September 21, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

The phrase “rock bottom” comes to mind when praying about this Gospel passage (and also reflecting on the Chicago Bears, but that’s another story). “Rock bottom” is typically seen as the lowest point in a person’s life. It’s a term generally used when talking about people suffering addictions. The addiction has gotten so bad and the person is so consumed by it, having lost their freedom and their will, they are at the point where they will either die or they will begin the recovery.

Rock bottom is a terrible place to be–so much pain has been caused–but it’s a place of potential. And potential means hope. Maybe the person who has hit rock bottom will not be able to recover their family, friends, and job that they perhaps have lost, but they can recover their soul. The road to recovery and redemption won’t be easy, but it’s a far better road than the other road they were on: the decline with denial, false promises, and recidivism.

The “dishonest steward” from this Sunday’s parable has hit rock bottom. He is about to lose everything, having betrayed his position. It’s a harsh wake up call, but wake up indeed he does. This is why the master in the parable commends him. The dishonest steward springs into action, cuts his losses with the promissory notes to the various clients, and saves his skin. It doesn’t mean all is forgotten or forgiven. It just means that he is still ‘in the game.’ He will now work to improve his relationship with the master and the clients. He will now work, more importantly, on his spirit and the tendencies that led him to this destructive behavior. Again, he might still lose his job, but he won’t lose his soul, and the soul is more important.

So, we see the brilliant paradox of rock bottom. It’s how God works. He takes something so awful and evil, and makes it into something good.

We see it elsewhere. A person suffering cancer or Alzheimer’s, for example, is obviously a very difficult cross. No one would wish this on themselves or another, but the illness can deepen a person’s faith, bring a family closer together, make a saint out the caretaker, and so forth. Something good and beautiful has come out of evil.

We hope a person doesn’t have to suffer rock bottom or an illness to experience beauty and salvation. But such is life. Rock bottoms and illnesses happen. With God, something good can come forth from it, if we reach out to him. He is the great Alchemist. He transforms base metal into gold.

If you’re not an addict or you don’t have a major illness or whatever, you can still apply this lesson. See any difficult experience in your life as a sort of rock bottom. You have a fight with your spouse or family member? Don’t stay mad, but let that be a wake-up call to reach out to God for love and transformation. You fail a test or get benched for a game? Don’t be depressed, but ask God for strength and wisdom to do his will. You don’t get that promotion or something doesn’t go well at work? Don’t be discouraged or resentful, but turn to God for affirmation and see where your true value lies.

Treating all of our challenges and setbacks as little rock-bottoms is what it means to “make friends with dishonest wealth,” as Jesus says. It’s these little spiritual actions that make us into disciples, into saints.

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We will have a Family Mass this Sunday at 10:30am in the HFC. Our next Family Mass will be Sunday, October 5th at 10:30am in the HFC.

The Faith, Hope & Charity guild, along with the Woman’s Group, is hosting a Golf Outing this Sunday afternoon at 3pm at TAM Golf Course. The Men’s Club Golf Outing is this Friday, September 26th at 12pm.

The Adoration Chapel Team will be hosting a meeting for Adorers this Tuesday, September 23rd at 6:30pm in the Kinane Center. Our parish is blessed to have a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, but we are struggling to find committed adorers (individuals who sign up to pray an hour in the chapel). Please keep our chapel and our committed adorers in your prayers.

This weekend is a special collection for Mundelein Seminary. Thank you for your generosity. There are special envelopes in the pews if you didn’t receive one in the mail to support our future priests.

Speaking of the seminary, if you missed the bulletin from a few weeks ago, we are pleased to have new seminarians joining our parish. In addition to Greg Wilk (1st Year for the Archdiocese of Chicago), who was with us last year, we welcome Dominic Jirak (3rd Year for the Diocese of Wichita, KS) and Tim Kujawa (1st Year for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester). You’ll see them around on the weekends, helping altar serve at Masses and assisting with other activities, like OCIA and Catechesis. They spend the week up at the seminary for classes. Please pray for them and for more vocations to the priesthood.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace