Hello All! Happy Palm Sunday.
This will certainly be a very different Holy Week. As a reminder, there will be NO ADORATION during this upcoming week. There will also be no public confessions. There will however be LIVE STREAMED Masses from St. Francis of Assisi. Fr. Gaurav has returned to celebrate Mass this week, and the Masses will be viewable as a Facebook Live event. If you have already "liked" St. Francis on Facebook, you should receive notice in your notifications that there is a live event going on. You should also be able to go direct to St. Francis' Facebook page and join as well.
Mass Times are as follows:
Monday: 12:15 pm
Tuesday 12:15 pm
Wednesday 12:15 pm
Holy Thursday: 7 pm
Good Friday: 3 pm
Holy Saturday: 9 pm
Easter Sunday: 10 am
It should be understood by now, but bears repeating;
these Masses are NOT open to the public.
As we continue this journey, without being able to worship God as we are accustomed to doing, as Catholics, let us reflect on what our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate along with us this week. The Octave of Passover. And realize that God protected His chosen people by requiring that they remain at home, as the Angel of Death Passed Over their homes.
Please, as you remain at home, and hope and pray that this evil virus passes over your home and family, pray also for those who do not have that luxury. But rather, they are fighting to save the lives of those affected. As Bishop Ned shared earlier, they are out, trying to save lives. The best thing you can do is to stay home, and help to save theirs.
As Catholics, we are also blessed with the opportunity to indulge in Spiritual Communion. As you are hungering for the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, consider this prayer of Spiritual Communion:
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things,
And I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this time receive You sacramentally,
Come in Your powerful Spirit into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there (because You ARE already there)
And unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Creo, Jesús mío,
que estás real
y verdaderamente en el cielo
y en el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar.
Os amo sobre todas las cosas
y deseo vivamente recibirte
dentro de mi alma,
pero no pudiendo hacerlo
ahora sacramentalmente,
venid al menos
espiritualmente a mi corazón.
Y como si ya os hubiese recibido,
os abrazo y me uno del todo a Ti.
Señor, no permitas que jamás me aparte de Ti.Amén
Please stay safe. Exercise good judgement, and be prudent. And we will hopefully soon reunite as a parish family to praise and worship God together.