SAINT AGNES CHURCH
           Iglesia de Santa Inés
                 Weiser, Idaho
April 3, 2020
 
Greetings and blessings to everyone.  I hope all are healthy and calm.  I cannot help but to sing out, “Though the mountains may fall and the hills turn to dust, yet the love of the Lord will stand.”
 
Let us pray.
Almighty ever-living God, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross, graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering and so merit a share in his Resurrection.  Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.  Amen. ( Roman Missal, Collect of Palm Sunday).
 
HOLY WEEK
This coming Sunday, April 5 ^th, is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.  Our situation today reminds me of monks and nuns who, through the centuries and even today, live in cloisters—"a place . . . devoted to religious seclusion” ( Webster’s).  This week especially we have the opportunity to transform the “stay-at-home” order into a time of seclusion so as to enter prayerfully into Holy Week.  Unfortunately, we cannot gather in our churches for the Church’s Holy Week Liturgies.  Nonetheless, we can pray together as the Church, each in their home—the place of our “religious seclusion” of Holy Week.
 

• Palm Sunday, April 5^th:  Read (together as family) St. Matthew’s account of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem—Matthew 21:1-11. 
• On Palm Sunday:
  • Blessed palms will be available to you for pick up, if you wish, there is no obligation to do so, in the Parish Hall, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Please practice the proper “social distancing” and do not congregate in the Hall.
  • Also available to you in the Hall will be:
    • A basket for your Sunday donation to the Parish and/or your Idaho Catholic Appeal envelopes.
      • The basket will be attended to from time to time throughout the day.
    • Idaho Catholic Appeal envelopes.
    • The food offering basket—St. Agnes Food Bank continues its ministry, so food offerings are certainly appreciated.
  • Holy Rosary Church, Cambridge:  The church will be open from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. to pick up palms
  • St. Jude Church, Council:  The church will be open from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. for pick up.

 

• Holy Thursday, April 9^th:  As your family gathers for the evening meal, remember this is the time when Jesus gathered with his disciples to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Passover and to give us the gift of the Eucharist.  Begin your evening meal with a reading of the Old Testament account of the first Passover—Exodus 12:1-14 (the First Reading for the Mass of Holy Thursday), and as you close the meal read Matthew’s account of the Last Supper—Matthew 26:17-30.

 

• Good Friday, April 10^th
  • A day of fast (only one major meal) and abstinence (no meat); Catholics, 14 – 60, are asked to participate in this penitential observance.  
  • Read (as a family) Matthew’s account of the Lord’s Passion—Matthew 26:36 – 27:66, or John’s account—John 18:1 – 19:42. 
  • A Good Friday tradition is the Solemn Intercessions of the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord.  Copies of these Solemn Intercessions will be available to you in the Hall (and Holy Rosary and St. Jude Churches); please feel free to take a copy home with you to pray together on Good Friday.
  • Consider making the hours from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. (the hours when Jesus hung on the cross) as a time for quiet (turn off all media!!!), reflection and prayer.

 

• Holy Saturday, April 11^th:  A beautiful and stirring part of Liturgy of the Easter Vigil is the singing of the Exultet.  I invite you (as family) to read/pray the Exultet; do so, if possible, with a lit candle (remember to put out the candle, do not leave it burning overnight!!!).  Copies of the Exultet will be available to you in the Hall (in the Cambridge and Council churches) to take home.

 
Movies:  If you are, as I am, a “movie fan,”this may be a fine time to watch or re-watch a film on the Lord’s life, passion and resurrection.   Over the years a number of such movies have been produced, certainly of varying quality; some are:

• Max von Sydow’s The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
• John-Michael Tebelak’s Godspell (the movie 1973)
• Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar (movie 1973 by Norman Jewison)
• Franco Effirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth (1977, 6 hours)
• Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004; please note this is a rather violent (too so for my tastes) depiction of the Lord’s passion)

If you view any of these movies, remember that they are a certain artist’s view of the Lord’s life, passion, and resurrection.  In this they have a certain value, as any artistic representation—a painting, stain glass, a mosaic, or a statue—of some facet of the Gospel and of our faith tradition.  Their understanding and adherence to the Gospel accounts are quite varied.  Do not let “Hollywood” completely determine your understanding of the Gospel and Jesus.  Nonetheless, each can give us a certain, yet limited, “window” into Jesus, the Gospels, and our faith.  In short, enjoy the movie, but remember they are not “gospel truth.”
 
Idaho Catholic Appeal:  Congratulations to St. Jude in Council for having completed and surpassed their goal!  As of March 30 ^th, 14 families of St. Jude have pledged/given a total of $5,789 to complete and surpass the goal of $2,843 (204% of goal).  Well done!  At St. Agnes 31 families have pledged/given a total of $13,763 toward the goal of $18,702 (74% of goal).  And at Holy Rosary 4 families have pledged/given $835 toward the goal of $3,382 (25% of goal).  Thanks to all the families who have participated thus far.  I encourage your participation in the Idaho Catholic Appeal “to the extent possible;” with the participation of every family according to their abilities we can complete our goals.  The Appeal supports the ministries, work, and services of our Diocesan Church throughout Idaho.  You may mail your Appeal envelope to the respective address above, or directly to the Diocese of Boise (the address on the Appeal envelope); be sure to indicate on inside flap of the envelope your parish (very important!).
 
The Idaho Primary Election is set for Tuesday, May 19 ^th; due to the present situation voters are being encouraged to vote absentee.  To assist you, copies of the Absentee Ballot Application will be available for pick up in the Hall/churches this coming Sunday.  Complete the form and mail it to your county clerk.  The forms are also available on your county’s website. 
 
Painting of St. Agnes:  A few months ago the Idaho Catholic Register had an article on Fr. Bruno Segatta and his paintings.  Several weeks ago I contacted Father Bruno, who is presently serving in Our Lady of the Lake Church in McCall, and asked him to paint a painting of St. Agnes for the Parish Hall.  Father graciously agreed to do so, and now his painting is hanging in the Hall.  St. Agnes now “presides” over all our gatherings in the Hall, whatever they may be, and certainly the painting adds some color to the Hall. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last Sunday Pope Francis invited all the faithful to join him in praying a “Litany of Supplication;” this Litany follows.
 
 
URBI ET ORBE LITANY OF SUPPLICATION
Pope Francis
 
We adore you, O Lord.
True God and true man,
truly present in the Holy Sacrament,      We adore you, O Lord.
Our Savior, God with us, faithful and rich in mercy,                 
King and Lord of creation and of history,
Conqueror of sin and death,
Friend of humankind, the Risen One,
the Living One who sits at the right hand of the Father,
 
We believe in you, O Lord
Only begotten Son of the Father,
descended from heaven for our salvation,
We believe in you, O Lord.
Heavenly physician,
who bows down over our misery,
Lamb who was slain,
who offer yourself to rescue us from evil,
Good Shepherd,
who give your life for the flock which you love,
Living bread and medicine for immortality,
who give us eternal life,
 
Deliver us, O Lord.
From the power of Satan and the seduction of the world,
Deliver us, O Lord
From the pride and presumption
of being able to do anything without you,
From the deceptions of fear and anxiety,
From unbelief and desperation,
From hardness of heart and the incapacity to love,
 
Save us, O Lord.
From every evil that afflicts humanity,            Save us, O Lord.
From hunger, from famine, and from egoism,
From illnesses, epidemic and the fear of our brothers and sisters,
From devastating madness,
from ruthless interests and violence,
From being deceived, from false information,
and the manipulation of consciences,
 
Comfort us, O Lord.
Protect your Church which crosses the desert,
Comfort us, O Lord.
Protect humanity terrified by fear and anguish,
Protech the sick and the dying, oppressed by loneliness,
Protect doctors and healthcare providers
exhausted by the difficulties they are facing,
Protect politician and decision makers
who bear the weight of having to make decisions,
 
Grant us your Spirit, O Lord.
In the hour of trail and from confusion,
Grant us your Spirit, O Lord.
In temptation and in our fragility,
In the battle against evil and sin,
In the search for what is truly good and true joy,
In the decision to remain in you and in your friendship,
 
Open us to hope, O Lord.
Should sin oppress us,                             Open us to hope, O Lord.
Should hatred close our hearts,
Should sorrow visit us,
Should indifference cause us anguish,
Should death overwhelm us,                   Open us to hope, O Lord.  Amen.