Memo from Msgr Raun - Holy Saturday
My dear family in the Lord,
Greetings on this Holy Saturday, when we in spirit sit by the tomb of our Lord as we await the glory of His Resurrection !
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.
It could be the most wonderful Easter ever.
"How can that be, Monsignor? We can't even go to Mass?"
Because this will be a purified Easter. No worrying about new cloths. No massive Easter egg hunts. No big dinners. The Easter bunny is going to be a lot more modest this year. Only one thing remains: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His Victory over sin and death! His Victory that gives us hope, dispels our fear, and allows us to face death with trust in our Lord's promise of eternal life.
Yes, for those who love the Risen Lord, to celebrate Easter without being at Mass and receiving Holy Communion is almost unthinkable, but I feel the Lord is teaching us through this also. Perhaps we have taken the mystery of the Eucharist - by which the Risen Christ is made present to us and dwells in us - for granted. Perhaps we have forgotten Who is present in Holy Communion, and what an unspeakable privileged it is to receive Him. We do not put God in our debt by going to Mass and receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Rather, it is His greatest gift to us. When we next receive Holy Communion, whenever that is, I think we will realize all this in a way we did not before the pandemic.
So - today we prepare to celebrate! Our celebration might be more modest than in past years, but it will be more heartfelt and spiritual.
Remember a few tips about watching Mass at home:
1) Set all distractions aside
Turn everything off and participate in the Mass. If you can,sit, stand, and kneel along as normal.
2) Set up a sacred space
Light candles, set up a crucifix, display statues or images of the saints and Our Lady, and dress up as if you would for Sunday Mass.
3) Make a Spiritual Communion
In a spiritual communion you receive Him, in a sense, and more so, he receives you…It’s bringing your own will, mind, heart, and desire, and opening yourself up to receive that full outpouring of everything that flows from the Heart of Jesus. This is the most common prayer of Spiritual Communion, written by St. Alphonse De Liguori:
“‘My God, my Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to possess you within my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you are already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you.'”
This is a really neat event from the life of St. Clare :The saints experienced times like this. When St. Clare was bedridden with her final illness, she was aching inside because she was separated from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She cried out to God and the spirit of Jesus Christ came upon her in mercy. That mercy of God consumed her and gave her a mystical vision of the Holy Mass projected on the wall of her cell. She was then able to listen to the hymns and be present in the sacrifice of the Mass. That filled her with so much grace and consolation.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ?
Today, April 11, HOLY SATURDAY
3 pm- Divine Mercy Novena Day 2 broadcast from the rectory
8:30 pm The Easter Vigil Mass of the Resurrection broadcast from the church
Blessed Easter Water will be available in the back of the church after this Mass
Tomorrow, April 12, EASTER SUNDAY
9 am - The Mass of the Resurrection broadcast from the church
6 pm- Holy Hour and Divine Mercy Novena Day 3 live streamed from the rectory
7 pm Sacred Music Concert for Easter Sunday
PLEASE NOTE: During Easter Week, the Divine Mercy Novena will be part of the daily 6 pm Holy Hour
THE CHURCH WILL BE CLOSED:
Holy Saturday at 5:00 pm
Easter Sunday the church will open at 7:30 am
SPIRITUAL TIP FOR THE DAY : Find blessings in your life as it is now. Every day stop to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Even in hardships, there are blessings — including electricity, food, Mass online and the gift of faith you’ve received.
QUARANTINE HUMOR:
'Quarantine Day 1': Went to a restaurant called THE KITCHEN. Apparently, you have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal...
Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.
I need to practice 'social-distancing' from the refrigerator!
So, after this quarantine, will the producers of 'My 600 Pound Life' just find me, or do I find them?
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who as on this day did rest in the tomb, and did thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed of hope to thy people: Make us so to abound in sorrow for our sins, which were the cause of thy passion, that when our bodies rest in the dust, our souls may live with thee; who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. 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
Greetings on this Holy Saturday, when we in spirit sit by the tomb of our Lord as we await the glory of His Resurrection !
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.
It could be the most wonderful Easter ever.
"How can that be, Monsignor? We can't even go to Mass?"
Because this will be a purified Easter. No worrying about new cloths. No massive Easter egg hunts. No big dinners. The Easter bunny is going to be a lot more modest this year. Only one thing remains: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His Victory over sin and death! His Victory that gives us hope, dispels our fear, and allows us to face death with trust in our Lord's promise of eternal life.
Yes, for those who love the Risen Lord, to celebrate Easter without being at Mass and receiving Holy Communion is almost unthinkable, but I feel the Lord is teaching us through this also. Perhaps we have taken the mystery of the Eucharist - by which the Risen Christ is made present to us and dwells in us - for granted. Perhaps we have forgotten Who is present in Holy Communion, and what an unspeakable privileged it is to receive Him. We do not put God in our debt by going to Mass and receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Rather, it is His greatest gift to us. When we next receive Holy Communion, whenever that is, I think we will realize all this in a way we did not before the pandemic.
So - today we prepare to celebrate! Our celebration might be more modest than in past years, but it will be more heartfelt and spiritual.
Remember a few tips about watching Mass at home:
1) Set all distractions aside
Turn everything off and participate in the Mass. If you can,sit, stand, and kneel along as normal.
2) Set up a sacred space
Light candles, set up a crucifix, display statues or images of the saints and Our Lady, and dress up as if you would for Sunday Mass.
3) Make a Spiritual Communion
In a spiritual communion you receive Him, in a sense, and more so, he receives you…It’s bringing your own will, mind, heart, and desire, and opening yourself up to receive that full outpouring of everything that flows from the Heart of Jesus. This is the most common prayer of Spiritual Communion, written by St. Alphonse De Liguori:
“‘My God, my Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to possess you within my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you are already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you.'”
This is a really neat event from the life of St. Clare :The saints experienced times like this. When St. Clare was bedridden with her final illness, she was aching inside because she was separated from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She cried out to God and the spirit of Jesus Christ came upon her in mercy. That mercy of God consumed her and gave her a mystical vision of the Holy Mass projected on the wall of her cell. She was then able to listen to the hymns and be present in the sacrifice of the Mass. That filled her with so much grace and consolation.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ?
Today, April 11, HOLY SATURDAY
3 pm- Divine Mercy Novena Day 2 broadcast from the rectory
8:30 pm The Easter Vigil Mass of the Resurrection broadcast from the church
Blessed Easter Water will be available in the back of the church after this Mass
Tomorrow, April 12, EASTER SUNDAY
9 am - The Mass of the Resurrection broadcast from the church
6 pm- Holy Hour and Divine Mercy Novena Day 3 live streamed from the rectory
7 pm Sacred Music Concert for Easter Sunday
PLEASE NOTE: During Easter Week, the Divine Mercy Novena will be part of the daily 6 pm Holy Hour
THE CHURCH WILL BE CLOSED:
Holy Saturday at 5:00 pm
Easter Sunday the church will open at 7:30 am
SPIRITUAL TIP FOR THE DAY : Find blessings in your life as it is now. Every day stop to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Even in hardships, there are blessings — including electricity, food, Mass online and the gift of faith you’ve received.
QUARANTINE HUMOR:
'Quarantine Day 1': Went to a restaurant called THE KITCHEN. Apparently, you have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal...
Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.
I need to practice 'social-distancing' from the refrigerator!
So, after this quarantine, will the producers of 'My 600 Pound Life' just find me, or do I find them?
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who as on this day did rest in the tomb, and did thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed of hope to thy people: Make us so to abound in sorrow for our sins, which were the cause of thy passion, that when our bodies rest in the dust, our souls may live with thee; who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. 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
Thank you the masses. I like see them again if they are recorded. Also thank you for all masses said and on the website. Pray for me. Amen
Thank you Janet for your comments! All of the masses are recorded and available in our media section of the website and app. You are in our prayers.