Author: Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

Easter Blessings to you and your dear ones!

Father Basil Pennington, a Catholic monk, has written about an encounter he once had with a teacher of Zen. Pennington was at a retreat. As part of the retreat, each person met privately with this Zen teacher. Pennington says that at his meeting the Zen teacher sat there before him smiling from ear to ear and rocking gleefully back and forth. Finally, the teacher said: “I like Christianity. But I would not like Christianity without the Resurrection. I want to see your resurrection!” Pennington notes that, “With his directness, the teacher was saying what everyone else implicitly says to Christians: You are a Christian. You are risen with Christ. Show me (what this means for you in your life) and I will believe.”

We observed the penitential season of Holy Lent; we participated faithfully in all the liturgical services of Holy Week. Today as we cap it all with the celebration of Easter, we ask ourselves this question: Does Easter impact how we live? Are we truly excited about our faith in the resurrection of Jesus who has the capacity to transform our lives with his grace?

The early Christians celebrated Easter with a tremendous sense of excitement. Throughout the entire Easter Season, the Angelus prayer is replaced by the joyous Regina Coeli, which begins, “Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia.” Unfortunately, for many Christians today, it is no longer obvious why Easter should be welcomed with such joy. Despite egg hunts and spring-themed decorations, Easter is treated as a second-class holiday, lacking the cheery traditions of Christmas and Thanksgiving (as well as their commercial importance).

Yes, the words of St. Augustine uttered 1500 years ago, repeated by St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, must be made our own: “We are truly an Easter People, and Halleluiah is our song!”

Happy Easter!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

I read this story about comedian Yakov Smirnoff, a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer who began his career as a stand-up comedian in the Soviet Union. When he first came to the US, he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores.  He says, “On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk–you just add water, and you get milk.  Then I saw powdered orange juice–you just add water, and you get orange juice.  And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, What a country!” 

Smirnoff is joking but we could be making these assumptions about Christian Transformation. We go to church as if we are going to the grocery store: Powdered Christian.  Just add water and disciples are born not made.  Unfortunately, there is no such powder and disciples of Jesus Christ are not instantly born.  We must understand what it means to be a disciple. Does this mean that we should deny ourselves and take up the cross?  YES, many times we are called to do that because that is exactly what Jesus said and did!

Today we are beginning the most Holy Week of the liturgical year and the three holiest days of this week are called the “Sacred Paschal Triduum.” Last Sunday in the bulletin, Msgr. Brennan had explained beautifully the theological and practical meaning of these most holy three days and invited us all to attend these celebrations filled with Scriptures, symbols and rites that touch us and enrich us spiritually.

I too invite us all to come and celebrate this unfathomable love of God for each one of us during the Triduum. Join the Church services of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/Sunday. Keep the schedule handy on your refrigerator or mark those events on your calendar. We will grow in greater knowledge of our faith when we attend these liturgical services.

Our wonderful choir has been practicing for these services. I have been enjoying the preview of what they have in store for us this holy week. The sacrifice these talented and committed music ministers of our parish has been making, under the leadership of our wonderfully gifted Joan Seamon, will fill us all with a prayerful taste of soul-filling and inspirational music.   Come as a family and let this week help you grow closer to Jesus Christ who loves each one of us so much: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John. 3:16).

May He enrich us and bless us.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

The Sacred Paschal Triduum

After Christmas, Easter and holy week are probably a favorite time of year for most Catholics. And for many the three days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday stand out in a special way. These days are known in the church as The Sacred Paschal Triduum, this year falling on April 6, 7 and 8. On these days the church celebrates the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, in which Jesus gave us the Eucharist; the Crucifixion and Death of Christ on Good Friday and his Resurrection from the dead with the first mass of Easter on Holy Saturday night.

But what do the liturgies of the triduum really celebrate? Many people think of these celebrations as some type of recalling or re-enactment of the historical events of the end of Jesus’ life. But these celebrations are not about history but rather about Mystery. The liturgies of these days do not take us back to the upper room or to the garden of Gethsemane or to Calvary or to Easter morning to witness the empty tomb. Our celebrations are not about what once happened to Jesus 20 centuries ago but what is happening in his mystical body the church today. You and I, baptized into Christ and the church, gifted with the Spirit, gather in faith with our brothers and sisters and offer our thanksgiving in and through Christ who is risen and living among us. Through His death and resurrection and sending of His Spirit God has taken possession of our hearts and molds us into the likeness of His son. We are a broken, sinful people who are loved and forgiven and called to holiness and truth. The mass and these special liturgical celebrations are about what Christ is doing today in your life and mine .The sacred paschal triduum shines as the high point of the liturgical year.

Unfortunately many Catholics have seldom or never participated in any of the celebrations of these special days. I invite you to consider taking part in some or all of the celebrations of these days. In addition to the richness of the scripture readings and the special music there are other rich symbols like the washing of feet, presentation of the Holy Oils, Veneration of the Cross and the lighting and blessing of the Easter fire and the paschal candle, Baptism of the Elect, adults who have made the decision to become members of the catholic church. Elsewhere in this bulletin and on our website you will find further information and the schedule for each of these special days. I look forward to seeing you during the Sacred Paschal Triduum or at least for holy mass on Easter Sunday. Happy Easter.

Msgr Brennan

Dear Friends,

Welcome back to Msgr. Brennan who had gone to Ireland when he got the sad news of his sister’s passing away. He is grateful to our community for remembering Brigid during our Prayers of Intercession at all our weekend Masses and for the loving support we offered him.

We know that the feast of St. Joseph is on March 19 [today]; but this year it is postponed to March 20 [tomorrow], because it is falling on a Sunday, the Lord’s Day. As I discussed last week in this column, some traditions are changeable with the changing situations. Thus the doctrine on St. Joseph and the honor we give him with a Solemn Feast can be seen as Primary Traditions that will not be changed; but the date to celebrate this Solemn Feast can be considered as Secondary tradition and so can be changed if a need arises as it happened this year.

This reminds me to share with you another question that we priests are asked often: What to do with old and unusable sacred items? Many people have holy objects like broken rosaries, holy cards, statues, pictures of Jesus and saints, etc., remaining in a clutter box in many houses, in a state of permanent limbo as people don’t know how to dispose of these items. Some do have an attachment to these sacred objects, even if they are broken or unused. But many, in my understanding, hold on to broken or unused holy items due to unspoken guilt. A fear that something can happen if they simply discard these sacred items.  People fear that something can go wrong if they fail to handle these religious items properly.

The Church does provide guidance on this. The rule of thumb for the disposition of these items is that anything that has been blessed should be burned or simply buried. Now, If you’re reading this and feel anxious about the palms, rosaries, and prayer cards you’ve thrown away over the years, there’s no need to lose sleep over it.

One important thing we need to understand is this: all sacred objects are means to an end. They are tools for our spiritual growth. If the water flow in our faucet is faulty, we call the plumber who will replace the parts or the pipe. The old parts and pipes will be discarded. God uses created things as channels of grace. That means grace is coming to us through these channels from Jesus Christ who is the source of our life-giving water, as he told the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:11). Therefore, if these channels or tools are no more usable, they need to be discarded.

I liked this explanation from the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin: “It is not a sin to throw away blessed items, but out of proper respect, one should dispose of them in this way. If devotionals have not been blessed, such as some of the holy cards and such that come through the mail, those are simply pictures and can be thrown away. If you feel uncomfortable throwing them away, you can burn or bury them as well.”

Jesus said: “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). May we all seek the truth and experience true freedom in Jesus Christ. His truth will bring us true joy. And, today is “Laetare Sunday” when the Church is inviting us to be joyful in anticipation of the approaching celebration of Easter.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal