Rosary church. For those still unable to join us, we will live-stream Stations of the Cross to our websites and Facebook pages. |
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OLBS Parish Lenten Mission:
Running the Paschal Mystery
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This year’s Virtual Parish Lenten Mission, Running the Paschal Mystery with Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson, will challenge us to see the Paschal Mystery as Jesus’ invitation to participate fully in the rhythm of life and how living this rhythm leads us “into Christ.”
Rather than gathering in church, this year's Mission is a virtual event. But, as always, the program is free and begins nightly at 7:00pm. All OLBS parishioners are encouraged to join us as we pray our way to Easter from our homes, on March 8th, 9th and 10th.
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Webinar: Cycle of Violence |
Each year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for a specific intention each month. For the month of February, Pope Francis' intention is: "We pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded." As St. John Paul II stated in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, "Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person's life.”
Please join us online on Sunday, February 28th at 7pm when the OLBS Domestic Violence Ministry welcomes Aimee Dinschel for the Webinar "Cycle of Violence." This virtual presentation will be an overview of domestic violence; which is, unfortunately, on the rise during the pandemic. The conditions created by COVID-19—unexpected time at home, unemployment and financial insecurity, anxiety and stress—are the same conditions known to aggravate domestic violence.
Follow this link to RSVP for the Webinar. No names or contact information will be displayed in the SignUp, and no information will be shared outside of this presentation.
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Our presenter, Aimee Dinschel, has more than 15 years of experience as a social worker. She has worked in programs providing counseling and support to survivors of interpersonal violence. She will inform us about the power and control dynamics of abusive relationships, the cycle of violence, and review healthy relationship dynamics. |
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Each Tuesday, we pray the Rosary in church at St. Julian Eymard. While we're still limited in gathering and some may not be able to join us, we will live-stream the weekly Rosary for the faithful. Follow this link to view the weekly Rosary via live-stream, but please know that until we "go live" on Tuesday evening, the previous parish live-stream event will remain on screen. |
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When we lose someone we love—a parent, sibling, spouse, friend or worse a child—the
sorrow sometimes overwhelms us. Even the most faith-filled among us may struggle
with loss. It’s important to remember that grief is not a curse, but a call to a deeper
relationship with God.
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament is looking to offer a Grief-Sharing Group for those mourning the loss of a loved one. Do any of the following describe your grief journey:
- Struggling to pray, feeling abandoned by God?
- Loss of interest in attending Mass or other events?
- Questioning God’s reasoning in calling your loved one to Him?
To learn more about the Grief-Sharing Group and help us with planning, please complete the poll to the right or call (847) 956-0130 or e-mail the parish office. In our community of faith, nobody grieves alone.
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I would like to know more about the Grief-Sharing Group.
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We may still be limited in gathering and need to keep our social distance for a little while longer, so we remind you that we have the following virtual tools to help us stay connected:
Daily Prayer. Follow this link to review daily prayer, or signup to receive daily prayer delivered right to your inbox.
Morning Prayer. No commute, no computer needed...join us on your phone Monday through Saturday for Morning Prayer. Learn more.
Live-Stream. We have live-stream available for Sunday liturgy and some daily Mass from both churches: QR and SJE.
Let's Get Social. Like or follow us on Facebook to receive news and updates in real time and join the conversation: QR and SJE.
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2021 Annual Catholic Appeal |
Now more than ever, the Church needs your steadfast support. Your participation in our parish’s weekly offertory and in the Annual Catholic Appeal is essential to maintaining the financial well-being of the Church over the next few weeks and months.
Although we are not able to gather in-person as a whole parish during this time, please consider signing up for online giving to the parish offertory and to the Annual Appeal. Just as we rely on your spiritual support, the Church continues to rely on your financial support to continue its work of sanctification and evangelization.
As a reminder, this year, we hope that when we exceed our Appeal goal, the rebate funds will help us improve our sound and live-stream capabilities at Queen of the Rosary and St. Julian.
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Our Social Outreach ministries have been helping to feed our homeless and hungry neighbors throughout the pandemic:
- Approximately 500 pasta dinners distributed in Spring 2020
- Breakfast and Lunch provided to more than 50 PADS guests in local hotels last March to May
- More than 100 meals served monthly at Catholic Charities dinners over the past year
- An average of 80 meals served at to-go Summer Suppers in 2020, up from around 30 in 2019
- Have been providing around 100 Winter Suppers to PADS guests since October, 2020
We are grateful for your continued generosity to the needs of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament family during this time. In addition to dropping or mailing your donation to church, you may give online where you may make weekly contributions to our parish family and keep the vital ministries and services we provide going. We thank you for your generosity!
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SJE Campus | 601 Biesterfield Road | (847) 956-0130
QR Campus | 750 W Elk Grove Blvd | (847) 437-0403
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