A Reflection
by Charlie Koop, Parishioner

Oftentimes when we think of Advent, we liken it to Lent. After all, both are preparation times for a major feast. But if we look at the scripture readings for the Sundays of Advent, there is an overriding theme that makes Advent quite distinct: the theme of expectation. In this year’s readings, we hear…

First Sunday: Jeremiah says, “The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah… In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.”

Second Sunday: Baruch writes, “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever.”

Third Sunday: Zephaniah says, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart… The Lord, your God is in your midst.”

And finally, today we hear from Micah: “He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock… for now his greatness shall reach the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.”

This yearning, this longing for God’s presence, prepares and reminds us that on Christmas, we will celebrate God breaking through into our earthly lives in a brand new and unprecedented way. In the mystery and miracle of the Incarnation, God will walk with us, shed tears with us, struggle with temptation with us. God will grow, learn, love, and be among us as never before. Starting as an infant, God will experience and understand being human in a new and direct way. This is the fulfillment that the expectation of Advent and the gift of Christmas bring us. Let us rejoice!


Charlie and his wife Barbara have been parishioners for over 40 years, active in areas of liturgy and education.

A Reflection
by Mary Burke-Peterson, Parishioner

​It is pink candle Sunday on our journey through Advent. Gaudete! Rejoice! Gaudete! God is with us, God is among us, and God has called us to be with him, to rejoice and live in the ways of the Lord. As people of faith, we rejoice, acknowledge, and celebrate God in our midst, not just today, but every day—past, present, and future. Cry out with joy and gladness; experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Heady stuff...

We honor this day by lighting the pink candle. I was on a small group retreat last weekend where it was noted and mourned that that parish’s wreath had no pink candle, as one of the needed size was not available. Those parishioners expressed concern, because the pink candle reminds us to rejoice in the presence of God, even in the days of darkness and cold.

Today, John the Baptist reminds us that Jesus was baptized as an adult, after 30 years of living, listening, and learning at the margins of his community as he prepared to bring forth the goodness of the word among them and among us. As ever, the true gift of baptism is more than water: it is the gift of communal grace and spirit shared by Holy Spirit, calling us forth beyond the birth or baptism of an infant to a more expansive embrace of faith that is modeled in our care for others. John exhorts us to “pay attention” as we grow into this model of adult faith, formed in and of the community in which we are blessed to live as the true experience of God among us.

Rejoice, for he is greater than I, greater than each of us, yet he is here with us. Rejoice and know this season celebrates so much more than the birth of an infant. It is also the true celebration of our adult faith.
 

Mary has been a parishioner for over 20 years. She coordinates baptisms at both church sites and is involved in many ministries. She earned her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Loyola in 2018.

St. John XXIII Parish has a longstanding history of Advent generosity through our Giving Tree ministries.

November 17 - December 1, 2024: Giving Tree at St. Mary
One of these giving trees is in the Gathering Space at St. Mary Church. This giving tree benefits the Women’s Center on Cicero Ave, a crisis pregnancy center. The tree is loaded with tags offering recommendations for age-appropriate unwrapped presents or gift cards. Take a tag and shop for a present or gift card, or scan the QR code on the tag and donate to the center directly. Return your unwrapped presents to St. Mary by THIS SUNDAY,  December 1, so they can be distributed at the Center’s Christmas party for children of families who have chosen life. Yours may be the only gift these children receive this Christmas.

November 30 - December 15, 2024: Giving Tree at St. Nicholas
Grab a tag off of our Advent giving tree in north alcove of St. Nicholas Church starting November 30! Tags on this tree have recommendations from one of a number of community outreach groups for presents or gift cards. Want to participate? Here's how:

1. Take ornaments from the St. Nicholas Advent Giving Tree in the north alcove starting November 30. You can also view the complete list of needs from all the organizations here in English or aquí en español
2. To return cash donations and gift cards, drop them in the collection baskets during Mass at St. Mary or St. Nicholas.​​​
   - ​Deadline: December 15 to drop in the collection basket. Use the envelope provided. 
   - Do not leave cash and gift card donations under the tree
   - Mark the dollar value on gift cards
3. Leave requested physical items under the tree in the north alcove at St. Nicholas Church.
   - ​Deadline: No later than Sunday, December 15, by the end of the 12:30 p.m. Mass
   - Attach the paper ornament you took from the tree (or label items with the name of the requesting organization) to ensure gifts reach the right home
   - Do NOT wrap gifts

At the end of the giving tree donation period, we will also need help sorting the gifts and delivering them to their respective locations. If you are interested in helping with sorting (after 1:30 p.m. on December 15) or delivering (on Sunday, Dec. 15, and Monday, Dec. 16), please contact Margaret at [email protected] or Judy at [email protected].

But where will all these gifts be going? We're so glad you asked!
Tags on this Advent Giving Tree have gift requests from a wide variety of organizations with a wide variety of missions. Some work with migrants, like Bethany House and Center Romero. Others point their efforts towards helping people who are homeless or housing or food insecure, like our parish Soup Kitchen Ministries, Harbour House, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Still others focus on helping people who are experiencing or have experienced trauma, like the Kovler Center, Lydia Home Evanston, and the Kolbe House Jail Ministry. Some help our neighbors close to home, like the Childcare Network of Evanston and the Howard and Evanston Community Center, while others work with our neighbors across the country, like Family Promise, or across the globe, like the Gaskov Clerge Foundation (Haiti) and Solidarity Bridge (South America). 

Click here (o aquí para el español) to view a comprehensive list of the organizations and a brief description about each.

A Reflection
by Pat Tomich, Parishioner

As Advent begins a new liturgical year, it draws us into a season of hopeful anticipation. Together, we voice the ancient prayer: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” The Advent Scriptures call us to reimagine the world anew, to look beyond fear and trust in God’s unfolding work. To live with hope requires courage beyond measure, for it is not rooted in comfort or ease. Instead, it beckons us to trust in the God who remains ever faithful—Emmanuel.

Today’s gospel from Luke does not ease us in with the gentle image of a child in a manger. Instead, it jolts us with prophetic imagery of upheaval: signs in the heavens, a trembling earth, and a fearful world. These are not endings, but birth pangs of profound transformation that reach into the depths of our hearts. 

In the chaos we may be experiencing, Jesus offers a bold directive: Do not be afraid. “Stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is at hand.” These words break through the darkness with hope, reminding us that even in turmoil, God’s grace is already at work. The darkest moments herald the dawn of God’s new creation, calling each of us to radiate the light of Christ in times of darkness. It calls us to wakefulness, urging us to step out of fear and into deeper awareness of God’s presence. In doing so, we begin to experience hope breaking through.

To prepare for this new world is to trust in God’s grace already unfolding around us. Advent reminds us to live with active hope—hope rooted in God’s justice and mercy. As we contemplate this promise, we are anchored in God’s love, even amid the world’s turmoil.

​Advent challenges us to embrace transformation and to open our hearts and minds to the boundless redemption God offers—a redemption beyond our wildest imagination. Through prayer, reflection, and action, we are invited to envision a world renewed by God’s love. Let us prepare to recognize the light of Christ within us and radiate that light into the world.  “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” 

Pat takes delight in the communities with whom she ministers: Franciscan Sisters and Associates, Regina Dominican High School, the  St. Nicholas Campus, and UCYM.