Reflections

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace: We thank you for the gift of life: for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that nurtures life, for the love of family [read more...]

Giving Thanks is Necessary

Giving thanks is not only good and polite. It’s not just a thoughtful gesture. Fr. Mike says, and the words we say in Mass seem to agree, giving thanks is necessary for our salvation—especially when it comes to giving thanks [read more...]

Ready?

The First Sunday of Advent – Year C As the world gears up to immerse itself in the Christmas-before-Christmas chaos, we celebrate a time of stillness, preparation, repentance, and contemplation of the divine mystery of the Incarnation. For Catholics Advent [read more...]

What Does It Cost to Trust God? (+ Surrender Prayer)

Trusting God sounds like a great idea… but for most people, it’s a scary thought. Why? Because we know it will cost something. What we might not know—or might forget—is that what he’ll give us in return is worth everything. [read more...]

How Parenting Style Affects Success in Passing on the Faith

Sharing a interesting, but troubling, article from The Pillar. It begins with… “Earlier this year, a Gallup poll found that for the first time in recorded history, the majority of Americans are not members of a church or other house [read more...]

Watch the Final Year of Saint Joseph Reflection

University of St. Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary) recently concluded its Year of Saint Joseph video series, with the final reflection offered by Bishop Jeffrey Grob ’92, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, and Bishop of our Vicariate. Enjoy Bishop Grob’s [read more...]

Who Needs Religion Anymore?

Who needs religion anymore today?  For the first time in history, the religious debate has shifted from “Which God should we worship?” to “Why bother worshipping anything?” In this short video, Chris Stefanick shares EXACTLY who needs religion—and why being [read more...]

Our King, Our Everlasting Hope

Feast of Christ the King If we wish to obtain eternal life, then we must seek and follow the truth. This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. In today’s Gospel, Pilate questions Jesus in [read more...]

Return to Church in “Thanks-giving”

The following is a soft copy of Deacon Paul Onischuk’s homily, given at the Our Lady of the Wayside School Mass on November 10, 2021. Luke 17:11-19 Let’s start off with some questions.  I believe Ms. Messina’s class is sponsoring [read more...]

Deacon Paul to OLW School Children: Lead Your Family Back to Mass

In his homily at OLW’s School Mass on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, Deacon Paul Onischuk compared the parable of the one thankful leper (of ten) with the number of families who regularly attend Mass at Our Lady of the Wayside. [read more...]