Another in the series of finals

     As I am sure that you know, I will be retiring from active ministry at the end of June, after forty-four years.  Transitions are always difficult, and yet wonderfully challenging.

     On Tuesday afternoon I had another "final event" in the journey - the final scheduled Mass for our Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School family.  I celebrated the feast of Saint Mark for the youngsters from grades one through five, along with a number of parents and guests, in the school chapel.  As always, it was a wonderful expression of faith and love.



     At the close of the liturgy, there was a surprise presentation made by one of the students on behalf of the school family. 

 

     I was presented with a framed image of a "Heralding Angel" beautifully crafted from words and phrases that the youngsters offered to their teachers to describe me.  I have included a copy of the image for your appreciation.



     A while back, when Bishop Malesic visited the school and blessed the new chapel, he was presented with a similar image.  In an observation at the time I shared my admiration for it's unique beauty.  And now I am the proud recipient of this expression of love that will be for me a life-long remembrance of my time in the Norwin area.  To the school family, a great big THANK YOU!

Sacred Days indeed

    Our paschal journey through the week called Holy and the Three Sacred Days of the Triduum has reached its end.  Now begins the true celebration of New Life in the Easter Mysteries which will be the thrust of the next fifty days.  We sat at the Table in the intimacy of a supper meal ... we prayed quietly in the garden with our friend and brother, Jesus ... we contemplated the account of his passion and death, we bowed before the starkness of the Cross, and we found nourishment as we continued our journey ... we entered into the darkness of Good Friday night praying in song and word the prophecies relating to this moment in time as we experienced Tenebrae ... and we waited, waited for the Vigil.

     Then we began the Solemn Vigil.  A new fire dispelled the darkness.  A candle, blessed, lit and set apart, led the people of God into their House to contemplate the mystery of salvation.   A great proclamation, the Exultet, spoke of this night in beautiful terms, and of the Happy Fault, the necessary sin of Adam that brought to us so loving of a Redeemer and the fulfillment of a longstanding Promise.   The Church then invited us to listen with quiet hearts to the Word of God - elaborated through nine readings with psalms and prayer.  After breaking open the Word, we moved into the Baptismal Liturgy.

     This year we at the parish had one young man of catechetical age who we shared the gift of Baptism with and then later brought to the Table of the Lord for Eucharist.  His name is Conner, and he was ready and willing with his "YES" to his desire to be baptized and his "I DO'S" at the Baptismal Promises.  In the newly blessed water he entered into the family of God and all of us, renewing our Promises, were reminded of our baptisms in the Rite of Sprinkling.  Conner was welcomed, embraced by the community, prayed over, washed clean in baptism and anointed, entrusted with the Light of Faith, and made ready for the Table.

    And then we returned to the Table that we had left on Thursday to celebrate with Easter joy the Eucharist which is our life-blood.  Having been inspired, having been renewed, having been nourished, we prepared to go forth and proclaim the Good News.  The blessing that sent us forth prayed:

May almighty God bless you

through today's Easter Solemnity

and, in his compassion,

defend you from every assault of sin.

 

And may he, who restores you to eternal life

in the Resurrection of his Only Begotten,

  endow you with the prize of immortality.

 

Now that the days of the Lord's Passion have drawn to a close,

may you who celebrate the gladness of the Paschal Feast

come with Christ's help, ans exulting in spirit,

to those feasts that are celebrated in eternal joy.

 

 

ALLELUIA!  ALLELUIA!  ALLELUIA!

 

 

The vanquished foe

     As our journey through Holy Week continues, I would like to share the words from Preface II of the Passion of the Lord from the Roman Missal which is prayed this week.  We hear it for only a few days, but its beauty deserves our attention.

"It is truly right and just,

our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

Lord, holy Father,

almighty and eternal God,

through Christ our Lord.

For the days of his saving Passion

and glorious Resurrection

are approaching,

by which the pride

of the ancient foe

is vanquished

and the mystery of our redemption in Christ

is celebrated.

Through him the hosts of Angels

adores your majesty

and rejoices in your presence forever.

May our voices, we pray,

join with theirs

in one chorus of exultant praise."

 

     We celebrate our redemption in Christ's passion, death and resurrection, but we also celebrate the defeat, the conquering, the vanquishing of the ancient foe.  There are countless enemies facing us in this world and beyond, but none compare to "the ancient foe".  And it is with confident assurance that we acknowledge his being vanquished and the freedom that his defeat brings into our life.  The power of these days awakens in us great joy. 

Monday of Holy Week

     On this Monday of Holy Week, the Prayer Over the People reads:

"May your protection, O Lord, we pray,

defend the humble

and keep ever safe those who trust in your mercy,

that they may celebrate the paschal festivities

not only with bodily observance

but above all with purity of mind.

Through Christ our Lord."

 

 

     These next few days are days of quieting of our lives, quieting of mind and heart, so that the Triduum may bring forth within us the sacredness of the mysteries that we celebrate.

 

 

     These days of Holy Week 2017 are precious to me in that they will be my last in active ministry.  My retirement from pastoral assignments is quickly approaching, as is my seventieth birthday.  The date for retirement is not yet set, but will probably be close to July 1st.  Pray for me ... and pray for the people of this great parish family.

A Week of Grace - A Holy week

     The crowds gathered [a few more than usual on this Sunday of palm branches and crosses] as we entered into a heightened journey of a reflection on the Passion of Our Lord.  Yesterday was the Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord.  On this Sunday the Church recalls the entrance into Jerusalem of Jesus and his companions.  At our 11:00 am Mass our newly formed Generations Choir which combines our Young Voices and our Adult Choir set the stage with a rousing version of the "Hosanna to the Son of David".

     The beginning greeting set the stage for the upcoming week.  From the Roman Missal, I said:

Dear brothers and sisters,
since the beginning of Lent until now
we have prepared our hearts by penance and charitable works.
Today we gather together to herald with the whole Church
the beginning of the celebration
of our Lord's Paschal Mystery,
that is to say, of his Passion and Resurrection.
For it was to accomplish this mystery
that he entered his own city of Jerusalem.
Therefore, with all faith and devotion,
let us commemorate
the Lord's entry into the city for our salvation,
following in his footsteps,
so that, being made by his grace partakers of the Cross,
we may have a share also in his Resurrection and in his life.

     Then we began this journey of faith.  Triumphal entry ... sobering words ... the great story of betrayal and passion and death from Matthew ... our reliance upon our faith and the Eucharistic Table ... and our departure in quiet reflection and prayer.  As I have said to our parish family, if you allow yourself to enter into these mysteries with open hearts and minds you will experience his blessings and grace, and the "Holy" in this week's title will be able to be used to describe you at the end of the week.  We are called to holiness.  The path lays before us.  And God's grace will see us through to the end - which is really the beginning.  Journey well.

     It has been too long since my last post, and I sincerely apologize.