St. Mary Blanket Letter # 5 – 3/29                                       

 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
 
As joyful as the Lord’s Day is and this Fifth Sunday of Lent, I am also saddened to tell you of my decisions for tighter precautions for the Triduum than I had planned.  Specifically, there will be NO small groups walking of the Stations of the Cross in our Parish Garden.  We must encourage folks to stay home and not come out, even if we could have achieved "small groups with distance.”  Likewise, my “Park & Penance” plan to provide the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the parking lot on Holy Saturday is OFF.  Both of these were announced in the last Bulletin; cancellation notices will be given in the next bulletin (April 5. Palm Sunday).
 
I am more than sad that I must suspend this wonderful Catholic devotion of Stations and Confession before Easter.  Our incarnational sense of Catholic worship is lessened.  May Jesus Christ still be Praised and Adored for his great Love and Sacrifice as we hold him in our hearts and by Spiritual Communion.
 
The key pandemic precaution became stronger and stronger in my mind … the one we all hear just about every hour … stay home unless you MUST go somewhere!!  The Governor says it and it’s the strong direction from Bishop Brennan.  It also is the insistent message that we mounted on our church front door:
 
Be Healthy * Be Holy * Be Home



"OK, Father what should we do now?"
 
 TV & Internet connections to Catholic services:

• Watch televised or live-streamed Triduum liturgies.  Check out TV stations, EWTN (Channel 385).  I will publish more as I learn them.
• “Attend” Masses offered from Bishop Barron’s chapel: wordonfire.org/daily-mass
• Check out St. Gabriel Radio for connections to Bishop Brennan’s liturgies: On your search engine type: "Saint Gabriel Catholic Radio".  It shows various links for live-streamed services from the Cathedral and from local parishes of our Diocese.

  
I’m sorry St. Mary, Groveport doesn’t have the means to "live stream” Masses from  our Altar.  Otherwise, we're doing the best we can.  I continue to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day for our parish intentions.
 
Internet connections to devotional material.
 
  There are EXCELLENT YouTube productions of the Stations of the Cross, appropriate for families.   Watch on Good Friday!!
  Type “ Stations of the Cross” in your search engine.  On the page that emerges go down a little to three icons for “Videos”.

• My Favorite: “Stations of the Cross HD - TV Version" — beautiful graphics, especially of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.
• “Stations of the Cross with Father Reed" (no relation)
• “The Stations of the Cross” — brief review of the Stations with no prayers or mediations.  Stabat Mater sung in Latin.

 
If you didn't make a Sacramental Confession during Lent (nor have done so in a while) ...
   ... then by the Precepts of the Church you should do so ASAP.  Until the Sacrament is available:
 

• Make a good Examination of Conscience - call to mind and examine the wrongs you did and the goods you failed to do.  Make a list.
• Pray for those you have offended or failed to assist.
• True Sorrow - Express sorrow for your sins to the Lord in prayer and make a firm intention to make a Sacramental Confession ASAP.
• Make an Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen (Our younger Catholics learned a version with simpler phrasing.)
• Say an Our Father and thank God for his Mercy, especially with regard to your sins.

Please understand that this is not the same as a Sacramental Confession, but places your mind & heart in preparation for the Sacrament.
If you suffer a major moral situation, I am available by phone for pastoral conversation.



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If you need emergency Sacramental or pastoral ministry by a priest you must call me (740-503-2827). For Coronavirus cases I may not be able to come personally. However, there are priest chaplains with special training and I can connect you.



***
You don’t need me to tell you that these are strange and stressful times. I’m eager …and a bit anxious … to restore our usual patterns. But let’s also realize that things will never be the same again. We’re going through a crisis and previous assumptions of American greatness are being tested and often demonstrated in ways we would not have imagined. We see many acts of unselfish love and courage that we’ll not forget. We’re drawn together in new and stronger ways. Through this ordeal I want us to hold each other in a strong “embrace” of prayer. This embrace is totally compliant with mandates of physical “social distancing” and that’s its beauty to be rediscovered. We are bonded as the Body of Christ. Bonded in Prayer and Love for one another.



In closing, I call our hearts in gratitude for the many medical and responder persons. For those who work tirelessly to expand our pandemic response resources. For those lying sick in bed. And for the souls of the departed whose bodies succumbed to COVID-19. May God grant them his Mercy and Grace.
Raphael, Archangel of Healing, intercede for us in this hour of need.
Your loving pastor in Christ with Mary, Father John