Memo from Msgr. Raun Holy Thursday 2020
Dear family in Christ,
A blessed Holy Thursday! Today we enter the final, most solemn days of Holy Week. Today we especially call to mind our Lord's greatest gift to us, the Holy Eucharist, instituted at the Last Supper. The Last Supper was the first Mass. We also recall his Agony in the Garden that He endured for our salvation.
Let's continue meditating on Psalm 23
God has a purpose for our problems.
Psalm 23 tells us over and over God works for our good. He gives us everything we need (v. 1), gives us rest (v. 2), gives us strength (v. 3), and leads us down the right path (v. 3). Psalm 23:6 says, “Your goodness and love will be with me all my life”
The consistent message of Scripture is that God cannot do evil. As we go through these valleys together, we need to remember that God will use these difficult days for our good.
God loves to take the difficult times of our lives and use them to build our character. Paul tells us this in Romans 5:3-4: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation”.
Hosea 2:15 says, ““I will transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope!”. God will do this through today’s valley as well. He will work it out for good.
As believers, we can be absolutely certain that there is a purpose in our pain.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ?
Today, April 9 HOLY THURSDAY
7 pm THE MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER broadcast from the church
8 pm (after the Mass) Sacred Music for Holy Thursday Concert featuring "Ave Verum Corpus"
Tomorrow, April 10, GOOD FRIDAY
A day of fasting and abstinence from eating meat
9 am Confessions in the Religious Education Building
12 noon – The Liturgy of the Passion broadcast from the church
3 pm – The Divine Mercy Novena – Day 1 broadcast from the rectory
7 pm – Stations of the Cross broadcast from the church
7:30 pm (after the Stations) Sacred Music Concert for Good Friday featuring “Were You There?”
CONFESSIONS : Please note, dear friends, that because of the evening services being broadcast from church, Confessions Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be at 9 am, not 5:30 pm !
THE CHURCH WILL BE CLOSED:
Holy Thursday from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Good Friday from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm
Holy Saturday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Easter Sunday the church will open at 7:30 am
This is so we can prepare for the celebration of the Holy Week Liturgies
SPIRITUAL TIP FOR THE DAY :
Make a holy hour. (It was this very day that our Lord asked the question "Could you not watch with Me one hour?") You can make a Holy Hour at home simply by placing yourself in spirit before the Tabernacle in our church where Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Or go to Online Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for a listing of 13 chapels that broadcast adoration 24/7.
MENTAL HEALTH BREAK :
There was a very holy old priest who died a few years ago, Fr. Jim Sampson. He once told Fr. McKee "Your sense of humor is your best friend." What wisdom. It's really important for us to remember that as we go through these trying times!
I call this "Quarantine Humor" :
I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd be going from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.
I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
"This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into the house and told my dog--we both got a good laugh out of it!"
PRAYER FOR THE DAY : The perfect prayer for Holy Thursday. By the way, ever since I was a teenager, I have said this prayer after I receive Holy Communion:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Let me never be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come to you,
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever. Amen.
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Msgr. Doug Raun
A blessed Holy Thursday! Today we enter the final, most solemn days of Holy Week. Today we especially call to mind our Lord's greatest gift to us, the Holy Eucharist, instituted at the Last Supper. The Last Supper was the first Mass. We also recall his Agony in the Garden that He endured for our salvation.
Let's continue meditating on Psalm 23
God has a purpose for our problems.
Psalm 23 tells us over and over God works for our good. He gives us everything we need (v. 1), gives us rest (v. 2), gives us strength (v. 3), and leads us down the right path (v. 3). Psalm 23:6 says, “Your goodness and love will be with me all my life”
The consistent message of Scripture is that God cannot do evil. As we go through these valleys together, we need to remember that God will use these difficult days for our good.
God loves to take the difficult times of our lives and use them to build our character. Paul tells us this in Romans 5:3-4: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation”.
Hosea 2:15 says, ““I will transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope!”. God will do this through today’s valley as well. He will work it out for good.
As believers, we can be absolutely certain that there is a purpose in our pain.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ?
Today, April 9 HOLY THURSDAY
7 pm THE MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER broadcast from the church
8 pm (after the Mass) Sacred Music for Holy Thursday Concert featuring "Ave Verum Corpus"
Tomorrow, April 10, GOOD FRIDAY
A day of fasting and abstinence from eating meat
9 am Confessions in the Religious Education Building
12 noon – The Liturgy of the Passion broadcast from the church
3 pm – The Divine Mercy Novena – Day 1 broadcast from the rectory
7 pm – Stations of the Cross broadcast from the church
7:30 pm (after the Stations) Sacred Music Concert for Good Friday featuring “Were You There?”
CONFESSIONS : Please note, dear friends, that because of the evening services being broadcast from church, Confessions Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be at 9 am, not 5:30 pm !
THE CHURCH WILL BE CLOSED:
Holy Thursday from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Good Friday from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm
Holy Saturday from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Easter Sunday the church will open at 7:30 am
This is so we can prepare for the celebration of the Holy Week Liturgies
SPIRITUAL TIP FOR THE DAY :
Make a holy hour. (It was this very day that our Lord asked the question "Could you not watch with Me one hour?") You can make a Holy Hour at home simply by placing yourself in spirit before the Tabernacle in our church where Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Or go to Online Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for a listing of 13 chapels that broadcast adoration 24/7.
MENTAL HEALTH BREAK :
There was a very holy old priest who died a few years ago, Fr. Jim Sampson. He once told Fr. McKee "Your sense of humor is your best friend." What wisdom. It's really important for us to remember that as we go through these trying times!
I call this "Quarantine Humor" :
I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd be going from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.
I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
"This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into the house and told my dog--we both got a good laugh out of it!"
PRAYER FOR THE DAY : The perfect prayer for Holy Thursday. By the way, ever since I was a teenager, I have said this prayer after I receive Holy Communion:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Let me never be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me,
And bid me come to you,
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever. Amen.
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Msgr. Doug Raun
2 Comments
What beautiful prayers, please pray for me and my family that we see this virus go away. Thank you, God Bless You and have a beautiful Easter Sunday.
JoAnne Martinez. I will pass on your kind words to Msgr. We are so happy to have you as part of our Parish Family. God Bless as we pray for an end of the virus.