HOLY WEEK - 2021, MARCH 28 - APRIL 3
Dear brothers and sisters, how are you today? I hope that you are ready to enter Holy Week with great anticipation and appreciation of the wonders the Lord did to redeem us. Please.. Put on your sandals, gird your loins, take your staff in hand. It is the LORD's Passover (Exodus 12:11).
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, the beginning of the Holy Week , marks the Lord's processional entry into Jerusalem to accomplish our redemption. Three times prior to this hour our Lord prophesied about it; "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day" (Mt 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). Our Blessed LORD knew what was coming but he voluntarily set his face to it. He knew that accomplishing our redemption would take him on the path of being lifted up on the cross. He followed through because he desired to do the will of the Father. He did this because he loves us to the end.
WHAT MAKES THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST REDEMPTIVE?
It is love "to the end" (John 13:1) that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life"(2 Cor 5:14). Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died"(Cf. Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2, 25). No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all (CCC 616).
BREAKING OF THE ALABASTER JAR
In Palm Sunday's Passion narrative according to Mark, there is an action performed by a woman that is very intriguing and inspiring. The scene was at the house of Simon the leper where Jesus was invited to a dinner. She came in with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on our Lord's head. This loving gesture was to prepare Lord's body for burial. She must have known somehow that our Lord's death was near.
The significance of her action is the dearest expression of what the Lord did for us. He gave himself completely to us for our redemption. He invites us to follow his example; To give ourselves completely to him without reservation. We are not to hide any part of ourselves from the Lord. May we give him ourselves whole and entire. We belong to him anyway.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THE SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP IN THIS HOLIEST TIME OF THE YEAR
Mass of the Lord's Supper - Holy Thursday: April 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Ceremonies - April 2 at 3:00 p.m.
Easter Vigils ---- April 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Morning: April 4, at 10: 00 am.
HOLY THURSDAY'S NIGHT WATCH
After the Mass on Holy Thursday the altar will be stripped bare. The Blessed SacramentS will be carried in procession by the pastor, deacon and altar server around the Church while THE Pange Lingua is being sung. Then we shall place the Blessed Sacraments in a place of repose dedicated for that the purpose in our chapel. We shall take turns adoring the Lord from 8:30 p.m. to Midnight. Shall we not watch and pray with the Lord at least for an hour? Yes, we shall watch and pray with him. We shall not abandon him and go to bed.
GOOD FRIDAY
Please remember to fast and abstain from meat on this solemn day. Our worship and prayers will begin with the chaplet of Divine Mercy, Stations of the Cross on this day @ 3:00 p.m, followed by the Lord’s Passion.
OUR SHEPHERD WAS BEREAVED
Our beloved Bishop, Most Rev. David Talley lost a niece named Leslie to the cold grip of death. Please pray for the repose of Leslie's soul. Keep also our Bishop and Leslie's mother in your prayers. The pain of THE loss of a loved one //to death// is always overwhelming but we know that our Lord is the resurrection and life.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Bobby Granito. He is the son of Deacon Chris Frame, one of our deacons in the Diocese of Memphis.
THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR CENTENARIAN - MRS WILLA MOSS
Our beloved sister, a mother and grandmother, Mrs. Willa Pruet Moss birthday is coming. We shall offer the Mass on April 11 at 11:00 a.m for her in thanksgiving to God for the blessing he bestowed on her. A donation of beautiful flowers in her honor will be given to the homebound after the Mass.
ON EASTER DAY
Please come and give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever. He rescued us from death and opened heaven for us by his own death and resurrection. “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:
Christ is risen from the dead!
Dying, he conquered death.
To the dead, he has given life” (CC 638).
We plan to have one Mass at 10:00 am on Easter . We will also have a neatly wrapped meal to go, or to stay in the courtyard to enjoy in the company of other brothers and sisters.
WHAT IS MORE?
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9-10).
Dear brothers and sisters, how are you today? I hope that you are ready to enter Holy Week with great anticipation and appreciation of the wonders the Lord did to redeem us. Please.. Put on your sandals, gird your loins, take your staff in hand. It is the LORD's Passover (Exodus 12:11).
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, the beginning of the Holy Week , marks the Lord's processional entry into Jerusalem to accomplish our redemption. Three times prior to this hour our Lord prophesied about it; "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day" (Mt 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). Our Blessed LORD knew what was coming but he voluntarily set his face to it. He knew that accomplishing our redemption would take him on the path of being lifted up on the cross. He followed through because he desired to do the will of the Father. He did this because he loves us to the end.
WHAT MAKES THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST REDEMPTIVE?
It is love "to the end" (John 13:1) that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life"(2 Cor 5:14). Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died"(Cf. Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2, 25). No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all (CCC 616).
BREAKING OF THE ALABASTER JAR
In Palm Sunday's Passion narrative according to Mark, there is an action performed by a woman that is very intriguing and inspiring. The scene was at the house of Simon the leper where Jesus was invited to a dinner. She came in with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on our Lord's head. This loving gesture was to prepare Lord's body for burial. She must have known somehow that our Lord's death was near.
The significance of her action is the dearest expression of what the Lord did for us. He gave himself completely to us for our redemption. He invites us to follow his example; To give ourselves completely to him without reservation. We are not to hide any part of ourselves from the Lord. May we give him ourselves whole and entire. We belong to him anyway.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THE SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP IN THIS HOLIEST TIME OF THE YEAR
Mass of the Lord's Supper - Holy Thursday: April 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Ceremonies - April 2 at 3:00 p.m.
Easter Vigils ---- April 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Morning: April 4, at 10: 00 am.
HOLY THURSDAY'S NIGHT WATCH
After the Mass on Holy Thursday the altar will be stripped bare. The Blessed SacramentS will be carried in procession by the pastor, deacon and altar server around the Church while THE Pange Lingua is being sung. Then we shall place the Blessed Sacraments in a place of repose dedicated for that the purpose in our chapel. We shall take turns adoring the Lord from 8:30 p.m. to Midnight. Shall we not watch and pray with the Lord at least for an hour? Yes, we shall watch and pray with him. We shall not abandon him and go to bed.
GOOD FRIDAY
Please remember to fast and abstain from meat on this solemn day. Our worship and prayers will begin with the chaplet of Divine Mercy, Stations of the Cross on this day @ 3:00 p.m, followed by the Lord’s Passion.
OUR SHEPHERD WAS BEREAVED
Our beloved Bishop, Most Rev. David Talley lost a niece named Leslie to the cold grip of death. Please pray for the repose of Leslie's soul. Keep also our Bishop and Leslie's mother in your prayers. The pain of THE loss of a loved one //to death// is always overwhelming but we know that our Lord is the resurrection and life.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Bobby Granito. He is the son of Deacon Chris Frame, one of our deacons in the Diocese of Memphis.
THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR CENTENARIAN - MRS WILLA MOSS
Our beloved sister, a mother and grandmother, Mrs. Willa Pruet Moss birthday is coming. We shall offer the Mass on April 11 at 11:00 a.m for her in thanksgiving to God for the blessing he bestowed on her. A donation of beautiful flowers in her honor will be given to the homebound after the Mass.
ON EASTER DAY
Please come and give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever. He rescued us from death and opened heaven for us by his own death and resurrection. “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:
Christ is risen from the dead!
Dying, he conquered death.
To the dead, he has given life” (CC 638).
We plan to have one Mass at 10:00 am on Easter . We will also have a neatly wrapped meal to go, or to stay in the courtyard to enjoy in the company of other brothers and sisters.
WHAT IS MORE?
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9-10).
