Fr. Simon's Letter - March 17, 2023

I love the way today’s first reading begins: “See, the days are coming when ...” These words of anticipation touch our hopes and spark our expectations. These words lift us out of our present sense of constriction, limitation and dissatisfaction, and promise something beautiful on the horizon.
 
The days are coming when ... When what? Jeremiah looked forward to a few future happenings; but the one that catches my imagination and ignites my deep desires is what he describes in this way: There will be no further need for brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord.’ No, they will all know me ... for I will forgive their iniquity and never call to mind their sin. It would seem that, according to Jeremiah, the Israelites did not really know God. That would have surprised them and disconcerted them, because they prided themselves, as a people, on their special relationship to God. But, to Jeremiah's mind, as far as God was concerned, they did not truly know the heart of God. The God they did not understand was the God who forgives iniquity and never calls sin to mind. 
 
On May 17, in exactly two months, we will come together as a community at the Holiday Inn in Skokie for our Gala Night of the United Parish Program. We will celebrate the spirit of community that binds us together and give thanks to God for bringing us together as one family. We will remember and thank the generous benefactors who sustained this great parish in the past, and those who continue to support us now and into the future. The funds we raise will support the many ministries and activities of the parish that are essential to our vitality now, and for generations to come.
 
The UPP is our one and only fundraiser. The aim is to bring together the many and varied organizations in the parish, and work as one toward a common goal – to build up the Body of Christ and support the sacramental, educational and ministerial needs of our members. It is therefore of utmost importance that every member of the parish community takes part in this united, and vital, endeavor.
 
I appeal to every family in the parish – and we have over 2,900 registered families – to offer your support and be a part of this year’s UPP. Along with purchasing a ticket and attending the Gala, there are many additional ways to participate. You can be a sponsor, take out an advertisement in the event booklet, offer an item for auction, host a sign-up party, buy raffle tickets, help one of the many committees prepare for the event, or simply donate online. Our goal is to raise $275,000. That’s a lot of money, but it’s what is needed to support the ongoing ministries and activities of our parish. It is a lofty goal, but I know that we can do it with the participation and support of every single family in the parish.
 
In 2022, we committed to “Raise the Paddle” for five years to help us set up the Fund for Excellence. This fund will enable us to supplement teacher salaries and recognize their selfless dedication to our children. Our teachers continue to provide and maintain the highest standards for the academic, religious and moral formation of our children. This fund will help us retain the members of our current faculty and when needed, recruit the best teachers available. The future of our children, school and parish depends on all of us.
 
None of the above would be possible without the leadership and vision of our UPP team. I am deeply grateful to Jill Fowler, Carolyn Turner, Kristen Henry and Katie Mackenzie who are coordinating this year’s UPP, as well as the many volunteers on several different committees working hard to make this fundraiser both memorable and successful. It is through their dedication, and your generosity and support, that we will achieve our goal. I look forward to seeing you on May 17, for our Gala Night, Building Our Future!
 
The days are coming … we enter Holy Week, the most solemn week in the life of the Church, next week on Palm Sunday. This liturgy begins on a triumphant note with Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, and will turn somber as we listen to the passion readings during the gospel. Palms will be blessed and available at all Masses.
 
In next week’s bulletin there will be more about the Triduum, the three days that are the center of our church year. These three days of the Pascal Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday - celebrate not history, but rather, mystery. We celebrate not what once happened to Jesus a long time ago, but what is now happening to us as a people called to conversion, gathered in faith and gifted with the spirit of holiness. In the meantime, let us be aware that the days are coming ... Indeed! We look forward to them in joyful anticipation.
 
Blessings!!