Bishop Thomas John Paprocki wrote a letter to all Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield that was distributed in parish bulletins yesterday.  In the letter, which follows his latest Catholic Times column, Bishop Paprocki urges parishioners to visit the USCCB's website to learn about the Health and Human Services departments ruling that would require almost all employers, regardless of religious beliefs, to offer in their health coverage sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs and contraception.

The text of Bishop Paprocki's letter is below.

Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will be holding open houses in the coming months for families interested in choosing Catholic education for their children.

“These informational sessions will give families an opportunity to experience the difference Catholic education makes in the lives of students as they make school decisions for the 2012-2013 academic year,” said Jonathan Sullivan, director of catechetical ministries for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

Families interested in learning more about Catholic education in their area can visit on the following dates:

Alton

• Ss. Peter and Paul – Sunday, January 29 (11 AM)

Brussels

• St. Mary – Saturday, January 28 (7:30 PM - 8:30 PM)

Decatur

• Our Lady of Lourdes- Monday, January 30 (9:00 AM - 2:30 PM)
• St. Patrick- Tuesday, January 31 (8 AM through lunch)
• St. Theresa High School- Tuesday, March 20 (Freshmen Open House: 6:00 PM)

Edwardsville

• St. Boniface – Saturday, January 28 (5:15 PM) and Sunday, January 29 (9:15 AM – 7

Effingham

• St. Anthony of Padua Grade School - Thursday, February 21 (6:30 PM)
• St. Anthony of Padua High School - Wednesday, February 1 (7:00 PM)

Granite City

• Holy Family - Monday, January 30 (6:30 - 8:30 PM)
• St. Elizabeth - Sunday, January 29 (11:30AM - 1:00PM)

Jacksonville

• Routt Catholic High School - Thursday, March 1 (7:00 PM)

Hardin

• St. Norbert – Sunday, February 5 (8 AM – 12 noon)

Maryville

St. John Neumann- Sunday, January 29 (12:00 noon)

Newton

• St. Thomas the Apostle - Kindergarten Open House: Thursday, February 23 (4:30 PM)

Quincy

• Blessed Sacrament – Tuesday, March 13 (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)
• Quincy Notre Dame High School – Sunday, February 19 (1:00 - 3:00PM)
• St. Dominic – Tuesday, March 6 (5:30PM - 6:30 PM)
• St. Francis Solanus – Wednesday, March 7 (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)
• St. Peter – Monday, March (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)

Paris

• St. Mary- Monday, March 15

Springfield

• Blessed Sacrament- Tuesday, January 10 (6:30 PM)
• Cathedral School- Wednesday, January 18 (6:30 PM)
• Christ the King- Thursday, January 12 (6:00 PM)
• Little Flower- Tuesday, January 17 (6:30 - 8:00 PM)
• St. Agnes- Wednesday, January 11 (6:30 PM)
• St. Aloysius- Thursday, January 19 (6:30 PM)
• St. Patrick- Tuesday, January 24 (6:00 PM)

Taylorville

• St. Mary – Sunday, January 29 (12 noon)

Additional locations and dates will be posted as we recieve them.

As I have done the past two years, I'd like to offer five book selections that I read the previous year to "jump start" your reading pile! These books come with my highest recommendation and are sure to be a blessing to you.

• Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, by Fr. James Martin, SJ (2011) - I can't imagine anyone else having written this book. Fr. Martin's signature wit and gift for bringing spiritual topics to the masses makes this not only a delightful read but a probing search for joy in the faith.
• Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet, edited by Brandon Vogt (2011) - I fully expect the next generation of Catholic media creators to cite this book as a powerful inspiration. The essays contained within highlight some of the best Catholic work being done on the web.
• Practice Makes Catholic, by Joe Paprocki (2011) - Joe's latest book outlines the Catholic faith through five principles: sacramentality, community, justice and the dignity of human life, reverence for Tradition, and a disposition towards faith and hope. A great read for any Catholic looking to deepen their practice of the faith.
• Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, by Pope Benedict XVI (2011) - In this, the second volume of the Holy Father's reflections on the life of Christ, the pope's humble spirit and gift for explaning the truth of the faith in simple, lucid terms is in full effect as he unpacks the mysteries of Christ's death and resurrection.
• The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work, by Randy Hain (2011) - This book is a must-read for anyone who has wondered how to live out their faith the other six days of the week.

If you have any recommendations that you've read in the past year, share them in the comments!

Photo by Thomas Hawk / FlickrCC

Below is the text from Bishop Thomas John Paprocki's homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

Click here to read or download Bishop Paprocki's speeches and homilies

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD –
CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT MASS
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Springfield, Illinois
December 25, 2011

+Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki
Bishop of Springfield in Illinois

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Probably the most famous Christmas story in the world, apart from the Nativity itself, is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It has done much to foster the conviction that Christmas is a time for forgiveness and family gatherings. Not only does the repentant Scrooge send a turkey to his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit, but Scrooge himself goes to dinner with his nephew and wider family. "Nothing could be heartier," Dickens wrote. "Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!"

One of the most popular television Christmas specials is A Charlie Brown Christmas. In it, when a frustrated Charlie Brown asks what is the meaning of Christmas, Linus responds with a recitation of Luke's story of the birth of Jesus, the very Gospel we read at Midnight Mass. But, poor Charlie still does not quite "get it," and perhaps neither do we. The real meaning of Christmas is not revealed until the end of the story. Snoopy has won first place in a contest for the best outdoor Christmas decorations. Snoopy's doghouse is a gaudy collection of garland, orna¬ments, and flashing lights. Next to Snoopy's doghouse, Charlie Brown's little Christmas tree that is shedding its needles seems worthless — until the children strip Snoopy's doghouse of its gaudy display and turn the little tree into something magnificent.

Earlier, while rehearsing the Christmas pageant, part of the cause of Charlie Brown's frustration was when Lucy had handed out the scripts. When she gave Sherman his script and told him he was to be a shepherd, he lamented, "Not a shepherd again?! Why do I always have to be a shepherd?!" Despite what we might think of the story of Jesus' birth, the star of the story is not only Jesus. The shepherds also share top billing. This is their story and the story of what God has done for them. It is the story of the ugly little tree that can become magnificent with a little love.

Sherman didn't realize the importance of his role. The co-stars of the Christmas story are the lowly shepherds. Like the story of the ugly little tree made magnificent through love, it is also the story of the shepherds and what God has done for them. It was so great an experience that they left their flocks exposed so that they could be pulled into God's presence.

This is a story of generosity and Christmas celebrates generosity. It is a generosity of love that is affective. It is the story of God's generosity with us. God has come to us, and it can become a story of our generous response to such great a gift.

There is a fairytale quality to Luke's account of the birth of Jesus, where the harsh realities of the actual event are softened by the glow of the miraculous events surrounding it. But if we have no more than a romantic image of it, that does not bear close scrutiny. Luke reminds us of the political realities of the day, with whole populations on the move in order to be registered in the census commanded by Caesar Augustus. The economic reality is just as uncomfortable: the baby is laid in a manger, an animal's feeding box, because no other accommodation is available to poorer people.

It is no accident, therefore, that Luke records that the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah were shepherds, the poorest of the poor, living in the open, moving from place to place with their sheep, having to defend them from wild animals. The words the angel uses are significant: the angel tells the shepherds that a savior has been born "to you" – Jesus is to be their savior, not just the savior of the high and mighty. The shepherds are not expected to believe the words of the angel on their own merit: a sign has been given to them. When they see a child, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the angel's words will be confirmed – the rumor of good news really is Good News.

Suddenly, with the angel, there is a "a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel." The shepherds have a vision of heaven, of a world above and beyond their own, a vision that will inspire them and add a new dimension to their lives. The song of the angels is not a concert performance to bring a little cheer to the shepherds on that first Christmas night; it is, rather, the song of the blessed that is constantly being sung to God.

This reality is evoked at every Mass. During the Preface, some aspect of God's saving work is recounted. Each Preface closes with "And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we declare your glory," or similar words. At that moment, as we join in the "Holy, Holy, Holy," we are with the shepherds in the fields, adding our voices to those of the angels. At that moment, it is as though the veil between heaven and Earth has been torn, enabling us to glimpse God's glory. At that moment, we can imagine that the roof of the church has rolled back, and we can see the spiritual reality of God's kingdom. This vision changes everything for us, and is the key to our life and our faith.

There are times when we can be comforted by the romanticized picture of Christmas with which we are so familiar: the familiar story, the crib, memories of childhood, Christmas ritual. There are times too when we can see behind the story to the coming of God into the harsh realities of human life.

For some people, these harsh realities have only become worse in the past year. Since the uprising in Egypt last January, human rights groups have estimated that as many as 100,000 Christians have fled to the United States to escape rising religious persecution in Egypt. Meanwhile, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk in northern Iraq said that again this year "Midnight Christmas Mass has been canceled in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk as a consequence of the never-ending assassinations of Christians." He said that 54 Iraqi churches have been bombed and at least 905 Christians have been killed in various acts of violence, while hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled Iraq since 2003. We stand in solidarity with them and with persecuted Christians throughout the world.

Closer to home, just this evening, St. Mary Church in Brussels, Illinois, burned down after Mass. No one was hurt, thank God, but the loss of this sacred edifice in our diocese will be devastating for the people of this parish. Let us remember them in our prayers, knowing that Christ's birth is especially meaningful for those who suffer and who long for His coming.

We know that the birth of the Christ child is not just a feel-good story, but it is significant and life-changing for us and for our world. Whenever we face some personal difficulty, or feel down about the state of the world, or are burdened with worries, we can be certain that God is in the middle of it all: the Word has become flesh, and really lives in our midst. The "Holy, Holy, Holy" reminds us of this, not just this Christmas night but every time we come to Mass.

May God give us this grace. Amen.

Every year it seems that the cultural observance of Christmas starts a little bit earlier. Stores are constantly seeking to lengthen the time they have to sell holiday items; this year I even saw some stores with Christmas decorations in stock before Halloween!

While this is understandable from a commercial point of view, it clashes with the Church's observance and understanding of Advent -- that time of both preparation for Christmas and anticipation for the Second Coming of Christ.

How can we keep Advent in a culture that has forgotten this important liturgical season?

• Put up an Advent wreath in your home. Light it during meal time with your family.
• Start each day in prayer and reflection. Many parishes provide a booklet of reflections for use during Advent; you can also purchase such booklets from a local Catholic bookstore or online Catholic supply store.
• Utilize a site such as the University of Creighton's "Praying Advent" page for daily prayers and audio reflections.
• Don't decorate your house or trim your tree until the week before Christmas and leave the decorations up throughout Christmas Time.
• Attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation, either at a parish reconciliation service or at your parish's normal time.
• Find or download an album of Advent music (yes, they do exist!) to play during the season.

For the record: This year Advent begins on November 27. The Octave of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 25 and ends on January 1 (the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God). Christmas Time begins the evening of December 24 and runs until January 9 (the Baptism of the Lord).

Have a very blessed Advent season; Come, Lord Jesus!

Tomorrow afternoon His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, will ordain eleven men to the Sacred Order of Deacons in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. One of the men to be ordained, Scott Snider, is a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

A former Protestant minister, Scott entered the full communion of the Catholic Church in 2003 with his wife Pam and has been working as a Pastoral Associate at St. Gregory the Great parish in Chicago since 2004.

After Scott completed his studies and formation for the priesthood at Mundelein Seminary, Bishop Paprocki requested the permission of the Holy Father to ordain Scott to the priesthood under what is known as "the pastoral provision."

Last week the Holy Father granted his permission; the timing of the response did not allow time to publicize the announcement.

When Scott learned of the affirmative response of the Holy Father he asked to be ordained by Cardinal George, who was already scheduled to ordain ten men tomorrow to the diaconate; Bishop Paprocki granted his permission.

Please keep Scott in your prayers.

I will attend the ordination and hope to be able to provide a few pictures.

On Sunday, September 11^th at 2:30pm, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (6^th & Lawrence) will hold an ecumenical service to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Msgr. Carl Kemme will preside at this prayer service, and ministers from Springfield area churches will also participate.  An ecumenical choir has been assembled for the event. Under the direction of the Associate Director for Music for the Diocese of Springfield and Cathedral Director of Music, Nichol DelGiorno, the choir will present John Rutter’s Requiem during the service. 

This setting will feature an instrumental ensemble consisting of organ, harp, cello, oboe, flute, timpani and glockenspiel. Requiem is a hauntingly beautiful set of seven movements combining texts from the Requiem Mass (funeral mass) and the Book of Common Prayer.  Rutter’s Requiem is the setting that was used for many memorial services across America following the events of 9-11, undoubtedly because of his ability to musically juxtapose darkness with hope and the promise of light (and life) eternal. 

Those who lost their lives on 9-11 in the attacks in New York City, Washington, DC and Shanksville, PA will be honored, as will all who have served, or who are serving, in the military and those who serve as firefighters, police officers and EMTs.

For more information, contact Nichol DelGiorno at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 522-3342 x135.

The Office for Catechesis, in conjunction with local parishes, will again offer faith formation courses for adults across the diocese. These courses, which are open to everyone, are designed to help Catholics grow in their faith, respond to questions about the Church, and make faith-filled decisions in their lives.

Catechists and Catholic school teachers may also attend these classes for credit in the diocesan catechist formation process.

The complete schedule follows.

For more information about any of these courses or other faith formation activities, contact Christine Malmevik, associate director for catechesis, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (217) 698-8500.

The Acts of the Apostles (Little Rock Scripture Study)
Sept 12, 19, 26; Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Nov. 7, 14; 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Maria Carmody; St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Hardin)
Contact: Maria Carmody; (618) 576-2662

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 15, 22, 29; Oct. 6, 13; 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Debbie Sanders; Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Collinsville)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 345-4343

The Great Adventure Bible Series
Sept. 19, 26; Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31; 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Sr. Therese Flerlage, O.S.F.; St. Cecilia Parish (Glen Carbon)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 288-5523

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 21, 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 16, 30; Dec. 7; 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Helen Crusen; St. Jude Parish (Rochester)
Contact: Dan Frachey; (217) 498- 9197 x23

Getting Started as a Catechist, Roles of the Catechist and Person of the Catechist
Sept. 22, 29, Oct. 6; 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Marsha Chomko; St. Jerome Parish (Troy)
Contact: Marsha Chomko; (618) 667-6571; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Sept. 25; Oct. 2, 16, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20; Dec. 4, 11; 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Dan Merriman; St. Jude Parish (Rochester)
Contact: Dan Frachey; (217) 498- 9197 x23

The Sacraments
Sept. 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 8:30–10:00 a.m.
Rev. David Zimmerman; St. Mary Parish (Paris)
Contact: Secretary; (217) 466-3355

Person of the Catechist, Roles of the Catechist, Getting Started as a Catechist
Sept. 29; Oct. 6, 13; 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; St. Joseph Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; (217) 544-7426

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25; Nov. 8; 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Pat Ellis; Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (Collinsville)
Contact: Parish Office; (618) 345-4343

Liturgy and Sacraments – Part One
Oct. 27; 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; St. Joseph Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Sr. Mary Ellen Backes, O.S.U.; (217) 544-7426

I Believe, We Believe
Oct. 29; 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Introduction to the Learner
Dec. 10; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Prayer and Spirituality
Feb. 25; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

Person of the Catechist
April 28; 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cathy Becker; St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Springfield)
Contact: Cathy Becker; (217) 744-0578

At its heart, the Eucharist is a sacrament of communion, bringing us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. If we live the fruits of the Eucharist in our daily lives, we will fill our families and our communities with the life-giving qualities that the Liturgy brings: hospitality, concern for the poor and vulnerable, self-offering, and thanksgiving.

An ancient saying in the Church reads “lex orandi, lex credendi,” meaning that the law of prayer is the law of faith. More loosely: as we pray, so we believe. To that we might add lex vivendi, meaning that as we pray, so we believe, and so we live. In the third edition of the Roman Missal, the bishops and translators have taken great care to ensure that the prayers accurately and fully reflect the mysteries of our faith. Thus, the words that we pray in each liturgical celebration will help to form and strengthen our understanding of the faith.

However, if the effects of the Liturgy stop at the doors of the church, we have not made our prayer and our faith part of our law of living. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Eucharist helps us to grow in union with Christ, avoid sin, increase in charity, strengthen communion with our brothers and sisters, and recognize Christ in the poorest and most vulnerable members of society (see CCC, nos. 1391-1397). But what does that mean in daily life?

Living a Life of Prayer

Our prayer lives should not be limited to a single hour on Sunday mornings. In fact, the richer our prayer lives are throughout the week, the more fully we will be able to enter into the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Here are some ways to make your daily life more prayerful:

• Try attending daily Mass at least once a week. Your parish may have an early morning Mass, or a church near your job may offer a lunchtime Mass.
• Stop in a church before or after work or on your lunch hour for fifteen minutes of quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
• Make it a practice to say grace before every meal -- even if you are eating in the car.
• Schedule time for family prayer at least once a week. This prayer can be as simple as saying the Our Father or a decade of the Rosary together.
• Take time during the week to read or listen to the readings for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are available online (in print and audio) at www.usccb.org/bible.
• Begin your day with a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God, offering your day to him.
• End your day with an examination of conscience, looking at your successes and failures in what you have done or what you have failed to do. If you are aware of serious sin, receive the Sacrament of Penance before you receive Holy Communion again.

Living a Life of Loving Service

Celebrating the eucharistic Liturgy and receiving Holy Communion should strengthen us to conform our lives more closely to the example of Christ. As Jesus knelt before his Apostles to wash their feet (see Jn 13), giving them an example of humble service, so must we who bear the name Christian live our lives in service to our brothers and sisters.

To help us in this endeavor, Church Tradition has identified works of mercy. These fourteen practices demand great sacrifice and generosity, but they also draw us more deeply into conformity with the Lord. Focusing on one of these works each week may be a practical way to integrate them into our personal, family, and parish lives.

Corporal Works of Mercy

• Feeding the hungry
• Sheltering the homeless
• Clothing the naked
• Visiting the sick
• Visiting the imprisoned
• Giving drink to the thirsty
• Burying the dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

• Converting sinners
• Instructing the ignorant
• Advising the doubtful
• Comforting the sorrowful
• Bearing wrongs patiently
• Forgiving injuries
• Praying for the living and dead

Our parishes and civil communities offer numerous opportunities to live out these works, from assisting with religious education classes or volunteering at a food bank to encouraging our legislators to put forward policies that protect the life and dignity of each person. As we grow in conformity to Christ, we see more clearly that all people are made in the image and likeness of God (see Gn 1:26) and so have an inherent value and dignity. By helping to build a more just and compassionate society, we act as Christ’s Body in the world.

It All Comes Back to the Eucharist

Living the Christian life is not easy. “What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ . . . preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage” (CCC, no. 1392).

And so, each Sunday, we return to the Eucharistic table, bringing all our efforts of the previous week, the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, the joys and the sorrows. We gather with our brothers and sisters in the Lord and, together with our priest, we join these efforts to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, asking that God will receive what we offer back to him in humble thanksgiving. The Catechism explains it as follows:

The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his offering. (CCC, no. 1368)

Then, strengthened by Holy Communion, we are once again sent forth into the world to glorify the Lord in our lives.

Reference

Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2010 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved.