Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Holy Week Schedule

HOLY WEEK 2015

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Holy Week before morning Masses and
Holy Thursday:    3:15 to 4:00 P.M.
Good Friday:         4:30 to 5:30 P.M.
Holy Saturday:     10:30 to 11:30 A.M.

MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 29
PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
Saturday: 4:15 P.M.
Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 A.M., 12:15 P.M.
(10:30 A.M. Mass - Bishop Barres, Celebrant,
Pontifical Mass with Blessing of Palms and Procession)

Monday, March 30, and Tuesday, March 31:
Masses at 6:30 and 8:00 A.M.

Wednesday, April 1:
Mass at 6:30 A.M.
10:30 A.M. - MASS OF THE OILS
(Bishop Barres, Celebrant, with the priests of the Diocese.
All are invited to join the Bishop and the Priests at this Mass)

HOLY THURSDAY, April 2:
10:00 A.M. - Morning Prayer
7:00 P.M. - MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
(Bishop Barres, Celebrant. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament
will follow immediately after Mass until 11:00 P.M.)
10:45 P.M. - Night Prayer

GOOD FRIDAY, April 3:
10:00 A.M. - Morning Prayer
3:00 P.M. - COMMEMORATION OF THE LORD'S PASSION
(Bishop Barres, Celebrant, with the priests of the Cathedral concelebrating)
7:00 P.M. - Stations and Veneration of the Cross.

HOLY SATURDAY, April 4:
10:00 A.M. - Morning Prayer
12 Noon - Blessing of Easter Food in the Church
8:00 P.M. – SOLEMN EASTER VIGIL MASS
(Bishop Barres, Celebrant, with the priests of the Cathedral concelebrating.)
N.B.: There will be NO 4:15 P.M. Mass)

EASTER SUNDAY, April 5:
Masses:
7:30 A.M. in Church
9:00 A.M. in Church (This Mass will be a special liturgy with
Blessing of Children and Easter Baskets)
9:00 A.M. in Parish Activity Center
10:30 A.M. in Church
10:30 A.M. in Parish Activity Center
12:00 Noon in Church

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY, April 12:
2:00 P.M. - Confession
3:00 P.M. - Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Devotions

Monday, March 23, 2015

Why cover the crosses and statues?

In the Cathedral, from the Fifth Sunday of Lent until the Easter Triduum, we continue the custom of covering the crosses and statues with a purple cloth. It has been a universal custom in the Latin Church since at least the 17th Century and, even though it is no longer mandatory, it is still a permitted and praiseworthy practice. 
For the Fifth Sunday of Lent the Roman Missal says, "In the Diocese of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from this Sunday may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil."

But why do we do it?

History of the custom
The custom finds is origin in the 9th Century. In Germany Christians put a large cloth in front of the altar from the beginning of Lent. The cloth hid the entire altar from the view of the faithful and was not removed until the reading of the Passion on Wednesday of Holy Week when the phrase "the veil of the temple was rent in two." Eventually this custom was extended to crosses and statues. Later, in the 17th Century, this custom became universal and was limited to the "Passiontide" which began on the Sunday before Palm Sunday which was then called "Passion Sunday" and is now the 5th Sunday of Lent.
It is interesting to note that before the Second Vatican Council the Gospel that was read on "Passion Sunday" (now the 5th Sunday of Lent) was from St. John, chapter 8. The last verse of that Gospel passage says, "So they took up stone to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple." In other words, Jesus hid himself from the Jewish authorities and is now hidden from the world as He prepares for His impending passion and death. 

The suffering of Christ "veils" His divinity
The nearness of the hour of Christ's suffering causes the Church to veil His image and those of His saints as a way to mystically enter into the humiliation of Christ and how His divinity is about to be hidden from view or "veiled" in order to bring about our salvation. On the Cross we struggle to "see" that this is God who suffers and dies for us. The veiling represents how Christ has veiled or "hid" His divinity by humbling becoming man and taking on human suffering. 

The suffering of Christ "veils" His humanity
He has also "veiled" His humanity in the sense that the depth of the cruelty against Him was so severe that His humanity was dramatically disfigured. In a prophecy about the suffering of the Messiah Psalm 21: 7 says, "I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people." On the Cross even the humanity of Christ was disfigured and veiled. His face and His entire body was distorted by the many blows, scourges and nails that Jesus was scarcely recognizable, even in His humanity. 

The Cross "veils" its victorious meaning
As Christians, we know that the Cross of Christ is a sign of God's victory over death. We even have a feast called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. But as we approach Holy Week and veil the Cross, we express how difficult it is without faith in the Resurrection to "see" this victory. The Cross' true meaning is "veiled" from the eyes of those who do not believe in Christ who is truly human and truly divine and has died and rose for our salvation. At first sight, the Cross does not seem to be a sign of victory but only of humiliation and death. 






Sunday, March 22, 2015

Pastor's Corner, March 22, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
On March 25 the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation. We celebrate the Incarnation of Our Savior in the womb of Mary following her “fiat” (“Let it be done”) to the message of the angel Gabriel that God the Father wished her to be the mother of His Son.
Some evidence suggests that this date was chosen not because it is exactly nine months prior to Christmas but rather that it was believed to be the date of the crucifixion. In Christian antiquity March 25 was considered to be the date of the creation of Adam and the date of the death of Christ. It was believed that the date of someone’s death was also the date of their conception and so March 25 became the day to celebrate the Incarnation of the Lord or, as we call it today, the Annunciation of the Lord.
No matter the reason for assigning the date, this feast is a powerful statement about the love of God and the dignity of each human life. In reflecting on the Incarnation, St. John Paul II says, “This saving event reveals to humanity not only the boundless love of God who ‘so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ (Jn 3:16), but also the incomparable value of every human person” (Evangelium Vitae, 2).
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Pastor's Corner, March 15, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This coming week we will celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Today we consider the 7th and final joy and sorrow of St. Joseph.
St. Luke tells us that when Jesus was 12 years old the Holy Family traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover. When they left the Holy City, “the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem” (Luke 2: 43). This is one of the worst nightmares of any parent. Joseph and Mary searched 3 days, first among their relatives and then they returned to Jerusalem. The sense of loss must have been particularly acute for Joseph.
But then St. Luke tells us, “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers” (Luke 2: 46). What joy for both Mary and Joseph! They had found their son.
Prayer: St. Joseph, by the bitter SORROW with which the loss of the Child Jesus crushed thy heart, and by the holy JOY which inundated thy soul in recovering thy Treasure on entering the Temple, we supplicate thee not to permit us to lose our Savior Jesus by sin. Yet, should this misfortune befall us, grant that we may share thy eagerness in seeking Him, and obtain for us the grace to find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass from this life to enjoy His presence in heaven, there to sing with thee His divine mercies forever.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Pastor's Corner, March 8, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
As we continue with these reflections on the 7 sorrows and 7 joys of St. Joseph, we now consider the sorrow Joseph felt as he returns from Egypt. St. Matthew tells us, “But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee” (Matthew 2: 22). Joseph was still trying to protect the Son of God from threats and difficulties.
Having decided to settle in Nazareth, St. Joseph began to experience the joys of family life with Mary and Jesus. After the Presentation in the Temple St. Luke tells us, “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2: 40). Imagine what joy and peace would have entered Joseph’s heart after those years in Egypt. At last he was home in Israel and could continue to provide for his family and, with Mary’s help, raise the Son of God.
Prayer: St. Joseph, by the SORROW of thy heart caused by the fear of the tyrant Archelaus and by the JOY in sharing the company of Jesus and Mary at Nazareth, obtain for us, that disengaged from all fear, we may enjoy the peace of a good conscience and may live in security, in union with Jesus and Mary, experiencing the effect of thy salutary assistance at the hour of our death.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Pastor's Corner, March 1, 2015

Dear Parishioners and Friends,
It must have been difficult for St. Joseph to hear the angel tell him, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt” (Matthew 2: 13). This is considered to be the 5th sorrow of St. Joseph.
Jesus enters the world and immediately death appears on the horizon. There is a threat against his life and the Holy Family must leave the land of Israel and reverse the path taken by their ancestors and return to Egypt for safety. Joseph had to find work, a home and provide for his family in a foreign land. The cross marked his role as father from the very beginning.
The 5th joy of St. Joseph is the overthrow of the idols of Egypt. It was foreseen by Isaiah that the Lord would return to Egypt: “Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence” (Isaiah 19: 1). The Christ-child comes to turn the hearts of the Egyptians and all people from their idols to the worship of the one, true God.
Prayer: St. Joseph, by thy SORROW when told to fly into Egypt, and by thy JOY in seeing the idols overthrown at the arrival of the living God, grant that no idol of earthly affection may any longer occupy our hearts, but being like thee entirely devoted to the service of Jesus and Mary, we may live and happily die for them alone.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker