This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. This is a day instituted by Pope John Paul II.

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us—all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. In this way, all will come to share His joy.

The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:

A – Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B – Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C – Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

From the website: thedivinemercy.org

In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. Jesus said to her:

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47).

At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply:

The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (742).

These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist.

Many different versions of this image have been painted, but our Lord made it clear that the painting itself is not what is important. When St. Faustina first saw the original image that was being painted under her direction, she wept in disappointment and complained to Jesus: "Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?" (313).

In answer, she heard these words: "Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace" (313).

So, no matter which version of the image we prefer, we can be assured that it is a vehicle of God’s grace if it is revered with trust in His mercy.

Learn more about this miraculous image by watching this 19 minute video:

SJA is moderating a Facebook group for our parishioners and friends embarking on the Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press.

You can find the link to join on the SJA Facebook page or click the button below. We already have 90+ participants!

In this week’s Encountering the Word video, Jeff Cavins offers a reflection for the Second Sunday of Easter, or Divine Mercy Sunday. The readings are:

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Alleluia: John 20:29

Gospel: John 20:19-31

Friends, we continue our celebration of the Easter season on this Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. Mercy, St. Thomas Aquinas says, is compassion in regard to someone else’s suffering; thus, God’s mercy is his compassion reaching out to us precisely in our suffering. Keep that in mind as we walk through the Gospel passage for this week from John: the extraordinary account of the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples. Christ has been sent into the world as an agent of God’s mercy, answering our sin and woundedness with forgiving love. And the same Christ breathes on us, giving us the Holy Spirit, and sends us into the world with the same mission.

Sacred Moments: The liturgies of Holy Week have many poignant sacred moments. While each of these liturgies is sacred and beautiful in their totality, certain moments in each are unlike any other “sacred moment” in the various liturgies of the Church throughout the liturgical year.

But of all these sacred moments, I think the entrance procession and the prostration of the priests and deacons at the foot of the Altar on Good Friday ranks as one of the top three! Having an entrance procession in total silence and then watching the priests and deacons lie prostrate before the Altar for several minutes sets the tone for this liturgy.

Once upon a time, those few minutes of laying prostrate before the Altar were often filled with prayer or simple silence as I would recall how much Christ did for us and me on this day. It was my moment of being in the Garden of Gethsemane with Christ. My prayer was usually a prayer of thanksgiving to Christ. But this time got spoiled many years ago.

When you’re the Master of Ceremonies at the Cathedral, or you end up being the presider of the Passion Liturgy, you can quickly get caught up in the “what’s next” mindset that you forget to pray as you ought. As a result, your mind is often racing as you lie on the ground.

A few years ago, when Father John Bettin first presided at the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at SJA, he thought I would decide when we got up off the ground, and I thought he would take that lead. As a result, we ended up being on the ground for over seven minutes because we both were waiting for the other to make the first move. I finally decided we had been down on the floor long enough that I made the first move. At that point, I was tasting carpet fibers in my mouth; the moment of profound prayer had long passed! However, that experience is still one that many of us on staff still talk about; it’s become somewhat of an SJA legend!

When Father Andrew and I returned to the Sacristy after the Good Friday Liturgy, he and I talked about what we were “thinking” as we were prostrating ourselves before the Altar. We both admitted that this moment is usually a time of profound prayer, but it wasn’t this year. Father Andrew found himself counting to keep track of the minutes because he didn’t want to repeat what happened to Father John and thus create another SJA legend to be told down the centuries. Then I admitted that my entire time was spent worrying about how in the world I would get up off the ground. Going down on the floor with my bad knee and foot was one issue, but worrying about how I would get back up again without stumbling, knowing the cameras and the people were watching, was another issue entirely. By the grace of God, I did it, but not without sweating it out along the way! So much for a moment of profound prayer!

Easter THANKS! As you might imagine, a ton of work goes on behind the scenes to make our Holy Week liturgies so beautiful and prayerful. There are many people to thank, and I would like to express my gratitude to them for their hard work and devotion.

Thanks go to Sandy and Pat Markielewicz for all the Palm Sunday decorations. The beautiful woven palm creations helped set the tone and helped our entry into Holy Week.

Thanks to Father Rich, Dina Ciaffone, Mary Garofalo, Anne Meliese, Ilona Higgins, Pat and Sandy Markielewicz, Vern David, John Benoit, and Pete Ciaravino, who helped with all the decorations and getting everything into its proper place. Thanks to Mary Garofalo and her crew who put together the Easter Vigil Reception.

Thanks to Catherine Thomas Trudell, our Director of Music, the choirs, instrumentalists, and cantors (of course, the children’s choir stole the “show” on Easter Sunday morning). The Holy Week liturgies require lots of coordination AND expertise. I’m grateful to Catherine for all of her work in putting all the music parts of the mass together. Thanks also to Eleonore Ellero, who covered the noon Mass on Easter Sunday. The music was AWESOME all week! Thanks also to our Lectors and God’s Doorkeepers.  

Thanks to Kristine Hass, who is the producer and real power behind all the streaming, along with all the slides with the lyrics and text of the mass parts that were up on the screen or broadcasted online. Thanks also to Steve Hysick, Dina Ciaffone, the Hass Family, Ida Abdelnour, Ed Raybaud, and Brian Wotta for their help with the cameras and screens. Getting all of this ready (and making it all work) is no easy task!

Thanks to our RCIA team: Father Andrew, Patty Chase, Kristine Hass, Deacon Tom and Josie Strasz, Deacon Dom Pastore, Jeanne VanEgmond, Fred Bartel, Rose Nagy, and Margy Nagel. These wonderful and generous people serve as catechists and mentors to those preparing to receive the sacraments at Easter. I’m grateful we have an outstanding team that walks with our candidates throughout the year.

Then CONGRATULATIONS go to Anthony McMahon, who was baptized; to Julian Csernatoni, Nathan Csernatoni, Joseph William LeFever, James Daniel Starr, John Vincent Starr, John Starr, Kimberly Starr, Joshua Thomas Tadevich, and Tricia Renee Witkowski who were received into the Catholic Church; and to Nathan John Blackwell, Elvia Perla Krawczyk, Karson Krawczyk and Kaitlyn Wisniewski, who completed their Christian initiation with the celebration of Confirmation. In addition, the RCIA Class of 2023 has three other members who will be baptized and/or received into the Church in the weeks ahead. So, please keep Carson Grady, Corinne Grady, and Ben Grady in your prayers as they continue their preparation for the reception of the Sacraments.

The crowds, both in-person and online, were IMPRESSIVE. Our masses were filled. It was SO GREAT to see so many people back in Church. Our online viewership was also impressive. Considering we had packed masses and about 1,100 unique views online for the Easter Masses, we had numbers unlike we’ve seen since before COVID!

Our liturgies were beautiful, prayerful, and indeed honored Christ as we celebrated the great mysteries of His death and resurrection. God is good! Amen. Alleluia.

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers. Happy Divine Mercy Sunday!

During Easter masses we’ll have a change in the source of texts for the 1st Reading. Instead of having passages from the Old Testament, during these seven Sundays we’ll have texts from the Acts of the Apostles. It’s a convenient review of the historical events that happened in the early years of the Church, after Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension. Our reading today takes place immediately after Peter’s stirring address on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 asked to be baptized. This is the first of the passages that outline the chief characteristics of the Christian community in Jerusalem: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the centering of religious life in the Eucharistic liturgy; a system of distribution of goods that led the wealthier Christians to sell their possessions when the needs of the poor of the community required it; and continual attendance at the Temple.

This simple sentence provides us with the model of the Christian life and the early attitude of the Church. This one sentence can serve as a form of examination of conscience for us to test how well we are living out an authentic life of a disciple. So what does this sentence tell us?

Out of this grew the Profession of Faith statements of the Church and ultimately, centuries later, the development of the Nicene Creed that we profess to believe at each Sunday Mass. We recite it each week. Do you understand the words you are saying? Do you believe them? If not, are you putting in the effort to understand better through the many Catholic resources available to you? If practicing the tenets of our faith are our means of salvation, it would seem essential that we do all we can to understand our faith better.

The Church was small and the culture was hostile to the Christian community. The profound solidarity among the disciples meant that the community was protected and strengthened to withstand the onslaught of persecutions. The sense of community resulted from their practice of faith and their appreciation of it as a treasure they all shared. I have priest friends with whom I share common interests and, frankly, some different interest and hobbies. But what binds our friendship and makes it strong and enduring is the shared set of common interests and goals – we love Christ, seek growth in holiness and ultimately desire Heaven. 

The early Christian community’s mutual affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give-up their possessions to help those in need. This was not some form of communist ideal. Communism forces the communal life upon the people. The Christian community shared their possessions to meet each other’s needs because they were motivated to do so out of genuine love and the internal desire to serve each other.

After Pentecost the Mass and Eucharistic communion formed the center of Christian worship, celebrated at Christians’ homes. Later it was developing into a more elaborate liturgy, what we now call Mass.

Do you desire to be a part of a praying community, or apart from a praying community. That commitment to pray together meant the early Christians always had support around them. Our commitment to praying for each other must be as uncompromising. Every Sunday there are parishioners in our pews who have lost a parent, a spouse, a child or had a difficult medical diagnosis or family situation since the previous Sunday. And they need you to be there to pray for them. Even though you may not know the particulars, we come to pray for an with each other. Once a month, most Sundays, every now and then when you’re not busy is not enough. Mass by livestream is for those unable to attend – it is not an acceptable “alternative” for those who can be at mass. Sure, there are times when we are out of town, and so we join another community, as the apostles did when then visited the different church communities. There are churches up north too!

With as many confessions as we heard in the parish during Lent, it is time to be clear for anyone who still needs to hear it: skipping mass on a Sunday or Holy day of obligation without a serious reason, (e.g. being sick, dangerous weather, inability to travel) is a grave and mortal sin that requires sacramental confession before receiving the Eucharist. And until that sin is confessed, your soul is unable to receive the grace supplied by the Eucharist. It is a further offence against God to receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin. It is not sufficient to just decide to confess a missed mass next time you go to confession if it’s going to be weeks or months away, but still receive the Eucharist in the meantime. 

The beauty of the Sacrament of Confession is that no matter how long it’s been, no matter how grave the sin, God’s mercy is always there. But we must never presume upon it. We need each other and we need each other to be holy and we need each other to be in a state of grace. In other words, none of us can live this life well alone – we need God’s grace and we need each other. We need a community of committed Christians.

Are you reading scripture, the very words God has spoken to us? Are you making use of the resources available to help you understand the bible? Familiarity with the readings before hearing them at mass will make a massive difference to your understanding of what is being read. Do you listen at mass or are you reading the bulletin or concerned with who may be texting you?

It would be interesting to see a show of hands at mass one day to see how many people own a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. After the Bible it has to be the best and most comprehensive collection of answers to the questions about our faith anyone could put their hands on. For $10-$25 you can buy a copy and read explanations of the Creed, teachings about the 3 persons of the Trinity, about Mary, about the 10 Commandments, about sin, about the sacraments, about how to deal with distractions in prayer or at mass, about many of the things people talk about and ask about in confession. It’s accessible, easy to read, has a full index and glossary and scripture references. It should be in every house and should be constantly being brought down from the shelf. I challenge everyone reading this article to make sure there is a recent Catechism in your home. If there isn’t, buy one; if you can’t afford to buy one, come and talk to me.

You are in my prayers this week.

adawson@sjascs.org 

Today, Fr. Mike tells us about the story of the patron saint of confessors, St. John Nepomucene, who gave up his life because he refused to break something called the “seal of confession”, which is a sacred duty of a priest to never reveal what is said in the confessional.

God himself established the priesthood as the mediators of reconciliation in the Gospel (John 2-:21-22). The Church takes this sacred responsibility so seriously, that any priest who breaks the seal of confession it is automatically excommunicated.

If it seems like, as a country, we don’t have as much in common anymore as we used to, there is now official validation of that. According to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal, many of the values that have held Americans together for decades or more have become less important to an increasing number of people.

The sobering report, based on a survey of Americans conducted by an academic group and a nonpartisan research organization, found that all of these areas had decreased in importance for Americans over the last 25 years: patriotism, religion, having children, and community involvement. Only a category called “money” showed an increase in importance.

“These differences are so dramatic, it paints a new and surprising portrait of a changing America,” a national pollster was quoted as saying in the story. The story went on to say that he concluded, “perhaps the toll of our political division, Covid and the lowest economic confidence in decades is having a startling effect on our core values.”

One prays that, as some or all of these variable factors shift, perhaps our common values as Americans might return.

There’s a beautiful model for such a shared, common vision in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

“All who believed were together and had all things in common,” the reading says. “They would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

It was the Lord at the center of everything then. Perhaps one day it can be so again.

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7:00 a.m., Philip D’Agostino

7:00 a.m., Mary and Frank Fleming

7:00 a.m., Charles M. McQuillan

6:00 p.m., Kelli Wade 

7:00 p.m., Norbert Len

7:00 a.m., Esmenia Salomon Silva and a Special Intention for Rosa Silva

4:00 p.m., John & Harriet Armaly Sr., Bonnie Batche. William Voss, Helen Blind, Jeffrey Kala, Charlotte Markantony, Pat Ireland, Gertrude Shaw, Edmond Aubrey

6:00 p.m., Rosa & Francesco Maggi

8:00 a.m., For the Intentions for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

10:00 a.m., Rob Finn, Evan Battani, Robbie Battani 

12:00 p.m., Ann Marie Rogier, Pedro Silva, Marie Shaheen, Rosario Medina, Jose’ Medina, Jeffrey Hardy, Daisy Marie Buenavista, Feliciana King, Bruno & Sylvia Lipski, Wilfred & Carol Plotkowski, Leonard Matusko

Thursday (April 20):

Friday (April 21):

7:00 AM - Mass

12:30 PM- Baptism of Vincenzo M. Imbrunnone

1:30 PM- Baptism of Lily Elizabeth Palen

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass