Priest: In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
Priest: When our Risen Lord appeared to
his disciples on Easter Sunday he said:
“Peace be with you.” We can be confident
that he desires this same peace for all the
members of his body, the Church, and for
the people of the entire world.
In this difficult time we turn to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the
Church and Queen of Peace, to ask that she intercedes with her Son for all those who
are affected in any way by this pandemic. As we renew the consecration of our
country and of ourselves to the Mother of the God, we implore her maternal care for
her children.
OPENING PRAYER
Priest: Let us pray.
O God, Father of mercies,
whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the
Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also, grant,
we pray, that with her loving help your Church may be more
fruitful day by day and, exulting in the holiness of her children,
may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples. Through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
People: Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING John 19:25-27
Priest: A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
—2—
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Cleopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he
loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
The Gospel of the Lord. R. Thanks be to God.
[REFLECTION] DECADE OF THE ROSARY
Recalling Jesus’ words as he hung on the cross – “Behold, your mother” – we
meditate on the fifth sorrowful mystery of the Rosary, The Crucifixion and Death of
Our Lord.
Our Father
10 Hail Marys
Glory Be
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls
to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
PRAYER OF RENEWAL OF OUR CONSECRATION TO THE
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Let us now entrust our country and ourselves once again to the Virgin
Mary’s care:
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, you
are the fairest fruit of God’s redeeming love; you
sing of the Father’s mercy and accompany us with a
mother’s love. In this time of pandemic we come to
you, our sign of sure hope and comfort.
Today we renew the act of consecration and entrustment carried out by those who have gone
before us.
Pope Francis:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid, embrace our nation which we
entrust and consecrate once again to you, together with ourselves and our
families.
A Bishop for his diocese:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid, embrace this diocese which we
entrust and consecrate once again to you, together with ourselves and our
families.
—3—
A Pastor for his parish:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid, embrace this parish which we
entrust and consecrate once again to you, together with ourselves and our
families.
Families, groups, or individuals:
With the love of a Mother and Handmaid, embrace us
as we renew our consecration to you, together with our
brothers and sisters in Christ.
In a special way we commend to you those
particularly in need of your maternal care.
Mary, Health of the Sick, sign of health, of healing, and of divine
hope for the sick, we entrust to you all who are infected with the
coronavirus.
Mary, Mother of Consolation, who console with a mother’s love all who
turn to you, we entrust to you all those who have lost loved ones in the
pandemic.
Mary, Help of Christians, who come to our rescue in
every trial, we entrust to your loving protection all
caregivers.
Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy, who embrace all those who call upon
your help in their distress, we entrust to you all who are suffering in any way
from the pandemic.
Mary, Seat of Wisdom, who were so wonderfully filled with the light of
truth, we entrust to you all who are working to find a cure to this pandemic.
Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, who gave yourself wholeheartedly to God’s plan for the
renewing of all things in Christ, we entrust to you all leaders and policymakers.
Accept with the benevolence of a Mother
the act of consecration that we make today with confidence, and
help us to be your Son’s instruments for the healing and salvation
of our country and the world.
Mary, Mother of the Church, you are enthroned as queen at your
Son’s right hand: we ask your intercession for the needs of our
country, that every desire for good may be blessed and
strengthened, that faith may be revived and nourished, hope
—4—
sustained and enlightened, charity awakened and animated; guide
us, we pray, along the path of holiness.
Priest: Mary our Mother, bring everyone under your protection and
entrust everyone to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
As we conclude this consecration, we ask the blessing of Almighty God:
Let us pray.
Bestow the grace of your kindness upon your
supplicant people, O Lord, that, formed by you,
their creator, and restored by you, their sustainer,
through your constant action they may be saved. R.
Amen.
[priest:
And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son,
✠ and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you
for ever. R. Amen.]
[Priest:
May the Lord bless us, protect
us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life. R. Amen.]
REGINA CAELI
As is customary, we conclude our prayer with a Marian hymn:
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia. (musical notation may be found in most worship addes)
APRIL 13TH
Reflection by Trish—Reflect Godʼs Love
Has anyone ever told you that they can tell what family you
belong to or who your parents are by your looks or
mannerisms? I have often been told I look like a Dostal.
(Dostal is my maiden name.) I recently met someone who
shared who she was related to. As we talked, I noticed that
her speech reminded me of her relatives that I always enjoy.
The cadence and accent on the words made it recognizable
whom she was related to. It brought a smile to my heart.
Sometimes we recognize people by their looks, their
mannerisms, their postures or the way they walk. Someone
told me several years ago that she was at a weekend retreat
for Catholic reflection in different town. She did not know
anyone there. Suddenly a woman began to laugh, and
immediately she knew this woman had to be my relative. It
was my Aunt Margaret. Yes, I have a distinctive laugh.
We have just celebrated Easter, the celebration of Christ
rising from the dead; it is the feast of everlasting life, which
destroyed death. The Resurrection proclaims we will be
forever in the loving embrace of our Lord.
Not being able to gather for Easter Mass is unprecedented.
Those of us that previously gathered for Easter Sunday
Mass in Geraldine always went home with a helium balloon.
No balloons were given out this year. There were no
greetings, no Sign of Peace, and no receiving of the Body
and Blood of Jesus together. Many of us listened or
watched Easter services on TV, computers, phones, etc.
Though we are physically separated, we are still joined in the
communion of all on earth and all in heaven. This is the
communion of saints. All those who have lived through the
ages, those of us present today, and those who are to come
are all part of the community, the Body of Christ, the children
of the Holy One.
The celebration of Easter tells us that we do not need to live
a life trying to earn everlasting life with the Holy One. Jesus
took on a human body, lived a life here on earth, died and
rose, telling us salvation is a gift from the Great Love. We
cannot earn it; it is freely given. Jesus proclaimed that the
Great Love is always present around us and within us. It is a
mystery we donʼt need to understand. We live with this
mystery and within it.
We DO have an important job as believers in the Risen
Christ. We are called to reflect God to others. We donʼt
have to try to earn Godʼs love, because it is always present,
we are to REFLECT IT. Jesus is present not just in the
Eucharist. Jesus is present when we reach out and touch
someone, when we help those that thirst for emotional
support, when we feed those who hunger for friendship,
when we embrace those that need to be clothed with a
listening heart.
They will know who we are by the way we REFLECT the
Great Love. You will be recognized by the peace,
acceptance and mercy you bring. When we REFLECT the
Great Love of the Holy One, we are making Christ present in
a powerful way to those around us. There is a hymn we sing
called “Take Christ to the World”. The refrain is our mandate
- Take Christ to the world, celebrate our faith, manifest his
love to all. Take Christ to the world; show that we are his in
the way we live.
Most of us have heard the song “They Will Know We Are
Christians By Our Love”. During this unusual time with so
much uncertainty, we are called to be more conscience of
how we REFLECT Godʼs love. It is important to bring Christ
to others, to carry the Great Love we just celebrated this
Easter to all we encounter. Perhaps someone will recognize
that you are carrying God's love by what you are reflecting.
in the same way they may recognize you as a member of
your family by your looks and mannerisms.
I was asked if there was a prayer to say to receive Christ
spiritually since we cannot at this time receive the host and
drink from the cup at Mass. We do know that Christ is
always with us and within us. We can ask Jesus to be
present in our heart and to fill us. Here is an example of a
possible prayer to say as you sit quietly and open your heart.
Dear Jesus,
I know that you are with me always. I miss receiving
you in a special way at Mass as a community. Following
our community sharing we are told, “Go in Peace to
Love and Serve the Lord.” As I am not able to receive
you in Eucharist at this time, fill me with the Love and
Peace of your presence, so that I may take your
presence to the world today and every day.
Reflection by Trish – Green Marks the Season of Hope
Each time the snow melts, which has been about once a
week lately, I notice the signs of spring appearing. The
grass is turning green, the tulips and daffodils are growing,
and buds are forming on the trees. The smell of wet spring
soil is evident. Spring brings many indicators that nature is
changing. We are emerging from natureʼs stark look of
winter to the blooming of spring.
As we watch Mother Earth change from the appearance of
dead trees and lifeless plants to the greening of our
environment, our hearts swell. In Montana most of us enjoy
the change from winter to spring. The longer hours of
daylight feed our soul. The increase in songbirds, birth of
new animals including the frolicking calves, and other new
life fills our hearts. The sights and smells brighten our
outlook and increase our sense of hope.
Every spring, farmers plant their crops with the hope of good
harvest. Gardeners till their soil and plant their seeds
looking forward to eating the vegetables and enjoying the
sight of the flowers. Work is being done now for future
benefits.
We need sunshine and good weather for our physical health
and our spiritual wellbeing. Sunshine gives us vitamin D,
which strengthens our bones and teeth, and protects us from
a range of diseases. People are enjoying the outdoors with
the confidence that there will be more sunshine and good
weather to fill their hearts and feed their spirit.
Green is the color of hope. As the earth turns green it is
common for our spirit to rise up with a sense that good things
are coming. The greening of the earth can give us a new
outlook; we find purpose looking to the future by planting or
doing yard work so our small space on this earth is a joy to
look at and to live in.
This act of looking forward is hope. The definition of Hope:
to desire for some good, accompanied with at least a slight
expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is
attainable. Confidence in a future event with the expectation
of good.
In our church, we change the colors of the altar cloths and
the environment to reflect the current liturgical season.
Green is used the most frequently since it is the symbol of
hope. Our hope is growing as we experience spring. Mother
Earth will be green with grasses, leaves, and blooming
plants. With spring there is freshness in the air, the feeling
of a new beginning. The possibilities may seem endless.
As Christians we are told that the Spirit of God is within us
and leads us. Believing God never leaves us, and that God
is giving us strength and walking with us on this crazy
journey of life, gives us hope. We just celebrated Easter, the
Joy of the Resurrection of Jesus. Along with our belief that
Jesus rose from the dead, we believe that we will rise again
and again from winter moments when we feel our spirit is
dormant, or lifeless. Resurrection to new life gives us hope
for our present moment and our current situations.
Pope Francis said, “The Holy Spirit nourishes hope, not only
in the hearts of men, but also in the whole of creation.”
Romans 8:20-22 talks about creation and humans longing
for the freedom and fulfillment for which we were created.
This week may all of us give thanks to Mother Earth as we
look for new life around us in the changes taking place in
nature. May we give thanks to the Spirit of God within each
of us as we look for chances to plant hope in the era of
COVD-19. May we share the vision of possibilities in our
interactions with others and in our personal circumstances.
Dear Loving Brothers, Sisters and Children in Christ Jesus!
Reflection for the Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2020
Holy Thursday is also known as Maundy Thursday because during the celebration of the Last Supper Jesus gives a new mandate to his followers. ‘Maundy’ is a short form of the Latin Mandatum (Mandate) which is taken from the Gospel of John 13:34: “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you”). Jesus translated this new mandate into action when:
He rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. The he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist (John 13:1-15).
Jesus did the unusual on the day of his special supper with his disciples. He washed the feet of Judas who betrayed him; he also washed the feet of Peter who denied him; he stooped to wash the feet of the rest of the Apostles who fled and deserted him when he was arrested. This gesture of Jesus teaches that those who believe in him should serve not only families and friends but should serve also those who oppose and betray them.
With the eyes of faith, let us peer into the inner beauty of every Mass as we gaze upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Let us meditate on the Eucharist daily, so we will never take it for granted or come to think that any other form of spiritual nourishment compares with it or come to think that, in the end, we can do without this great mystery of love that connects us to Jesus, that causes him to live in us and among us, enables us to forgive and be forgiven, and gives us the wherewithal to live the law of love, to love others in daily life as God first loved us!
We, your priests, trace our priesthood to this night also, for in instituting the Eucharist Jesus also instituted the ministerial priesthood… (which is why prayer before the Eucharist is so essential in raising up vocations to the priesthood). As Jesus knelt before his disciples, so we should serve you, our people, with devotion. As Jesus was the Word of God in the flesh, so too we should preach the Word in season and out of season, and not only with words but also with our example. As Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, so too we, your priests, should be humbled and awestruck every time we say: “This is my Body given for you!” “This is my Blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.” How this mystery should transform our lives and yours! How this mystery should impel us to share the Good News with others and invite those who no longer practice their faith to return the altar of the Lord.
This night we come together as one, priests and people, around the table of the Lord. Let us come not only with a renewed and deepened appreciation but indeed with genuine praise and thanksgiving to the Lord who loves us more than we could ever ask or imagine, as together we say: “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine!”
Dear Loving Brothers, Sisters and Children in Christ Jesus!
Reflection for Good Friday, April 10, 2020
Today we celebrate the Good Friday of our Lord’s Passion, the moment when Jesus our Lord was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate at the instigation of His opponents, and put to suffer and was tortured, made to bear the heavy wooden cross, and eventually was crucified on the cross, and died. This is what we commemorate today, the day when our Lord Himself died for our sake.
Our experience of this reading this afternoon is heightened by everything around us. There is a profound sense of loss, of absence, in the church right now. No bells. No decorations. An empty tabernacle. A bare altar. This is the only day in the Church calendar when the Mass is not celebrated. We are almost in a state of suspended animation. All we can do is remember once more what was given for us. We reflect. We relive it. We grieve.
In chapels and churches around the world this day, priests pray the Stations of the Cross and retrace Christ’s steps and recite the ancient words that are engraved in our hearts:
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
The cross this day is our signpost, the center of our worship, and for good reason: because we embrace in a profound way its meaning, its power, and even its necessity. The cross, we affirm, was a means to an end, not an end itself.
Yet, for all its sorrow and pain, all its drama and tragedy, this account of Christ’s passion and death offers us something else, something that may seem contradictory. It gives us reason to hope. And it is there in the words we just heard.
The detail is no coincidence. St John is giving us an echo of Eden—where man’s journey on earth began, and where he fell from grace. But now, we have a new Adam, Christ, who steps into the garden to face betrayal and suffering and judgment and death. With his Passion, Christ gave us a new Genesis. He offered us a new beginning, a new chance, a new way of going forward. Because of what happened this day, we can begin again.
Christ’s last words in this gospel tell us: “It is finished.” But what is finished? Christ’s earthly life is finished. A long chapter in human history is finished. Our old way of living is finished. Humanity’s wait for a savior is finished. And as much as we may want this gospel to have another ending, we realize that God’s overwhelming love gave us something better.
We no longer see Jesus, and we were not there during His crucifixion. But yet, we are also saved. Why is this so? That is because in every Holy Mass, and including in today’s service, even though there is no consecration today, the Lord becomes really present in our midst, through the Most Holy Eucharist. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine brought forth to the Altar, he in fact, presents the same sacrifice as Calvary, lifting up both bread and wine, but no longer just mere bread and mere wine, but in substance and essence completely transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Himself.
Therefore, today as we celebrate the Passion and death of our Lord, let us all spend time in prayer and contemplation and reflect on how much we have caused pain and sorrow for our Lord, as He bore that cross, on His way to save all of us.
Standing near the cross of Jesus is a painful and a powerful place to be. As we pray this Good Friday, we are invited to stand there with Jesus and his disciples. Yet, let us also remember that, Good Friday does not stand by itself. Easter comes after Good Friday. And therefore, because we have shared in the death of our Lord, we also will share in His resurrection and receive eternal life.
Jesus, may your victory on the cross fill me with the courage to persevere in times of difficulty and the hope to see beyond the cross to the joy of the Resurrection.
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