Truths to Remember
From the Desk of Father David
Dear Friends in Christ,
I don’t think any of us would ever have imagined that we would have a Lent and possibly an Easter with no celebrations in our Church. The Church has taught for many years that the Church is made up of two Churches. The first being the Domestic Church, which is your home , and second is the Parish Church, the place where all the members of the Domestic Church gather for Eucharist. Both need each other to be strong. In more recent years, the Domestic Church has grown weaker as fewer families are praying together, eating together, sharing their lives, or even spending time talking about the faith. The larger Church has tried to fill in the gap with more programs and a great emphasis on the Eucharist. To a small degree this has helped, but overall without the backing of the Domestic Church the larger Church has grown weaker. Now is the time for the Domestic Church to become stronger.
Some truths we need to remember are:
1) Jesus is totally present in the Eucharist, He is also totally present in His Word. For the first 1500 years of the Church’s history this truth was emphasized. The Mass always kept it alive as the first half of the Sacred Liturgy is the proclamation of the Word of God.
2) The Lord Jesus promised to be with us always. Therefore every time we pray we connect to Jesus and through Him we are connected to our loved ones, living and deceased and the rest of the human family. You might have had the experience of thinking about someone and then they call you. These experiences remind us of how we are all connected in God.
3) Our kitchen/dinning room tables are sacred like the Altar, the large table in the Church. Because at both we offer our lives to the Lord Jesus and share our lives with each other.
4) We believe that Jesus loves us. Therefore we know He is active in our lives. During this time of slowing down may we connect to our faith story by reflecting on our lives and looking for God’s presence. With God’s guidance may we also share our story like the Apostles.
5) May we never forget that prayer is the most powerful force in the world because it connects us to living God. We might not see its effects, but faith tells us that our prayers are powerful. Lastly, the Angels and Saints are on our side fighting against all evil. May we talk to them and follow their guidance.
Next week, I will be sharing ideas on celebrating Holy Week and Easter in the home. We are presently working on ways to live stream the Mass especially for Easter. Check out our webpage for important information. We are still placing the Sunday Mass recordings along with new podcasts to help you pray and experience Jesus in His Word. Please remember especially during this time to call people and let them know you are thinking about them. Take the time now to read the Scriptures and find hope.
May the Fourteen Holy Helpers guide us and our world.
In Christ’s love,
Fr. David
