COVID-19 (Coronavirus) April 9, 2020 Update
April 9, 2020 Update
Good morning. I hope that this email finds you well and safe at home.
Today we enter into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, those three days wherein we celebrate the central mysteries of our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. We enter today through Holy Thursday when we celebrate the Lord’s institution of the Eucharist and the ordained priesthood. At the Last Supper, Jesus knew what was to come and he desired to be so close to His Apostles. This desire for closeness was more than simply leaving a good memory for them. He wanted to leave His very self for them. He did this through the Jewish Passover feast wherein they celebrated God’s closeness to His people in saving them from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus, in taking simple bread and wine, transforms them into His Body and His Blood that He might live with His Apostles in a new way. His desire for closeness did not end with the Last Supper though as He desires to be close to us as well. This desire is why He gives that command to “do this in memory of me.” He commissions the twelve Apostles to share the Eucharistic celebration that He might continue to be close to us in His Body and His Blood every time we gather to celebrate. He desires to be close to us through the priests who continue that commission of the Apostles. At the Eucharistic celebration, the priest doesn’t just repeat the words of Jesus at the Last Supper like an actor in the production of a play. The priest literally “acts in the person of Jesus Christ” in that moment, theological language that means it is Christ who prays those words. When at Mass the priest humbly prays the words of Jesus from the Last Supper, transforming simple bread and wine into His Body and His Blood, Jesus is close to us.
Brothers and Sisters, it is tough to celebrate this beautiful day knowing that you cannot receive the very gifts that God has given on this Holy Thursday. To know that you cannot receive His Body and His Blood makes my heart ache. To know that I cannot be physically near you in my priesthood as I celebrate its beginnings today is tough. But I know just as Jesus desired to be so close to His Apostles almost two thousand years ago, He so desires to be close to us now as well. The effects of the celebration of the Eucharist are being realized in you even now although you aren’t physically present at Mass. My prayer & ministry for you is effective even now although I cannot be physically with you. As you celebrate the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper with me, Jesus recognizes your desire to be close with Him. Pray the Act of Spiritual Communion as you never have before. Know that even though you cannot receive Him physically, although I cannot be there physically to minister to you, He is there with you...and this we celebrate.
Please do join us for the live stream of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper tonight at 7 pm and check out the Holy Week Schedule to join us in prayer daily these next days.
Today, take time to look at our Holy Week at Home resources for Holy Thursday. There are so many beautiful ways to prepare our hearts for tonight’s celebration.
Tomorrow is Good Friday and with that starts the novena (nine days of prayer) for the Feast of Divine Mercy the Sunday after Easter. Click here to sign up for a daily email with the novena prayers.
God Bless,
Fr. Jason
Good morning. I hope that this email finds you well and safe at home.
Today we enter into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, those three days wherein we celebrate the central mysteries of our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. We enter today through Holy Thursday when we celebrate the Lord’s institution of the Eucharist and the ordained priesthood. At the Last Supper, Jesus knew what was to come and he desired to be so close to His Apostles. This desire for closeness was more than simply leaving a good memory for them. He wanted to leave His very self for them. He did this through the Jewish Passover feast wherein they celebrated God’s closeness to His people in saving them from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus, in taking simple bread and wine, transforms them into His Body and His Blood that He might live with His Apostles in a new way. His desire for closeness did not end with the Last Supper though as He desires to be close to us as well. This desire is why He gives that command to “do this in memory of me.” He commissions the twelve Apostles to share the Eucharistic celebration that He might continue to be close to us in His Body and His Blood every time we gather to celebrate. He desires to be close to us through the priests who continue that commission of the Apostles. At the Eucharistic celebration, the priest doesn’t just repeat the words of Jesus at the Last Supper like an actor in the production of a play. The priest literally “acts in the person of Jesus Christ” in that moment, theological language that means it is Christ who prays those words. When at Mass the priest humbly prays the words of Jesus from the Last Supper, transforming simple bread and wine into His Body and His Blood, Jesus is close to us.
Brothers and Sisters, it is tough to celebrate this beautiful day knowing that you cannot receive the very gifts that God has given on this Holy Thursday. To know that you cannot receive His Body and His Blood makes my heart ache. To know that I cannot be physically near you in my priesthood as I celebrate its beginnings today is tough. But I know just as Jesus desired to be so close to His Apostles almost two thousand years ago, He so desires to be close to us now as well. The effects of the celebration of the Eucharist are being realized in you even now although you aren’t physically present at Mass. My prayer & ministry for you is effective even now although I cannot be physically with you. As you celebrate the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper with me, Jesus recognizes your desire to be close with Him. Pray the Act of Spiritual Communion as you never have before. Know that even though you cannot receive Him physically, although I cannot be there physically to minister to you, He is there with you...and this we celebrate.
Please do join us for the live stream of the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper tonight at 7 pm and check out the Holy Week Schedule to join us in prayer daily these next days.
Today, take time to look at our Holy Week at Home resources for Holy Thursday. There are so many beautiful ways to prepare our hearts for tonight’s celebration.
Tomorrow is Good Friday and with that starts the novena (nine days of prayer) for the Feast of Divine Mercy the Sunday after Easter. Click here to sign up for a daily email with the novena prayers.
God Bless,
Fr. Jason