To watch Fr. Joe’s homily from Palm Sunday: CLICK HERE!
It’s Palm Sunday and what is Palm Sunday without PALM? For the present time, palm will not be available. Once we are back “together” in Church, palm will be available.
It was in a long line at 6:45 am at the grocery store that opened at 7:00 am for seniors only. A young man came from the parking lot and tried to cut in at the front of the line, but an old lady beat him back into the parking lot with her cane. He returned and tried to cut in again, but an old man punched him in the gut, then kicked him to the ground and rolled him away. As he approached the line for the third time he said “If you don’t let me unlock the door, you will never get in there.”
With the many challenges that exist in our world, our state, our families, our lives… we might be wondering, will we triumph?
As my grandmother used to say, “by the grace of God.” What’s that mean? By the grace of God… Grace is God’s unconditional love, a relationship of love, beyond our imagining, with all of us.
Grace is God walking with us, watching over us, caring for us. I think at times we think, it is all up to God, to take care of, what is the concern of the moment or day… and, yes we need to let God win the day for us. We also have to ask the question, what is our or my part? We who pray to our God for healing, for understanding, for consolation, for peace and so much more.
Ultimately, grace is God’s work, if you will God’s operation; but we too have a part, namely our cooperation with the work, the grace of God.
Five weeks ago one of our Petitions at Mass was may our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and good works bring us closer to our God and one another.
I submit to you that God has heard our prayer this Lent and we have grown closer to our God and one another.
Lent is not over and even if it was, how are our efforts of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and good works continuing to bring us closer to our God (no social distancing necessary) and closer to one another?
This Holy Week, I would ask you to see the prayer, fasting, almsgiving and good works as part of the plan of God, part of our cooperation with the love of God, who wishes us all that is good.
This Holy Week, keep making some time to pray each day as a person and family, maybe it is grace before/after meals; maybe it is a special time during the day where the entire family can get together for a few moments or more of prayer; maybe a listing of prayers; maybe a reading from the Bible; maybe a prayer or more, like the Our Father or Hail Mary… A prayer for the people you live with (we all need that) and a prayer for the people we know or do not know who are working for an end to this Pandemic.
And of course, let’s pray together at Mass (via Live Streaming) until we meet again in person. Maybe even joining us for Holy Thursday & Good Friday Services at 5:00 PM. (via Live Streaming).
This Holy Week, continue to make an effort at FASTING… fasting from food, complaining, gossip, pessimism, suspicion… so we will be able to FEAST, very soon.
This Holy Week, continue acts of kindness, good works… Keep calling all those people who are part of our lives, keep social distancing (it makes a difference not only for other people, but also for yourself).
Finally, don’t forget almsgiving this Holy Week, please continue to do what you can for charities and your Church. I heard that liquor sales were up 55% the past week or two. Let’s hope Church and charity donations are not down 55%…
We pray to our God who always hears our prayer and we pray that we will continue to make the effort to live our prayers daily; to cooperate with the plan and grace of God. For In the end, God’s grace always triumphs!