We exist to witness God's love
so that all can share in His joy.
Search
4/10/22 Father Owen's Bulletin Message
-
Dear Parishioners,
As we gather on this Palm Sunday weekend, we pause to reflect on the two gospels today proclaimed by the priest or deacon. In the first gospel, we hear of Jesus entering into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. The donkey was the sign of peace and in entering the city on the donkey, Christ proclaimed the need for peace and mutual understanding for all generations to come. As Messiah, he entered into the city in triumph. The crowd welcomed him with great joy and wanted to proclaim him, King. Many in the crowd wanted Christ to be the liberator from the Roman oppression. Christ’s role, however, was to save humankind from our sins and open for all, the gates of heaven. In the second gospel, we hear Christ has been tortured and we walk with him on the road to Calvary. We see many in the crowd want him punished and many want him dead. There were some in the crowd who believed in him and whose hearts were torn with anguish as they witnessed their Messiah and ours, suffering and dying for our sins. We pick out people on the Way of the Cross who with great courage stand up for Christ and for justice. Let us as present-day Catholics always stand up for peace and justice to help the oppressed, the illegal alien and those living through addiction and loneliness. God understands the frailty of human beings and he envelopes us in his forgiving and compassionate love. This Lenten season through prayers, almsgiving, and confession, we have moved with the love of Christ into a more perfect mode of living. Let us strive to continue through sacrifice to give alms and through prayer to surround each person in the world with the courage necessary to be the gift that God empowers them to be. Our second collection today will be our way to support Several Sources Mission through our sacrificial offering. If you haven’t brought in your sacrificial offering yet, please do so in the coming weeks.
I look forward to having you join us for the Holy Day liturgies. On Holy Thursday, we will celebrate Mass of the Lord’s supper at 7 pm. During this Mass, twelve members of our parish will come forward for the washing of the feet; symbolizing that we as a parish community serve God and strive to be the disciples that we are called to be. We remember and re-live the institution of the Holy Eucharist and give praise to God for the gift of Jesus himself who gave us of his Body and Blood, the gift of Holy Communion. The Mass concludes with the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the former chapel as we then wait and prepare through prayer for the joy of Holy Saturday night.
On Good Friday, we celebrate the Passion of Christ with the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion at 3 pm. During this liturgy we re-live the Passion and death of Christ, venerate the cross and we receive Holy Communion which has been consecrated the previous evening. Good Friday is a day of fasting and prayer; a day when Catholics throughout the world abstain from meat and reflect upon Christ’s Passion and death. At 7 pm, I will lead the congregation in the Stations of the Cross and we, as a community will walk the Way of the Cross with our beloved Jesus.
On Holy Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, we will celebrate the Vigil Mass of Easter. Our new Paschal candle will be carried into the church as the reminder of the light, the saving presence of Christ. A selection of readings will be read as we relive creation into Exodus through the New Testament reading and the Gospel. It will then be my great honor to baptize our new candidates, to bring into the Catholic church our former Protestants and to give Holy Communion and Confirmation to the new members who have been preparing for the Easter sacraments.
Be assured of my prayers this Palm Sunday weekend as together we begin this most solemn week of the year leading us into the joy of Easter.
Fr. Owen