I want to express my unity of prayer with all of you during this global pandemic, it is truly devastating. All we have to do is to turn to any source of news to see the tremendous impact this pandemic is having in our world; lives lost, financial and health care systems straining and, in some places, failing.
During this past week I was deeply moved by our Holy Father and his extraordinary “Urbi et Orbi” blessing and message. Their he stood – alone in St. Peter’s square addressing the world. His homily was one of the most powerful messages I have ever heard, and I want to share some of it with you if you didn’t get a chance to hear it.
The Holy Father used the Gospel story from Mark (Mk 4:35) of the apostles and Jesus in a boat and it becomes tossed by the wind and sea. The apostles cry out in midst of the storm to Jesus asleep in the stern, “Master do you not care if we perish?” We can identify with them, with their cry, their anxiety. Do you not care Lord? Our Holy Father comments, “Let us try to understand. In what does the lack of the disciples’ faith consist, as contrasted with Jesus’ trust? They had not stopped believing in him; in fact, they called on him. But we see how they call on him: “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” (v. 38). Do you not care: they think that Jesus is not interested in them, does not care about them. One of the things that hurts us and our families most when we hear it said is: “Do you not care about me?” It is a phrase that wounds and unleashes storms in our hearts. It would have shaken Jesus too. Because he, more than anyone, cares about us. Indeed, once they have called on him, he saves his disciples from their discouragement.”
As we pass days and weeks in our self isolation another reality may make itself more apparent to us. The”storm”of the pandemic may reveal or be an opportunity for us to reprioritize our lives and our relationships.
The Holy Father continues, “The storm exposes our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits and priorities. It shows us how we have allowed to become dull and feeble the very things that nourish, sustain and strengthen our lives and our communities. The tempest lays bare all our prepackaged ideas and forgetfulness of what nourishes our people’s souls; all those attempts that anesthetize us with ways of thinking and acting that supposedly “save” us, but instead prove incapable of putting us in touch with our roots and keeping alive the memory of those who have gone before us. We deprive ourselves of the antibodies we need to confront adversity.
In this storm, the façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos, always worrying about our image, has fallen away, uncovering once more that (blessed) common belonging, of which we cannot be deprived: our belonging as brothers and sisters”.
We are not alone; we belong to a community and as people of faith we are members of the Body of Christ united with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world.
Jesus reminds his apostles, “Why are you afraid. Have you no faith?” After all he is in the boat with them, he is in the boat of our lives as well.
Many people at this time have lost their jobs and face an uncertain economic future. We are all called to reach out and do what we can.
To continue to serve you we will start soon our webcasts of the Mass and of the Holy Week liturgies and devotions ( which has been a huge effort and has taken the last 3 weeks to purchase items, configure the website, make physical preparations, design and put ads in the papers etc. – all with the encouragement and blessing of our Bishop who I spoke to on the phone ). Our “Care Calls” continue, volunteers reaching out to the elderly or isolated. The St. Vincent de Paul is arranging to have food parcels to be delivered to the needy in partnership with Foodland. I want to especially thank, Deacon Raymond for his countless hours of work on the website and webcam system, to Brenda Coury, Jolene Gadal, Samantha Derynck, Bill Bolohan all who helped design, create, and post information and ads – it’s incredible what you have achieved in such a short time. Thanks also to our parish staff and volunteers, Fran Atkinson, JP Labonte, Fran Taylor, Mark and Lori Herman and Stan Powell (Anita who is staying on until the crisis subsides) that continue to serve. There are many others who are doing their part from the KofC, CWL etc. and various volunteers from the cluster parish – to all, you have my profound gratitude.
Please be assured that you share in all my Masses and prayers as we journey together day by day during this difficult time.
Your brother in Christ,
Father Christopher Bourdeau,
Administrator of the cluster parish of St. Peter’s On-the-Thames and St. Francis Xavier
Holy Week Masses and Liturgies (Via Webcast) tilburycatholic.ca
Sunday April 5
th Palm Sunday 10:00am Mass via webcast
6:30pm Evening prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) & Stations of the Cross Webcast
Monday April 6
th, Tuesday April 7
th, Wednesday April 8
th 10:00am Mass via webcast
Followed by Stations of the Cross webcast
Thursday April 9th 7pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by a Holy Hour of Adoration with devotions webcast
Good Friday April 10
th 3pm Liturgy of Good Friday webcast
7pm Evening prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) and Stations of the Cross webcast
Holy Saturday April 11
th 9:30am Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) webcast
9:00pm Easter Vigil webcast
Easter Sunday April 12
th 10am Mass webcast
Easter Week Monday April 13
th to Friday April 17
th Mass webcast 10am
Divine Mercy Sunday April 19
th 10am Mass webcast
3pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Devotions webcast