2 April - Good Friday - John 18:1—19:42

      As we listen to the Passion from the Gospel of John today, we can imagine the uncertainty and fear Jesus’ followers felt.  We have been journeying with Jesus during Lent.  Many of us have been praying the stations of the cross each Friday during Lent, commemorating that Jesus died on a Friday.  On Good Friday, Jesus’ followers knew that this was the day that he suffered and died, even though most were not present, having scattered in fear.  For his followers, the same man who had performed healing miracles and had spoken of himself as the resurrection was now dying on the cross.  Jesus was crucified as if he were a notorious criminal.  Jesus’ followers had placed all their hope in the future in him. In the midst of the chaos and violence of Good Friday, his followers seem to have forgotten his promise to come back to them.  They felt lost, directionless, and abandoned.  Yet, in John’s Gospel, Jesus promises his disciples before he commences his passion: “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.”  In this past challenging year, I am sure all of us have been feeling all kinds of emotions. This may include things like anger, frustration, confusion, despair, abandonment, isolation, desperation, and weariness.  At times we may have felt lost and directionless like many of Christ’s  followers on Good Friday.  The promise Jesus made to his followers echoes in our hearts today on Good Friday: I will not leave you alone.  I will come to you. But, at times during the pandemic, at times during the shut-down and the remain-at-home orders, Jesus promises may have felt very far away from our reality.  But his promises were indeed there.

        We are called to have hope today.  In the death of Christ, in the confusion and fear of his followers, in the cross of Christ crucified, the goodness of God reaches out to us: the hope of resurrection and the hope of new life.  As we commemorate Good Friday today in the midst of a very challenging year, we are called to think of the reality of Good Friday: That Good Friday was not the end; that Easter Sunday was yet to come. 

         In Good Friday, the moment of death is at the same time a moment of new life. This hopeless moment was the moment when eternal hope was given. This terrible moment of injustice was at the very same time a moment of God’s grace. This moment of excruciating suffering guaranteed that suffering would end one day, once and for all.  This moment of sadness welcomed us to God eternal joy.  The capture and death of Christ at the same time purchased for us life and freedom.  This is a solemn and serious day, but it paves the way for Easter joy.  

Prayers of the faithful - Holy Week - 31 March 2021

 Lord Jesus - you call us to carry our crosses. 

Christ Jesus - you suffered and died for us. 

Lord Jesus - you give us words of encouragement and hope

In our journey with Jesus during Holy Week, we present our prayers to our heavenly Father: 

1. Let us pray for the Church: That in this holiest of weeks, her members might cling to Jesus, the world’s true hope, in their own suffering and difficulties.    

2. Let us pray for the world: For an end to war, greed and all that keeps humanity from living in the hope that Jesus brings.  

3. Let us pray for all those who suffer.:That God might send them relief and peace.   

4. Let us pray for all parents: That during Holy Week, they feel the Lord helping them raise their children in the values of the faith. 

5.  That all Christians me feel the hope of our faith in their hearts.  

6. For healing for all those who are sick, those who are struggling in life, those who are suffering.  

7. For the response of the souls of the faithful departed, for their entry into eternal life.  

Out of our simplicity and humility, we present our prayers through your son Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever.   AMEN.  

1 April 2021 - Holy Thursday - John 13:1-15

      Today is the first Liturgy that comprises the Triduum of Holy Week, the three liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Saturday Easter Vigil. These three days are seen as one continuous liturgy by the Church. 

       Our Holy Thursday liturgy is so multi-faceted.  We normally have the foot washing by the priest today, but in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, that part of the liturgy is not possible this year.   This is the day that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples.  Today, we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist as Jesus’ body and blood. This is the day that we bring the new Chrism oil into the church that was blessed by the Bishop earlier in the week at the Chrism Mass.  Today, at our Holy Thursday liturgy, as we begin the Easter Triduum, the holy Church calls us to contemplate Jesus’ passion, his dying and rising for our sins, and God's plan of redemption for the world.  

      But today’s Gospel reading does not talk about the Passover meal Jesus had with his apostles.  It does not talk about the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ.   Today’s Gospel reading speaks about Jesus, the Lord and Master of the disciples, getting on his knees and washing their feet.  Jesus does this out of a spirit of love and service, a spirit that Jesus calls his disciples to follow in their lives as his followers.  This is the true spirit of our Eucharist celebration.  This is the true spirit of what it means to live out the Eucharist in our lives.  Without this spirit, we would be missing the entirety of the Gospel message.   Jesus tells all of us today in the Gospel: “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

     In the spirit of today's Gospel in following in Jesus’ steps, offering ourselves in service is not sufficient in itself in becoming a servant.  Indeed, we can offer to be of service condescendingly, out of arrogance and haughtiness, lording it over others.  We can try to make those we serve feel indebted to us, to manifest our power over them.  But that attitude misses the point.  That is not what Jesus did, as he became the last of the last and the poorest of the poor.  Humbling himself to wash his disciples’ feet, an act normally reserved for the lowest servant of the household, preceded Jesus’ death on the cross, the most humiliating and degrading way a criminal could be put to death.  To be servants, we start with our everyday reality and our everyday mundane tasks, doing so discretely with humility and with joy in our hearts, without seeking anything in return.  

       Moreover, there is a grace in the spirit of Holy Thursday, knowing that God embraces us in the midst of our weaknesses and imperfections.  God meets us in our frailty with love, without judgement or exclusion.  As Jesus calls us to follow in him in the spirit of servanthood, let us realize that this spirit of love and service as brothers and sisters is to be one of the fundamental characteristics of Christian discipleship. It is also a fundamental characteristic of living out the spirit of the Eucharist.  We do this in memory of Jesus.  

Book review - PILGRIMAGE: IN SEARCH OF THE REAL CALIFORNIA MISSIONS - by Christian Clifford

 I have read many books on pilgrimage and many books on Father Junipero Serra.  I am a Catholic priest myself and have served as a missionary in different places, including Canada and Ecuador.  I have very much enjoyed Christian Clifford’s book on his pilgrimage to the California missions.  Pilgrimage is personal journey of faith to which the pilgrim is called.  Pilgrimage involves leaving our home and entering the unknown.  We are transformed and changed by pilgrimage.  Clifford’s shares of himself in his writings of his pilgrimage journey in hiking to the different California missions.  He shares his personal story, the story of the original California missionaries, and the stories of many different people connected to the different California missions.  What I like about pilgrimage is that the pilgrimage journey meets us front and center in the midst of our lived reality.  Clifford brings his hopes and his prayers to his writing about his pilgrimage hike and his visits to the different California missions.  His writing is very engaging and very heart-felt.  The reader can imagine him as he walks along railroad tracks or up a difficult hill or as he struggles through a challenging day.  

As he divides his book into the segments that he hikes from mission to mission, Clifford provides a small map of that segment, the brief history of that mission, the prayer intentions he had for that segment, and the celebratory drink he had at the end of that hike segment.  I found this approach to be very interesting and engaging.  

Even though our world has become more secular and even though many people do not consider themselves religious at all or don’t identity with an organized religion, pilgrimage has seen a huge surge of interest.  When I grew up in Orange County, California in the 1970s and 1980s, I visited many of the missions in southern California with my parents.  My mom really loved history and the missions are a big part of the history of California.  California would not be what it is today without the missions being a part of that history.  Yet, growing up, though people would visit individual missions, going to the missions in the context of a pilgrimage was not something I thought about.  Having hiked on the pilgrimage trail of St James in Spain on five different occasions, and having pilgrimage as one of the most transformative experiences of my life, I am drawn to pilgrimage.  I love reading memoirs on pilgrimage, having someone share their personal pilgrimage journey.  Clifford does this through weaving his own journey with the history of the missions themselves and the present reality of the missions.  

Franciscan priest Junipero Serra is seen as the spiritual father of the California missions.  When Father Junipero Serra was up for canonization, there were many objections voiced from our secular world.  Secular institutions such as Stanford University have stripped his name often buildings and streets. Yet, judging a saint and his actions in the lens of our modern secular world is not so clear cut.  Clifford addresses this reality in his book. 

I whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the California missions, in pilgrimage in general, and in reading about one pilgrim’s personal pilgrimage journey.  And who knows: maybe Clifford’s journey may encourage you to go on a pilgrimage yourself. 

EASTER HOPE AND EASTER JOY - reflection for Easter morning - 4 April 2021

      Easter has arrived!  I bet you all feel the way I do about Easter.  I always love our commemoration of Lent and of celebration of Holy Week and the Easter season each year.  But with what we have gone through this past year, Easter has special significance.  Most of us are weary about dealing with pandemic.  To be sure, we are weary of wearing our masks. I am weary of struggling with my mask with all the Masses. We are ready to go back to all the activities we enjoy.  You all know how much I enjoy traveling and hiking.  I am ready to get back to everything I have had to put on hold. 

       But, I think of the blessings and joys we have experienced in the midst of the struggles and harsh reality of the pandemic.  I think of the St Jude staff and the volunteers that have made our drive-in Masses and streaming of our Masses possible.  I think of the smiling faces I get at the end of our drive-in Masses.  I think of the small faith groups and faith formation groups that meet through ZOOM regularly.  I think of all the ways we have kept our faith alive in our hearts, in our lives, and in our families.  Those blessings reflect the joy of the resurrection.  

     We have had to make sense of a new reality this past year in the midst of a pandemic.  This is a reality that none of us expected.  In this past year, a lot of us have been afraid of what we see. Often, we cannot make sense of this new reality.  I think of Mary Magdala in our Gospel today, of what she experienced on Easter morning.   She goes to the tomb early in the morning before sunrise.  She is astounded to find the stone moved from the entrance of the tomb, then finding the tomb empty. She wonders: what is going on?  What has happened to our Jesus?  Has someone stolen his body?  Even though she is confused, in an act of faith, Mary of Magdala tells some of the other disciples about what she witnessed.  When the others see the empty tomb and the burial cloths scattered about, they are confused and perplexed.  However, the beloved disciple starts to make sense of the situation.  He is able to see and believe.  It is significant to note that the belief in the resurrection of these first disciples does not stem from the actual appearance of the resurrected Jesus, but rather such belief developed from what was first reported to them, from the way they interpreted their experience of the empty tomb. 

      Jesus has risen from the dead! We celebrate his resurrection this Easter weekend.  

30 March 2021 - Tuesday of Holy Week - Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33 and 36-38

      In the second song of the suffering servant that we hear in Isaiah today, we hear words that can be applied to Jesus, which is why we hears these four songs of the suffering servant from Isaiah in Holy Week.  Like the suffering servant in Isaiah, Jesus can been seen as a sharp-edged sword and as a polished arrow in the message God gives him in his ministry and his proclamation of God’s kingdom.  Jesus is the one through whom God shows his glory, as is stated in the words of Isaiah, but then we could see Jesus thinking at times that his work is in vain by the way his message is rejected so many time. As Jesus journeys in his passion and as he hangs on the cross, most of his disciples and apostles have abandoned him. As he is dying on the cross he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

     In the Gospel today, we hear of two betrayals of Jesus.  One by Judas, as we see Jesus discussing the one who will betray him at the Passover meal he is sharing with his apostles.  Then, the foreshadowing of the betrayal that Peter makes of Jesus, as he denies Jesus three times.  Perhaps Peter’s betrayal of Jesus cuts to Jesus’ heart even mores, as Peter swears a promise that he will go to Jesus to the end, even to death.  Judas makes no such promise.  What will save Peter will be  his profound and heart-felt repentance and conversion.  We think of the many times we have betrayed Jesus in our hearts and in our actions.  We receive the body of Christ in the Eucharist, but then we commit a sin or we turn our back on him in different ways.  Like Peter, may we cry out for the wrongs we have done to Jesus and our brothers and sisters.  May we cry out for the sins we commit in action and omission.

5 April 2023 - homily for Wednesday of Holy Week - Isaiah 50:4-9a

      There are four songs of the suffering servant in the book of the prophet Isaiah. We hear all four of these readings during the liturgies of Holy Week.  The third song of the suffering servant is today, with the fourth being in the liturgy on Good Friday. The suffering servant will receive from God the words he is to speak, especially for those who are in need of his encouragement.  We see this in the way that Jesus gives words of encouragement to his disciples before his passion.  On one of the stations of the cross, we hear Jesus speaking to the woman of Jerusalem who sympathize with him; he gives them words of encouragement too, just as he speaks in such words to the good thief who is crucified alongside of him. 

       Yet, in the reading today, it talks about how even though the suffering servant speaks the words of God, he receives insults and criticism in return.   We see how the suffering servant reacts to the criticism he receives and how Jesus reacts to such insults and criticism.   Sometimes we want to lash out to people in anger.  I know we all have received criticism or snarky remarks or insults on Facebook or in an email or in a text.  Just last week, I received criticism and harsh comments and backlash from one of my fellow priests, and he copied a whole bunch of other priests on that email.  I could have lash out right back, but I didn’t.  We look at how in the pandemic there is a lot of criticism and tension in no matter what we do.  But, what are the words God is asking us to say?  How do we respond to this criticism and insults in compassion and love? 

Reflection on the Triduum and Holy Week - St Jude Catholic Church - Pearl Mississippi

 On Palm Sunday, we were introduced to the most holy week of our liturgical year.  Tomorrow, beginning with Holy Thursday, we enter in the holy days of the Triduum during Holy Week.  The three days of the Triduum are not separate liturgies, but that actually comprise one seamless commemoration.  

At the end of Mass on Holy Thursday, we are not dismissed and there is no final blessing.  At the end of Holy Thursday, the priest reposes the blessed sacrament, taking it out of the tabernacle and placing it in a respectful location.  After adoring the blessed sacrament for a time on Thursday evening, the priest simply withdraws and the people depart one by one as they feel called to depart after their time of adoration.  

Then, on Good Friday, our liturgy does not have an introduction or a conclusion since it is part of the same liturgy that began on Holy Thursday, the previous day.

In addition, the Easter Vigil Mass has no formal opening.  Easter Vigil is a continuation and a conclusion of the liturgy that began on Holy Thursday evening. At the conclusion of the Easter Vigil, the dismissal is announced and the final blessing is bestowed upon the people. With that blessing at the end of the Easter Vigil Mass, the Church concludes its liturgical observance of the highest holy days of her year: the Triduum.

We invite you to the celebration of the Triduum at St Jude this year.  

Holy Thursday Mass - 6:00 pm

Good Friday

Stations of the Cross - Noon

Good Friday liturgy - 6:00 pm

Good Friday liturgy in Spanish - 8:00 pm

Easter Vigil Mass - 8:00 pm

Easter Masses

8:00 am, 11:00 and 4:00 pm in English in the church

1:00 pm in Spanish

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Introductory prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with the light of your Spirit, so that by following you on your final journey in these stations of the cross, we may come to know the price of our Redemption and become worthy of a share in the fruits of your Passion, Death and Resurrection. You who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Mark 15:12-14: Pilate brought Jesus outside and said to the people, “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 

Reflection: Jesus stands before Pilate, accused of crimes he hasn’t committed, and He Who is Without Sin mutely accepts the blame for the sin of all. Trust allows for this, Jesus’ full trust in God’s plan—the promise of resurrection and salvation. This was the light that led him through the darkness. 

Prayer: Jesus, help us to see your acceptance of blame not as weakness or resignation, but as the ultimate example of self-sacrificing trust in God. Give us that same trust, so that when we see wrongs we did not perpetuate or problems we did not create, we step in to offer your healing, comfort, and hope.

The Second Station: Jesus is made to carry the cross 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

John 19:16-17: The soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull, the place in Aramaic called Golgotha). 

Reflection: Jesus carried the horizontal beam of the cross, which weighed about 125 pounds. He endured great pain as he walked, the beam chafing his back. Steadfast acceptance of God’s will allowed him to put on foot in front of the other. 

Prayer: Jesus, we often avoid adversity. We fear humiliation and run from suffering. But you chose to take up the cross, a symbol of humiliation and suffering. You accepted God’s will. Teach us, we pray, to carry our burdens with the same grace, remembering that you will never leave or forsake us.

The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Philippians 2:8: And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Reflection: At the time of Jesus’ death, crucifixion was the punishment reserved for the lowest of society’s low, the prevailing method employed to publicly dishonor a person. Jesus’ brutal flogging was part of the practice; it sent his body into shock from pain and blood loss, the likely cause of his fall. In humility, Jesus succumbed to the ultimate display of human denigration. 

Prayer: Jesus, teach us to be humble. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can be conduits of your self-giving love. Through your example, may our weaknesses make us stronger, more accepting of the weaknesses of others, and increasingly humble.

The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his Blessed Mother 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Luke 2:34-35: Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, Jesus’ mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 

Reflection: Face to face, Jesus and the Blessed Mother meet. Jesus is covered in blood and sweat, bent under the weight of the cross, subjected to angry shouts of hate. Mary, experiencing every mother’s worst nightmare that her child will suffer harm, feels the sword pierce her soul. Moving with fiercely protective love, she offers her son the little she can: the comfort of her presence. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the gift of Mary, who models perfect love for us. In our love for you, make us fiercely protective of you. Help us remember that when we are present to those who are hungry, tired, sad, stubborn, and forgetful, we are loving you.

The Fifth Station: Simon helps Jesus carry his cross 

We adore you,  O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Luke 23:26: As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 

Reflection: Simon from Cyrene is pressed into service on his way in from the country in an unexpected detour from his plan for the day. We don’t know why he is appointed for the task or how he reacts. Nevertheless, he serves a man in the hour of his greatest need. Here we remember that, as with Simon, our acts of service—expected or not, appointed or not, eagerly shared or not—carry great weight in the kingdom of God. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for this tiny glimpse of Simon from Cyrene, who shows us the cosmic impact of service. Give us the eyes to see when, where, and who we can serve, and the strength to step into that call even when it causes a detour. Show us, too, how to let others help us. By your Spirit, help us to share our service generously and accept it from others graciously. 

The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Matthew 10:40,42: He who receives you receives me. He who receives me receives the one who sent me. If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. 

Reflection: As Jesus stumbles on the road, Veronica takes her veil to gently wipe the sweat and blood from his face. In return, Jesus leaves the imprint of his image on the cloth. “He who receives me receives the one who sent me.” Jesus meets her kindness with kindness, blessing her with the imprinted veil, a lasting reminder of God With Us. 

Prayer: Jesus, through the example of Veronica, open our eyes to the suffering around us.  By your Spirit, help us comfort them in your name, reminding us that in every such action, you are with us. 

The Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Psalm 22:6-7: But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 

Reflection: In the Gospels, we see images of Jesus as the center of attention: some ascended trees to see him; others reached out simply to touch his garments; others dismantled a roof to lower their sick friend down to him. Jesus had once been surrounded with love and acclaim; now he is rejected and scorned. 

Prayer: Jesus, give us the grace to identify with those who are rejected. Inspire in us compassion for those who are cast aside or marginalized in society. May our love of you become a force that heals and unifies.

The Eighth Station: Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Luke 23:27-28 As Jesus walked toward Golgotha, a large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him; and he turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me…for behold, the days are coming...” 

Reflection: A crush of people surrounds Jesus as he drags his cross through the streets—jeering, cheering, yelling people, and grief-stricken, too. Encountering the women, he shares a hope-filled message: this is not the end of the story. Those who judge Christ worthy of death will, in the end, meet the judgment of God. There is hope. 

Prayer: Jesus, God of both justice and mercy, thank you for the hope you embodied and shared with your heartbroken followers, even on the way to the cross. Keep us mindful—and ready communicators—of your promises. 

The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Psalm 22:14: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 

Reflection: As he nears his place of execution, a third and final fall begs the question: Why would Jesus get up? Why would he summon his last ounce of energy to deliver himself to the pain of the cross? Falling three times; getting up three times. Dying on the cross; rising from the grave. Christ shows us that he can transform weakness, failings, and death into the glory of self-gift. 

Prayer: Jesus, give us eyes of faith. Allow us to see light where there appears only darkness, and life where we can only sense death. When our energy flags, inspire in us the confidence to get up, and continue our journey toward home.

The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

Mark 15:19: Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. They stripped off his clothes and began to mock him, saying: “All hail, King of the Jews.” 

Reflection: Though artists through the centuries have depicted it otherwise, crucified people in Jesus’ time were stripped of all of their clothes in a process of ultimate humiliation. Imagine the embarrassment of being so exposed. When we are subjected to humiliation, we can be confident of this: Jesus knows how we feel. 

Prayer: Jesus our Wounded Healer, thank you for fully embracing the human experience. May we ever be grateful for all you endured on our behalf. May we pay it forward, dedicating our energy no matter the cost to protecting human dignity.

The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

John 17:19: Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull. Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 

Reflection: Keeping in mind that the word excruciating literally means “out of the cross,” we reflect on Jesus and the excruciating pain he suffered as soldiers pounded thick nails through his hands and feet. As he completely surrendered any natural human desire to protect himself, Christ bore this pain – our pain – as a supreme sign of his overwhelming love for God’s people. 

Prayer: Jesus, on the cross you embraced the pain of generations of sinful men and women. As we see pain and suffering behind the eyes of our co-workers, friends, and acquaintances. we pray that you will guide us by your example of profound empathy. Teach us to share the pain of those around us and to be for them signs of your love in their lives. 

The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

John 19:28-29: Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

Reflection: Not long before his death, Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, confirming his identity as God’s Son. But now he is horrifyingly dead. Surely his disciples were confused. Surely some doubted who Jesus really was. No wonder they fled the scene. Jesus’ closest friends affirm for us that doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is part of it. 

Prayer: Jesus, we cannot reason our way into understanding that which is by definition unreasonable— death, cruelty, injustice happen across the world everyday. Guard us from confusion, doubt, and fear, and give us the faith we need to accept your mystery.

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

John 19:33-34: When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 

Reflection: Jesus is dead. His body hangs on the cross, limp and lifeless, until at last it is taken down and placed in the lap of his mother. Mary can do absolutely nothing to change the events of this day, but in her helplessness, she does not withdraw in defeat. She clings to her son. By her example, may we learn to do the same. 

Prayer: Jesus, as human beings, we sometimes face challenges that leave us at a loss. We worry that it’s beyond our power to make a difference in the lives of others. Show us the example of your Blessed Mother, and teach us that when we can think of nothing else to do, we can hold fast to you, and you will always lead us forward.

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is placed in the tomb 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

John 19:38-41 Now, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. 

Reflection: Death without burial was the intended end for crucified criminals, clinching their worthlessness as human beings. Joseph of Arimathea shows courage in approaching Pilot for permission to bury Jesus. He shows tenderness in preparing Jesus’ body with aloe, myrrh, and linens. He shows respect in laying Jesus to rest according to the Jewish custom. Joseph of Arimathea, this man about whom we know so little, teaches us so much about being devoted to Jesus. 

Prayer: Jesus, by your Spirit may we, like Joseph, show our devotion to you through courage, respect and tenderness. And may we, like Joseph, teach others to do the same. Kindle in our hearts fervent devotion to you.

Closing prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you were drawn by the Father from the darkness of death to the light of a new life in glory. Grant that the sign of the empty tomb may speak to us and to future generations and become a wellspring of living faith, generous love, and unshakeable hope. To you, O Jesus, whose presence, hidden and victorious, fills the history of the world, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of the Faithful - Solemnity of the Annunciation - 25 March 2021

Penitential Rite:

Lord Jesus - you were born of the Virgin Mary - Lord have mercy.

Christ Jesus - you are the son of the Father - Christ have mercy.

Lord Jesus - you declare the Good News of the Gospel - Lord have mercy.

Prayers of the faithful:

Priest: Through the faithful obedience of the holy Virgin Mary, God takes flesh among us. The mystery of the Incarnation calls us to pray through the incarnate Son to our loving Father.

1. That the Church may be seen as extending the Incarnation as the working body of Jesus Christ here on earth.

2. That people of goodwill may learn that Christ has united himself to every person in taking our human nature.

3. That we may all follow the Gospel of Life through our words and actions, respecting all human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.  

4. That we may always reverence and protect the unborn infant. 

5. That mothers carrying children in the womb will welcome the new life as Mary welcomed her Son.

6. For the sick and shut-in, for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, and for those prayers we hold in our hearts today.

Priest: Father of the Incarnate Word, we bring our intentions before you, the fabric of our daily lives, made holy by your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.

28 de marzo de 2021 - Domingo de Ramos - Marcos 11:1-10

      El Domingo de Ramos es una celebración litúrgica maravillosa cuando nos acercamos al final del camino de Cuaresma y entramos en la Semana Santa.  El año pasado, podemos recordarnos que el Domingo de Ramos estaba durante el cierre de la pandemia de COVID-19, cuando transmitimos nuestra liturgia del Domingo de Ramos a través del Internet, cuando la transmisión de nuestras misas todavía era algo nuevo para nosotros en nuestra parroquia de St Jude.

      Podemos recordar: durante la temporada de Adviento, mientras nos preparábamos para el nacimiento de Jesucristo en Navidad, escuchamos muchas lecturas en las Sagradas Escrituras en las misas dominicales que conectaban la venida de Cristo al mundo como un bebé en el pesebre con la segunda venida de Cristo en los últimos tiempos.  Hoy, podemos establecer conexiones entre el Domingo de Ramos y otros eventos en la vida de Cristo y su proclamación del reino de Dios.  Al comienzo de la misa del Domingo de Ramos, escuchamos el Evangelio de San Marcos en la entrada triunfal de Cristo en Jerusalén en un burro mientras la multitud lo recibía con alabanzas.  Jesús estaba en el vientre de María cuando ella viajaba en los senderos a Belén sobre un burro con su esposo San José.  También, el burro llevó a María y al niño Jesús a su viaje a Egipto, mientras José guiaba a su familia recién formada a un lugar seguro.  Hay otra conexión: Cuando Jesús nació en el humilde establo de Belén, María utilizaba un paño de lino para envolverlo en el sencillo pesebre de madera.  Esto se conecta al paño de lino que Verónica usó para limpiar el rostro de Jesús en su viaje a la cruz.  Esto también se relaciona con el paño que José de Arimatea utilizaba para envolver el cuerpo de Jesús, para prepararlo para el entierro y para colocar amorosamente su cuerpo en la tumba.

       Es importante conectar toda la trayectoria de la vida de Cristo, ver su venida al mundo como Dios hecho carne con su mensaje, ministerio, pasión, muerte y resurrección, con la salvación que recibimos a través de él como nuestro redentor.  El Domingo de Ramos y las próximas liturgias de Semana Santa son parte de ese mismo mensaje y esa misma trayectoria.  Este jueves, vamos a tener una misa de jueves santo en ingles a las 6:00 de la tarde.   El viernes santo, vamos a conmemorar el día en ingles a las 6:00 y en español empieza a las 8:00 de la noche.  Y la misa de pascua en español empieza a la 1:00 como siempre.   Bienvenidos a todos a nuestra conmemoración a la semana santa.  

    

Flocknote reflection - Wednesday, March 24 - the cross of iron on the pilgrimage of St James

 Our health insurance plan in the Diocese is offering us a virtual hike on the Camino of St James.  As most of you know, I hiked this trail five different times over the years, beginning in 2003.   These photos above are from the last time I hiked there in January 2017.  You can tell by the way I was bundled up that it was rather cold in the middle of the winter up in the mountains of northern Spain. 

The highest point of the main pilgrimage route is the cross of iron.  This pilgrimage route starts in the Pyrenees Mountains in France and ends 480 miles to the west in the city of St James the Apostle, Santiago de Compostela.   The cross of iron has withstood many centuries and countless pilgrims.  It is a place of prayer. It is a place of faith. It is a place of great reverence.  Each pilgrim carries a stone with him along the pilgrimage trail representing his sins and all that is weighing him down.  He places the stone on this huge pile of millions of stones.  To me, this is a very holy place.  Each time I hike the Camino, I carry sheets of prayers and stones that people give me to place at the cross.   It is one of the highlights of my pilgrimage hike.  

On the virtual Camino, I just passed the iron cross. As of today, I have walked 356 miles on the virtual Camino, having about 125 miles to go.  Hiking this virtual pilgrimage brings back a lot of memories for me.  We all have our crosses to carry.  Some people have crosses that they are carrying that we could never imagine that they are carrying.  Sometimes we think we know someone's story, but perhaps we do not know his story at all.  

This Friday, after the 10:00 am we will be praying the stations of the cross in our church. It will also be streamed on Facebook Live.  Later, Friday evening at 6:00 pm, we will be praying the stations of the cross outside.  We hope you will join us for the stations of the cross.  

This upcoming weekend, we will commemorate Palm Sunday.  Then we will enter Holy week and will be celebrating the Triduum, leading us to Easter and Christ's resurrection.  We invite all of you to accompany us on this holy journey, Christ's journey to the cross.  

Meister Eckhart - Thank you

 

26 March 2021 - Friday of the 5th week of Lent - Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42

      Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of the Temple six centuries before Christ’s birth.  He was mocked by the people of Israel.  They thought it was ridiculous that he would prophesy such a thing that was absolutely unimaginable.  Six centuries later, Jesus was mocked by the crowds as made such assertions, such as that he and the Father are one.  In response to that statement, the crowds wanted to stone him.  Later, when Jesus was on his journey to his death on the cross, most of his apostles, disciples and family members had deserted him and had fled in fear for their own lives.  Yet, as the centuries unfolded, the Church still discussed Jesus and his identity.  Was Jesus fully divine?  Was Jesus fully human?  Who is Jesus?  We have seen in the pandemic government leaders who want to keep sports stadiums, department stores, and liquor stores open, but who want to shut the doors to the churches.   We have seen statues of the saints torn down, even statues that stand on church grounds, while other secular statues are put up.  One of our parishioners at St Jude asked me:  How are we going to get people to come back to Church?  Will they come back to Church?  That is a good question, isn’t it?  But we see a lot of actions of faith too.  We see people being creative in the ways they live out their faith.  We see families keeping their faith alive in their children.  We hope in the midst of all that we have gone through this year.  In Lent, we are called to make sacrifices.  We are called to pray.  We are called to acts of service.  But, also, during Lent, we are called to examine what we really believe.

24 March 2021 - reflection for the Wednesday of the 5th week of Lent - Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

       Back on Tuesday of the third week of Lent, we heard excerpts from this same third chapter of Daniel, of a song sung by Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego as they were thrown in the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar for not abandoning their faith in God and for not worship the idol that was set out by the king. An angel of God was sent to protect these three young men in the fiery furnace, where they sang songs of praise to God, unharmed by the red hot flames.  Reflecting upon this reading from the book of Daniel, we might ask ourselves about the idols we worship in our own lives and the ways we leave the path of faith for other paths. 

        Today, as we hear this reading from Daniel, we commemorate a martyr for the faith from our modern era: Archbishop Oscar Romero from the Central American Country of El Salvador. He fought the idols of power, greed, corruption, and violence that had taken over his country in the midst of a terrible Civil War.  Those in power in his country expected him to be a weak archbishop who would take their side and who would not have the courage to stand up to them.  However, they were very mistaken, as Romero stood up for justice and peace, for the poor and the vulnerable who were exploited by the small number of the rich and power who had control over his country. The violence in his country hit him very hard immediately after he was appointed Archbishop, as three weeks after that appointment, the murder of his good friend Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande, a vigorous defender of the rights of the poor, took place. Five more priests were assassinated in the Archdiocese of San Salvador during Romero’s years as its shepherd.  On March 24, 1980, Romero himself was assassinated while celebrating mass.  His funeral in front of the cathedral in San Salvador drew over a quarter of a million mourners.  Oscar Romero had this to say: “Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world. Let us not tire of preaching love. Though we see that waves of  violence succeed in drowning the fire of Christian love, love must win out; it is the only thing that can.” St Oscar Romero, pray for us. 

Prayers of the faithful - Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent - 23 March 2021

Lord Jesus - you call us to give thanks. 

Christ Jesus - you call us to a life of service. 

Lord Jesus - you call us to holiness. 

Priest: Let us bring our prayers to God, the source of mercy and compassion.

1. For all who are preparing to celebrate the Easter sacraments - may they feel our prayers accompanying them during this time of preparation. 

2. For obedience to the will of God among the followers of Christ, even when God will challenges us and is difficult to follow.  

3. For Christian unity and collaboration.  

4. For those who hunger and thirst in a physical sense, and for those who hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness.  

5. For the people in need in the Diocese of Jackson, particularly our sick, those looking for work, those feeling lost in life, and those battling addictions.  

6. For all who have gone before us in faith, for their entry into eternal life.  

7. For the prayers we hold in our hearts today.  

Priest: God of mercy and compassion, you give new heart to your people: Hear the prayers we make in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

23 March 2021 - Reflection for Tuesday of the 5th week of Lent - Numbers 21:4-9

       We hear the Israelites grumbling to God today in our first reading from the book of Numbers.  The Israelites are near the end of their journey to the promised land, but they are fed-up and impatient with the sufferings they must endure.  They want to engage the people of Edom in battle, as they must go through that land to get to their destination, yet the Edomites do not want to allow them to pass through and God does not want them to engage in battle.  So, the people grumble, wishing that they were still in slavery in Egypt, which they see as a better option compared to the hardships they are enduring right now.  Their biggest sin right now is the sin of ingratitude, which St Ignatius of Loyola considered to be the worst sin of all.  A plague of serpents causes great harm to the Israelites.  The people see these serpents as punishment from God, so they repent and beg Moses to intercede for them.  God instructs them to mount a bronze serpent on a pole; anyone who has been bitten and who looks at this bronze serpent will live.  This is a foreshadowing of Jesus on the cross, as we heard in the Gospel of John a couple of weeks ago in our Sunday Mass:  “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

   We can be like the Israelites sometimes, can't we?  We can have ingratitude in our hearts, not being able to see the blessings we have in our lives.  To be sure, this past year in the pandemic has been hard on all of us.  Many have gotten ill and died in the pandemic. Many have experienced great hardship.  Yet, we can see blessings from the circumstances of this past year if we are open to recognizing them.  May the Lord open our eyes to see our blessings.  And may we always have gratitude in our hearts.  

25 March 2021 - reflection for the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord - Luke 1:26-38

      Today, we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord, a solemnity that comes near the end of our commemoration of the holy season of Lent.  Today’s joyful celebration has the liturgical color of white, in contrast to the purple color of Lent.

       We might wonder where we get the word “Annunciation."  It comes from the same root word as the verb “announce” in English.  The Angel Gabriel makes an announcement today to the Virgin Mary about the upcoming birth of her son. The annunciation is celebrated on March 25, 9 months before Christmas day. 

       The Annunciation is an important celebration to us in our liturgical calendar and is celebrated as a solemnity, the highest order of a liturgical celebration.  Perhaps the importance of the annunciation, of God being born as man, can be found in Mary’s answer to the Angel.  St Bernard, the influential abbot of the Abbey of Clairvaux in France in the 12th century, saw Mary as the new Eve in a theological sense.  After Adam and Eve had rejected God’s friendship, the world became clouded in darkness and sin.  God sought to enter the world in a new way through the birth of his son, Jesus.  Salvation is offered to humanity through Jesus the son.  Through Mary’s free will, she said yes to her role in becoming the Mother of our Savior.  The humble and gracious Mary made a bold, daring move by saying “yes” to the Lord.  In her response, Mary changed the history of salvation forever. Mary answers the Lord from the depths of her heart and soul: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  In Mary’s affirmation to the Angel’s message, she becomes not only the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church, but also our Beloved Mother and her son’s first Disciple, the first one who believed in Him.  

        May the example of Mary in the Annunciation breathe new life in our faith.  May it give us strength and encouragement in these last days of our Lenten journey.