Pastor’s Weekly Letter, April 29, 2020

Pastor’s Weekly Letter, April 29, 2020

1 May 2020 | Posted by: chadmin

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Click here to watch the “virtual May Crowning” video prepared by our St. Philomena School second graders. 

April 29, 2020

Dear friend, 

This week we celebrate the 4^th Week of Easter. The theme of the shepherd is central to the readings. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible often refer to God, Jesus, and religious leaders as shepherds. The lamb was one of the common animals used in the sacrificial offerings to God. John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God, or the sacrificial offering of God. In relationship to God or a religious leader as a shepherd, the people are often defined as sheep. The connections run deep. Sheep have a trusting relationship with the shepherd. Sheep are familiar with the mannerisms and the voice of the shepherd. Put simply, sheep follow the shepherd. One of the underlying qualities of this relationship, is that the shepherd always cares for the good of the sheep. We know how painful failed spiritual leadership can be to religious people. That the shepherd wills our good is critical to seeing the shepherd/sheep relationship as life giving. It is the relationship with God, as our shepherd, that allows us to trust in God’s voice.

We stand for the Gospel at Mass because we reverence the authentic Word of Jesus. Last week we celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday which elevates the Mercy Image that states, “Jesus, I trust in You.” As always, the imagery and spiritual relationships in the Bible are applicable to our lives. If we hold Jesus as our shepherd, then we can act like trusting sheep who hear His voice, trust His care, and follow His guidance. The revelation of the Bible calls us to listen, understand and act. No matter the stage of our spiritual growth, the process is ongoing. There is always more to hear and implement. The spiritual act of trusting God presumes that God wills our good on the path to heaven. May the Lord encourage us to focus on that which has eternal ramifications in our lives, while we diminish the importance of the insignificant aspects of the world.

As we envision Jesus, not only as the shepherd, but also as the gate to let the sheep in and gather them together, we are mindful of our role to follow Jesus while leading others to His pasture. This current shelter-in-place brings many new challenges to daily and family life. Everything that was custom to daily life quickly changed. Our communal absence from the Eucharist is a glaring absence for all of us. While we don’t know when we will next gather, we do know why we gather and what we gather to receive. The focus of our faith remains the same. The Eucharist changes our lives, but the change is limited by our participation. We participate in the Eucharist by responses at Mass and our reception of Communion, but also in our preparation for our encounter with Him. We are mindful that the majority of Jesus’ teaching revolved around love of God and love of neighbor.

During this time, we prepare ourselves for our next communal Mass. Certainly, our preparation for Mass now is like no other time of our lives in reference to time, but we can make our preparation even better spiritually and morally. Preparation for Mass, or to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, is the process of preparing to physically and spiritually unite ourselves to Christ. With such an intimate encounter, our preparation should bring out the best in us. May the Lord guide our spiritual and moral preparation for Mass by calling us to handle the challenges of this pandemic with grace and courage, while striving for renewed confidence in our relationship with God.

Parishioners continue to ask for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This week I began hearing confessions on Wednesday at 5pm, Thursday at 12pm, and Saturday at 3pm. Offering a few different times will hopefully allow for more participation with schedules. Drive up to the Parish Center covered drop-off main entrance. If you have multiple people in the car, I can hear one confession at a time outside, as long as we keep our safe distance. Hope you are well.

God bless,

Father David