Pastor's Letter - April 5, 2020

"Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Matthew 26:38

Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, This week is the final week of preparation for the great gift of our Gospel. Indeed, our faith is founded on the truth of the Lord’s bodily resurrection, for "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ… If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:14-15,17-19) So our entire faith, everything we do, is about next Sunday. So we must prepare well for this joyous day.

Whether we are sheltering in place this year, or like other years we are putting on our best spring clothes and getting to church early for a seat, Sunday will mean the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. The Lord will reign victorious no matter where we are. And so we must prepare well for this joyous day.

What do those preparations look like? We have many ideas for how to make Triduum special in our parish. For the past two weeks the parish has been responding to the adjustments with great agility. I have been impressed with how well our staff has made the necessary adjustments not only to “survive” these times but to thrive in them. I am grateful to them all for their efforts behind the scenes and “out in front” via internet and e-mail.

An important element of connecting with the parish during this time of social distancing is our ability to use video and audio to record liturgies. I have been in collaboration with two people who work full-time in this field and have finalized, with the approval of our finance council, the purchase of equipment for making our parish prayer available online. We are planning on posting things on our website and parish social media accounts for how to access this when we get it up an running, which is hopefully before Palm Sunday.

As far as this week goes, we are going to host a "virtual parish mission.” As with our plan for streaming or publishing liturgies, please watch the website and social media accounts for how to access the mission. Please stay attentive to that this weekend, as our first talk will be Monday evening. This virtual parish mission does not need to be the only way you can live Triduum. And although we are already in such a unique time, this week should be different from last week in many ways, big and small. Perhaps try living more intensely in silence or have designated "house quiet time" each day, even if only 30 minutes.

Try reading the entire passion narrative from one of the Gospels (perhaps one a day). It could be done in ten minutes but could also be taken more slowly. Watch something on Formed.org every evening as you are “winding down,” something that doesn’t turn your attention away from God, but toward Him. I would recommend the 1-hour video “Fourth Cup” by Scott Hahn.

Organize a Sedar meal with your family. As Holy Thursday will not include footwashing this year, make preparations to do so within the home and with each other, each one washing another person’s feet (or washing each other’s hands if you are more comfortable). Don’t forget to fast on Good Friday, not just abstain from meat, as a sign of our freely embracing some physical suffering with Our Lord. Praying the stations of the cross together might be another way to sanctify the day or evening.

And think well ahead about how you wish to make Easter special. Perhaps preparing a special meal, rearranging the house furniture for "virtual Mass,” etc.

I will miss your physical presence dearly this week, but rejoice in the unity we have in Christ.

The quote above from Jesus’ words in Matthew 26 sounds a bit different this year, doesn’t it? Let us take advantage of this unique Holy Week to stay with Jesus and watch with Him.

St. Therese, pray for us