I am really torn and sad.
We are faced with having to observe the most important week in the liturgical year separated from each other. A Triduum with no people. I feel empty and yes, alone.
But the reality is that God does not abandon us. He goes with us even in this time of trial and testing and this Holy week is an opportunity for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.
I can’t help but think of our Lord’s cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?!”. Soon thereafter he gave a cry and breathed his last. Could it be that Jesus died forsaken by his Father?
The answer is no. Jesus felt the pain of the sin of the world on his shoulders. The sin for which he died. The sin that separates us from God leaving us empty and dead. But Jesus “gave up his last” and proceeded to conquer that death. He proved that God had not forsaken him (or us) by defeating death in his Resurrection. He vanquished that emptiness that comes from feeling apart from God through his willingness to suffer for our eternal life.
Now we have the same opportunity. We are pulled apart from each other. It seems that the very Body of Christ, his Church, is physically being torn apart and separated from the Eucharistic Sacrament, the central miracle that binds it together. But is this true?
Have we been forsaken? Have we been pulled apart? Well, in the sense of our suffering, like our Lord’s suffering on the Cross and our physical separation, the answer is yes. But in the reality of our Faith, the Body of Christ has already risen and no amount of separation can negate that and so the answer is a resounding no.
Through our baptism, that moment of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, we became brothers and sisters. Fed by the Body and Blood of Christ, that bond deepened. As brothers and sisters in communion, we form the mystical Body of Christ, his Church. And, by continuing our prayers for each other—by joining together in a broadcast or internet streamed Mass—we are affirming that indeed, the Body of Christ is still intact.
This week we will struggle through a very difficult time. But it can still be a time of growth and strengthening of our faith. It is a time when we can contemplate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord and how our suffering will join in Christ’s triumph, bringing new life and vitality to our Parish and the entire Church.
I’ve been reluctant to stream a Mass for St. Luke’s and St. Ignatius because of my strong belief that connecting with our cathedrals and other opportunities like EWTN’s broadcast and streamed Masses connect us not only to each other but to the wider Church.
However, I’ve decided to stream the entirety of our Holy Week liturgies. Palm Sunday Mass will be at 11:00 AM. I will bless palms on Thursday and put them inside the rectory storm door for you to pick up and have them when you watch the liturgy on Sunday. Maundy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, will be at 6:00 PM. Good Friday liturgies will begin at 3:00 PM. The Easter Vigil will be at 8:00 PM and Easter morning at 11:00 AM.
All streaming will be done on the St. Luke's Facebook page and I will try and cross post it to the St. Ignatius Facebook page. If you do not have a Facebook account,and don’t want one, just click on
NOT NOW when it prompts you to sign in or create an account.
As St. Luke's website is being transferred to a new host, please check the
St. Ignatius website NEWS page for updates before you try and log into the live streams, and regularly, as we will be posting any necessary changes, news, or information there.
I encourage you to call each other regularly and stay in touch. If there is anything you need from me or some help from the congregation, never hesitate to contact me. If it is after hours, or a pastoral emergency at any time, please call the pastoral hotline at (301) 749-5790. You can leave a message and I will receive your message within minutes and call you back as soon as possible.
I continue to hear confessions at our regular times (Tuesdays, 7:00-7:30 PM and Saturdays, 3:00-4:00 PM) in the gravel parking lot. Just drive in, stay in your car and either open the window. If you want to be anonymous, pull up behind me…. I’ll sit in a way that you will have the choice.
Finally, we found the following idea online and I encourage you to participate:
A Light in the Darkness “Calling all Christians to light some type of luminary or lantern at 9 pm on April 11, Holy Saturday (the night before Easter) and set it out on the end of your sidewalk. It has been proclaimed for centuries, "The light of Christ rising in glory dispels the darkness of our hearts and minds." We are called to share this light, especially during this unprecedented time of darkness. During this time of "distancing", what a better way to share the light than exactly where our homes meet the world. And what a better time than on the night when we await the resurrection of our Savior. In this way we unite with Christ, we join with our church, we connect with our neighbors, and we give hope to the world."