Maybe I was blessed more than I was aware? Maybe I was just that fortunate and graced by the Good Lord to experience all that is beautiful and sacred in the person of my Mom? Perhaps I am merely being selfish and subjective with regards to my Mom? Then again, perhaps I am echoing what many others say about their Mom...that she was "the best." You will get no argument from me on this matter...all our Moms are uniquely special to each of us. What I do know is that I have been blessed because of all that my Mom shared, taught and guided me to understand and embrace. She taught me to sew but God knows I pale in comparison to how she handled a needle and thread. She taught me to cook but again, not even remotely close as to match her culinary acumen. She taught me to always love and forgive unconditionally...I do this to the best of my abilities and pray I do her honor in all my efforts. She taught and showed me by example to love and honor God and to give my heart to Jesus. This I pray I have mastered! And while she went home to God seven years ago, she remains very much a part of me. I can still feel her, sense her presence and treasure the memories of her loving touch; as when I was a child or when I was sick how as she stroked my face and comforted me. Memories are what I have left and these I keep close to my heart. To all our Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, Sisters, Nieces, Cousins and to all women...Happy and Blessed Mother's Day. Please, enjoy the poem provided us by the gifted pen and mind of Christina Rossetti, one of England's greatest poets of the 19th Century. I pray you find as much joy and peace in these few, yet lovely lines as I found. Savor and enjoy...there is no love like that of a Mother's love.
[Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome] Christina Rossetti, 1830-1894
Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome Has many sonnets: so here now shall be One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me To her whose heart is my heart's quiet home, To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome; Whose service is my special dignity, And she my loadstar while I go and come And so because you love me, and because I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honored name: In you not fourscore years can dim the flame Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws Of time and change and mortal life and death.
-Manny
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Have you seen Manny's new office? Stop by for a visit!
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Attention Van and Small Truck Drivers
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A little help moving a sofa from Lombard to St. Nicholas
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Out of the kindness of her heart, our Connie Nicholson has a sofa (roughly 6 feet long) that needs to be moved from her home in Lombard and brought here to St. Nicholas where it will take up residency in the vicar's office. Any generous soul with a small truck or van that is able to assist us in this endeavor is asked to please see Connie or Manny...we would all be most grateful for any help whatsoever. God bless.
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Let us honor our Mother this month
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The showers of April indeed have provided us our May flowers; all so beautiful, filled with fragrance and such an array of colors. Let us all, with much such joy and delight pay homage and honor to our dearly departed Mothers throughout the entire month of May. Please bring a framed photo of your Mother and place it on the altar at the Cristo Rex statue at the entrance of the worship space. All are welcome and invited to share in this May tradition...as we share our love for those most special women in our lives we call our Mom, Grandma, Aunt...dear loved one. And of course, we honor our heavenly mother, Mary the Mother of Jesus...for this is her month, too.
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Hail our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope.
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We honor our Mothers this month of May and rightly so. While we share flowers and sweets, time together and moments of happiness and bliss,let us also remember to honor the Mother of our Lord, Mary; the Mother of all God's Children. Her "yes" brought us Jesus and her unconditional and unquestioning love helped secure us our eternal peace and rest. Mother of Jesus...Pray for us.
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Lutheran Choir of Chicago is Coming to St. Nicholas Church on Sunday, June 1
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All are encouraged and warmly invited to come and listen and enjoy
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What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon...the sounds of well tuned and trained voices in song. On Sunday June 1st at 4pm, St. Nicholas will proudly host the Lutheran Choir of Chicago for an afternoon of joyful music and song.
Tickets will be made available very soon at a cost of $10.00 per person. We hope for a large and enthusiastic contingent representing St. Nicholas as we open our doors to our friends of the Lutheran Choir of Chicago.
And as an added bonus: Mary Fletcher-Gomez, who sings with the choir, will be selling a limited number of tickets at the reduced price of $5.00 to St. Nicholas members. First come, first served.
Let's all come, listen, enjoy and celebrate in a late spring concert that will undoubtedly bring a warm smile to our face.
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Want to take on leading & scheduling this ministry?
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We have had inconsistent results with asking people to sign up to host coffee hour. It seems it might it be a good time to ask someone to take over the scheduling and organization of this particular ministry. Community is central to who we are, so this is a wonderful opportunity for someone (or a team of people) to make sure systems are in place so that we all might enjoy fellowship after the services. Even as we hope for a leader / leaders for this ministry, a reminder that every week we must be sure to clean up after coffee hour (loading cups into the dishwasher, vacuuming the floor, pouring leftover coffee into the support groups' coffee urns and clearing away our coffee hour supplies). These tasks have on a few recent occasions fallen to a support group leader who comes in after us, and that is not how it should be. Please give serious thought as to whether you might be just the person to serve your community of faith in this manner! Please contact Manny if your answer is yes.
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Have You Seen Our Gardens Lately?
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We give thanks for the best garden crew in Chicagoland!
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The Community of St. Nicholas is praying
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For John Knepper who is to undergo shoulder surgery: we pray for his full and swift recovery and a little pain in his lengthy rehabbing.
For our friend Dale Rickie who is undergoing serious medical tests and procedures: for strength and patience and that Dale is healed and blessed.
For Clarence Nelson, (88 years young), Ray Malecek's cousin who is in respirtory rehabilitation: pray Clarence continues to improve and regain sound health.
For Eleanor Stiles, (90 years young), a friend of the Malecek family who is experiencing congestive heart failure: pray for Eleanor that she find comfort and stable health.
For Mark McQuade, Jim's nephew who suffered a very bad fall which resulted in a fractured skull. Mark is experiencing extremely painful headaches...pray he regains sound and lasting good health and is once for all free of any and all pain.
For the homeless throughout the region who struggle to find housing now that the PADS sites are closed for the season: pray all our troubled sisters and brothers find security, safety and shelter.
Prayers for Shannon Estes, aunt of Colleen Davy who is dealing with complications brought on by diabetes: pray Shannon finds healing and is able to fight strongly against her diabetes. For all our St. Nicholas community members who are under the weather and in need of healing and prayers: may they find peace and be blessed with sound and better health: Ethel "Corky" Stratton, Connie Nicholson, Joanne Mangiaracina, Vernon Forde, Richard Gans, Eunice Dohra, and any one else in need of our continued prayers and well wishes.
For our military personnel who are overseas and engaged in battle: that they soon return home safe and secure.
For those who are suffering from the pain of depression: may their burdens be lightened and may they find healing.
For the members of the Support Groups at St. Nicholas who endure, "one day at at time," in their daily battles against addiction.
(**written prayer requests)
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To Katie and Phil Gabor, good friends of St. Nicholas who made a tremendously large food donation to our pantry. Your kindness and generosity will help feed many.
To Hank Mandziara, Hal Stratton and Steve Raftery who installed heavy duty shelves in a grateful vicar's office and permanently installed the beautiful metal gate that now stands in the Gathering Space...great work, guys!
To our Support Group community members who have already taken to mowing the expansive lawns of St. Nicholas...looking mighty good!
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Readings for This Weekend
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The Fourth Sunday of Easter
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Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
Psalm 23
Saturday Lector: Thelma Malacek Sunday Lectors: Bill Barlow, Jennifer Garcia Sunday Intercessor: Bob DeHaven Sunday Chalice Bearers: Pat Kalicki, Colleen Davy |
This Week at St. Nicholas
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As a reminder, the full master calendar is always available online at this link. Here is the schedule for the next week:
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Wednesday, May 07, 2014
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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Food Pantry
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4:00 PM
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Evening Prayer
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6:00 PM
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Choir Rehearsal
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6:45 PM
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Al-Anon Meeting
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7:30 PM
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Thursday, May 08, 2014
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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GA Meeting
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7:00 PM
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Friday, May 09, 2014
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Vicar's Day Off
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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Saturday, May 10, 2014
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AA Meeting
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1:00 PM
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Worship Service
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4:30 PM
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AA Meeting
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7:00 PM
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Sunday, May 11, 2014
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Bishop's Committee Meeting
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8:15 AM
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Worship Service
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10:00 AM
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AA Meeting
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7:30 PM
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Monday, May 12, 2014
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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AA Meeting
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7:00 PM
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014
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Vicar's Day Off
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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AA Meeting
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7:00 PM
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Wednesday, May 14, 2014
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AA Meeting
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12:00 PM
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Evening Prayer
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6:00 PM
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Choir Rehearsal
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6:45 PM
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Al-Anon Meeting
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7:30 PM
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