Memo from Msgr. Raun - Saturday, April 25th, 2020

My dear family in the Lord,

A blessed feast of St. Mark, the Evangelist.

TOMORROW IS SUNDAY - let's plan ahead for our family worship, joining in the on-line Mass and keeping the Lord's Day Holy:

Seven days away from God makes one weak!

MORE ANXIETY ANTIDOTES FROM THE BIBLE !

Don’t Worry about Pleasing People – Reverence God

“The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Proverbs 19:23 and 29:25)
Don’t be Ruled by Selfish Desires – Submit to the Rule of Christ in All Things

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

Don’t Worry – Look at the Birds and Flowers!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important… Look at the birds… your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow…. Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

Reflecting on this verse, I do hope that everyone who is able to is getting out of the house and WALKING! It does a world of spiritual and emotional good. I'm trying to go walking every evening. It's wonderful. I've lived in this neighborhood almost 25 years and I'm seeing things I have never seen. If someone is out in the yard or walking, I stop and visit with them (at a safe distance, of course!). I'm meeting neighbors I never knew. I'm seeing the wonder of spring like I have never seen it before. (The roses at the rectory are starting to bloom. I've never been so excited.) And rabbits ! So many rabbits ! I'm talking to them. (No, they don't answer back. I'm not that bad.) Even if you can only sit outside - get out of the house. Do what our Lord commands - look at the birds and flowers (and rabbits also.)

HAS DEATH TAKEN A HOLIDAY? Seems like a weird question to ask during a pandemic, but I was talking to one of our parishioners last night, and she asked me why the parish has not sent out any death notices since the quarantine began. The answer is simple: we haven't received any.

When there is a death, and the family contacts us, we ask if it's alright with them to send out a death notice. But no family has contacted us at all.  

As I have mentioned before, we can perform the burial/interment of remains right now, as long as only five people attend. Then we get the information to contact the family to arrange for the Funeral Mass as soon as we are able to have some sort of public Masses. (But friends, if you are waiting for a funeral Mass where hundreds can attend, it might be a very long wait, per our Governor :"- Larger gatherings and events still restricted for the foreseeable future".)

Along with that, I have received very few sick calls, which Fr. Young and I are happy to do. It seems that it's hard for us to enter hospitals, and nursing homes have to make special arrangements (but it's doable if the family asks for it - I was at a nursing home yesterday), and private homes are no problem. We want to minister to our sick, and we want to minister to our bereaved. But we have to be informed about them.

HOLINESS TIP: Obedience to God :Adam was disobedient to the Father when he ate the forbidden fruit, and to this very day, his original sin weighs down our hearts in sin and hardness. But Jesus, the new Adam, has a loving heart that is obedient to God our Father. So by imitating Christ and obeying God’s commandments our hearts will also become loving.

DAILY PARISH WORSHIP during the Quarantine:9 am - Holy Mass on-line
5:30 pm Confessions in the Adoration Chapel (Monday through Saturday)
6 pm Holy Hour on-line

SHARE US ON-LINE on your social media. Download the parish app onto your smart phone or tablet. It the easiest way to receive everything the parish has to enrich your life.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE:
When this is over…what meeting do I attend first…Weight Watchers or AA?
 
Quarantine has turned us into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We are told “no” if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides.

 
OUR PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

O Living Lord, who on the first Easter Day did stand in the midst of Your disciples as the conqueror of sin and death, and did speak to them Your peace: Come to us, we ask You, in Your risen power and make us glad with Your presence; and so breathe Your Holy Spirit into our hearts that we may be strong to serve You and spread abroad Your good news; for the glory of Your great name. 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

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