Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

1 day ago

Who Are Saints Philip and James?

James, Son of Alphaeus: We know nothing of this man except his name, and, of course, the fact that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars of the New Israel, his Church. James, son of Alphaeus, is also known as James the Lesser to avoid confusing him with James the son of Zebedee, also an apostle and known as James the Greater.
Philip: Philip came from the same town as Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida in Galilee. Jesus called him directly, whereupon he sought out Nathanael and told him of the “one about whom Moses wrote” (Jn 1:45).

Like the other apostles, Philip took a long time coming to realize who Jesus was. On one occasion, when Jesus saw the great multitude following him and wanted to give them food, he asked Philip where they should buy bread for the people to eat. Saint John comments, “[Jesus] said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do” (Jn 6:6). Philip answered, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (Jn 6:7).

John’s story is not a put-down of Philip. It was simply necessary for these men who were to be the foundation stones of the Church to see the clear distinction between humanity’s total helplessness apart from God and the human ability to be a bearer of divine power by God’s gift.

Reflection
As in the case of the other apostles, we see in James and Philip human men who became foundation stones of the Church, and we are reminded again that holiness and its consequent apostolate are entirely the gift of God, not a matter of human achieving. All power is God’s power, even the power of human freedom to accept his gifts. “You will be clothed with power from on high,” Jesus told Philip and the others. Their first commission had been to expel unclean spirits, heal diseases, announce the kingdom. ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

2 days ago

Don’t forget to get your job request returned by this Sunday, May 5th! ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

2 days ago

Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession 6/2

SAVE THE DATE. Let us gather together bearing witness to our love of our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist by walking with Him at the Corpus Christi Procession on Sunday immediately following the 12pm Mass. ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

2 days ago

Who Is Saint Athanasius?

Athanasius led a tumultuous but dedicated life of service to the Church. He was the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism, the teaching by Arius that Jesus was not truly divine. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church.

Born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, and given a classical education, Athanasius became secretary to the bishop of Alexandria, entered the priesthood and was eventually named bishop himself. His predecessor, Alexander, had been an outspoken critic of a new movement growing in the East—Arianism. When Athanasius assumed his role as bishop of Alexandria, he continued the fight against Arianism.

Five times Athanasius was exiled for his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. During one period of his life, he enjoyed 10 years of relative peace—reading, writing, and promoting the Christian life along the lines of the monastic ideal to which he was greatly devoted. His dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism.

Among his ascetical writings, his Life of St. Anthony achieved astonishing popularity and contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world.

Reflection
Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria. He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition. Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely. He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself. In today’s world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what. ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

3 days ago

What is the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker?

To foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph among Catholics, and in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God. By work, humankind both fulfills the command found in Genesis to care for the earth (Gn 2:15) and to be productive in their labors. Saint Joseph, the carpenter and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of human labor.

Jesus, too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph’s carpentry shop before leaving to pursue his ministry as preacher and healer. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”

Saint Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.”

To capture the devotion to Saint Joseph within the Catholic liturgy, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the patron of the universal Church. In 1955, Pope Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. This silent saint, who was given the noble task of caring and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now cares for and watches over the Church and models for all the dignity of human work. ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

4 days ago

Who is Saint Pope Pius V?

St. Pius V was born in 1504 to poor parents of noble lineage. He worked as a shepherd until 14 when he encountered two Dominicans who recognized his intelligence and virtue. He joined them and was ordained a priest at 24. He taught philosophy and theology for 16 years. He was known for his austere penances, his long hours of prayer and fasting, and the holiness of his speech.

He was elected Pope on January 7, 1566, and took the name Pius V. He immediately put into action his program of reform by getting rid of many of the extravagant luxuries then prevalent in his court. He gave the money to the poor whom he personally cared for, washing their feet, consoling those near death, and tending to lepers and the sick. He spent long hours before the Blessed Sacrament. He was dedicated to applying the reforms of the Council of Trent, raising the standard of morality and reforming the clergy.

His six year pontificate saw him constantly at war with two massive enemy forces; the Protestant heretics and the Turkish armies who were advancing from the East. He encouraged efforts to battle Protestantism by education and preaching, and giving strong support to the newly formed Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

He worked hard to unite the Christian armies against the Turks, and perhaps the most famous success of his papacy was the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The island of Malta was attacked by the Turkish fleet, and nearly every man was killed in battle. The Pope sent out a fleet to meet the enemy, requesting that each man on board pray the Rosary and receive communion. He also called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered a 40 hour devotion in Rome during which time the battle took place. The Christian fleet, vastly outnumbered by the Turks, inflicted an impossible defeat on the Turkish navy, demolishing the entire fleet.

In memory of the triumph, he declared the day the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary because of her intercession in obtaining the victory. He has also been called ‘the Pope of the Rosary’ for this reason. Pope Pius V died seven months later. ... See MoreSee Less

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Aurora/Illinois

5 days ago

The Justice & Peace Ministry is hosting their Annual Green Fair in celebration of Earth Day and all are invited to the PLC from 9am to 2pm on Sunday May 5th.

Learn about ways we can help care for the environment and improve the quality of life for future generations. Learn about recycling, repurposing, clean water, renewable energy, solar power, electric vehicles, incredible creatures, gardening & more. Ten Thousand Villages will have fair trade items for sale- Support artisans around the world who will earn fair wages for their craft!

It is Donut Sunday, so stop by and enjoy the donuts and the Green Fair! ... See MoreSee Less