– SPIRITUAL RESOURCES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - EASTER SEASON EDITION –

This Easter season, many of us can rightly identify with St. Thomas, who famously exclaimed that he wouldn't believe in Christ's Resurrection until he put his hands into the Lord's wounds. We all share that similar desire nowadays. We want scientific, physical, indisputable evidence that the pandemic will soon end. We want to see flattened curves, decreased hospitalization rates, and increased physical inventories of personal protective equipment.

We rightly look to science and facts to guide our decisions about re-opening and moving forward as a community, and we hope our elected officials take a similar outlook. As Christians, we also look to Jesus to guide and protect us! During this Easter season, we celebrate that the great equalizer of the human family, death, is defeated and conquered forever through Christ. Even as death and uncertainty abound around us, we look to the Lord of Life to give us strength to persevere, discernment to see God's hand in this, and courage, by our actions, words, and deeds, to live our lives as those who have seen the Lord, and believed!

In this email, we hope to provide you with some resources to remain close to Jesus during this Easter season. As Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us, "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!"


St. Thomas, On Seeing the Risen Lord, by Ruben Ferreira

– How Can I Help? –

Our neighbors desperately need our help. Catholic Charities has seen an 800% (yes, 800%!) increase in requests for help. Our parish's Social Justice ministry, while still offering bagged lunches to those who are homeless, is limited in the help and resources it can provide on Monday mornings. Many who normally have a social structure for communication, human interaction, and help with basic needs now look to us. 

St. James exhorts us, "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing & in need of daily food, & one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed & be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?...But someone may well say, 'You have faith & I have works; show me your faith without the works, & I will show you my faith by my works.'" (James 2: 14-18)

Let this be the day, if you are able, to help a neighbor, a senior, a stranger, in this time, this opportunity, this moment of grace, to encounter God in others.

• Call members of our parish who are senior citizens, to offer a check-in, offer help as they may need, and provide a new, comforting voice. Email Monsignor Jameson if you are interested, and he will provide a list of names and numbers you can call. 

• Donate bagged lunches for our parish's Homeless Ministry, or volunteer to hand out lunch bags on Mondays. Email Norma Canedo, the parish Social Justice Coordinator, who will let you know what is needed most.

• Email a note of encouragement to an RCIA candidate, who will be welcomed into the Church once mass gatherings are permitted again. Email Theresa Prymuszewski, Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation, who will share with you the information for an RCIA candidate to pray for, and send an encouraging note to.

If you feel so moved, during this Easter season, please consider making a direct financial donation to those who are helping the most vulnerable keep the lights on and food in their families' bellies. Click here to see just how your gift to Catholic Charities, for example, will benefit those in need.

– Resources from the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle –

On Sunday, April 26 at 11:30 AM, St. Matthew's will live-stream Mass from the Cathedral, celebrated by Monsignor Jameson. Be sure to check out the Cathedral's Facebook page to set a reminder, or click here for more information.

Did you know that Monsignor Jameson, Fr. Benson, and Fr. Hurley are recording homilies, and reflections on the Gospels and the lives of the Saints for you to view (in English and Spanish)? Be sure to check out the Cathedral's YouTube page to view their homilies and reflections. 

The Cathedral has put together resource pages for maintaining your spiritual life and mental well-being during the quarantine. If you interested in receiving weekly email updates from the Cathedral, with reflections, and a list of ongoing activities and opportunities, please click here to sign up to receive these wonderful email updates from our parish family. 
 

Monsignor Jameson Will Live-Stream Mass at 11:30 AM on Sunday, April 26

– Join Our Virtual Cathedral Coffeehouse! –

We are still holding Cathedral Coffeehouse every Sunday, via Zoom! Want to join us virtually Sundays at 6:30pm as we reflect on the Sunday Gospel and catch up with one another? Click here to download and join our Slack group. We'll send the link out each Sunday to join the Zoom call via Slack. Our next Coffeehouse will be on Sunday, April 26; join us then!

– Prayer of Spiritual Communion –

 Even thought we cannot physically partake in the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass, we can still offer to Jesus our prayers, intentions, and desires to receive Him by praying a Spiritual Communion, the text of which can be found below:

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

– Reflection from Pope Francis –

On Holy Saturday, the most sacred night for the Christian family, Pope Francis led Mass inside a darkened St. Peter's Basilica, with just a handful of close aides in attendance, rather than the throngs of faithful in years past. Meditating on the role of the women in the story of the Resurrection, Pope Francis offered a moving homily reflecting on courage, our own personal Galilees, and "the right to hope." The full text of Pope Francis' homily can be found here, and a small part of it is below.

"Tonight we acquire a fundamental right that can never be taken away from us: the right to hope. It is a new and living hope that comes from God. It is not mere optimism; it is not a pat on the back or an empty word of encouragement, with a passing smile. No. It is a gift from heaven, which we could not have earned on our own. Over these weeks, we have kept repeating, 'All will be well,' clinging to the beauty of our humanity and allowing words of encouragement to rise up from our hearts. But as the days go by and fears grow, even the boldest hope can dissipate. Jesus’ hope is different. He plants in our hearts the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good, because even from the grave he brings life."

– Additional Spiritual Resources –

The Archdiocese of Washington has gathered 50 lines from the Psalms to reflect on during the 50 days of Easter! Interested in praying over a Psalm each day? Click here to find and pray along with them!

This past Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday. Click here to read a homily by Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP (former St. Matthew's Deacon and C+YA leader!) on how Christianity and Mercy are two interchangeable words, and how our mercy towards others is colored by our faith in the Crucified and Resurrected Lord.

Want to catch up on spiritual reading? Below are some recommendations from our C+YA Core Team members. Have recommendations of your own you'd like to share for our next e-newsletter? Email them to us!