Dear Friends,
Greetings and prayers as we enter into Holy Week!
Early Christians prayed and worshiped at home. This year, in these challenging situations, we have the opportunity be Church after the example of early Christians. Therefore, I request you to set up an altar in your home with a white cloth preferably with a crucifix and candle. Thus creating a sacred space for your family to pray. Even if you do not have a big room, at least make part of a room a prayer space. Please gather to pray around it as family during this Holy Week.
When you are watching and participating at Mass and other liturgical celebrations, turn off all other devices; do not watch anything else other than the online Mass or service.
Please do not do any household chores; focus only on the Mass. Kindly make the appropriate responses as individuals or as family. Please pray/make the Act of Spiritual Communion during Communion. Please remember, we are isolated, but never separated ... we are united as church and with Christ!
We are the Church!
We are facing great challenge during this time; however, the Diocese and our parish are doing the best adaptations as we can in order to be one in our celebration of the Holy Week. We are live-streaming Mass everyday both through Facebook and You Tube. You are also able to join the liturgical celebrations through Zoom. More updates will come next week with details for Holy Week.
Please continue to check our parish website and Facebook for latest updates and resources. We have Lenten resources, online Stations of the Cross, live-stream/Zoom Mass details and much more. You may also forward this email to your family and friends and encourage them to sign up to received the updates.
Praying for all of you and requesting your prayers,
Fr. Saju Joseph & Fr. Generoso
PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR PALM SUNDAY AND CELEBRATING WITH YOUR CHILDREN
This year, you will be joining the Palm Sunday Mass and Celebration of the Lord's Passion from home. A suggestion ... what if everyone on Sunday, April 5 in the morning, put a branch on the front door of the house or the window to celebrate with fervor Palm Sunday. It could be any green branch you can find. This would serve, despite social isolation, to be connected in the celebration of Holy Week. Parents and children could do this together. You could also hold some fresh branches in your hands to be blessed by the priests as you participate in the Mass by Zoom or Live-stream.
we are isolated, but never separated ... we are united as church and with Christ!
We are the Church!
Hosanna
is often translated as “Please Save Us.” It is a Greek word “ὡσαννά” that most scholars believe is the transliteration of two Hebrew words- יָשַׁע- “yasha” which means “to save or deliver” and אָנּאָ – “anna” which means “please, I beseech.”
