March 18, 2021
Dear Friends,
During the season of Lent, Fr. John and I have asked our staff to reflect on the Stations of the Cross. We will be praying for all of you during this holy season.
Love,
Fr. Tim
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls for a Third Time
Sometimes the burdens of life feel like too much to carry. Even during non-pandemic times, juggling the many responsibilities that we each have, combined with a desire to be helpful to our family, friends, and neighbors can leave us navigating task lists longer than there are hours in the day.
Now, of course, we have the additional burdens of a year-long pandemic. Perhaps you have struggled to carry the weight of unemployment, the illness or death of loved ones due to COVID, or the loneliness of social isolation. Perhaps you’re longing for physical touch… or even just to see the unmasked smiles of strangers as you pass in the grocery store. Perhaps you are struggling under the weight of racism or the exhaustion of pandemic parenting. Perhaps you are exhausted. You have never experienced the “pandemic pause” because your labor has been required to help save lives or provide food for people.
The reality is that each of us has been burdened in one way or another throughout this pandemic. But, likely, we have not carried the same exact burdens as our neighbors… or our strangers. When we encounter people whose burdens are different than our own, let us look upon them with compassion… as if we were looking upon Jesus as he fell for the third time. “Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.” ~ Fr. Greg Boyle
Lord, help us to remember that each person we encounter may be carrying weighty burdens of which we are not aware. Please move our hearts to compassion so that we will relieve what burdens we can. Amen.
Laura Hancock, Director of Social Justice and Outreach
The Tenth Station: Jesus’ Clothes are Taken Away
When Jesus reaches Golgatha, he had already suffered many indignities: betrayal, denial, judgment, scourging, mockery, and ridicule. Then, in the moments before crucifixion, Jesus is stripped. The meager dignity, protection, and comfort from his clothing is stolen from him before he is to suffer and die – naked, in front of a crowd. Out of love for us, Jesus is made even more vulnerable and dehumanized.
Much like Jesus, when people are convicted of a crime, they suffer indignities. They become inmates. Their clothes and personal belongings are taken away, chipping away at their sense of self. Some are even condemned to death. Whether justly or wrongfully convicted, they are dehumanized.
Lord Jesus Christ, you were made human like us and suffered many indignities. Help us to recognize the innate dignity from your Father, our Creator, in all those around us, and guide us as we seek to restore lost dignity in those who are incarcerated or have been recently released.
Meggie Moyer, Associate Director of Liturgy & Music
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Having arrived at the place called Calvary, Jesus laid himself down on the Cross and willingly stretched His hands and feet to be crucified. This sacrifice opened up the gates of heaven for all believers who accept the reality of the cross and are willing to obey Christ’s commands. Jesus said, “Take up my cross and follow me.”
This means that my actions, my will, my personal freedom, and my opinions must be offered up to the crucified Lord. It means that we must rejoice in the inconveniences and sufferings that accompany daily life. This means loving God above all things and loving my neighbor as myself. All this is a means of personal crucifixion offered up to Jesus because we love Him more than we love ourselves. It was our sins that nailed our beloved Jesus to the cross. If we desire the salvation offered by His crucifixion, we need to obey Jesus’ commandments by our personal crucifixion.
“We adore You O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Kenneth Gardinier, Family Ministry Coordinator
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Video Mass for Sunday, March 21st. Here is the recorded Mass for this upcoming Sunday (5th Sunday of Lent). We provide a worship aid to help you better enter into the prayer of the Mass. Please know that we will continue these recorded Masses indefinitely. We are so grateful to DV Productions, our Liturgists Mary Robertson and Meggie Moyer, and our cantor Amy Sobczak for their efforts in making our prayer as beautiful as possible.
Holy Week Schedule. We’d love to have you worship with us in person during Holy Week! Just as with weekend Masses, registration is necessary to attend in person. Registration for Triduum and Easter services begins Monday, March 22 at 9:00 am. The schedule and registration links can be found on the Mass Times page of the parish website. Please also review the safety guidelines found on the Reopening page. The links to those pages are also included every week at the bottom of this newsletter.
Lenten Almsgiving. Would you like to learn more about our Lenten Almsgiving partner, the Archdiocesan Ministry Center at All Saints? If so, please watch our most recent Lenten YouTube recording entitled, “Lenten Almsgiving 2021 Panel Discussion - Archdiocesan Ministry Center at All Saints.” In this video, you will hear from a number of individuals connected with the ministry center, including representatives of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, All Saints Parish, a neighbor and former volunteer of the All Saints Meal Program, a representative of Catholic Charities, and representatives of our own Family of Four Parishes. You can view this uplifting video at https://youtu.be/MQJm9phmbC4. Remember: please give generously for your Lenten Almsgiving! Your giving will help beautify the outside of the ministry center, providing an inviting space of encounter between community members and the ministry center. Checks can be written out to your parish with “Lenten Almsgiving” in your memo line. Thank you!
Virtual Chiapas Chili Cook-Off. 2021 marks the first time in 32 years we haven’t been able to gather as a parish family and celebrate and support our friends at San Ildefonso in Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico. But we can still help and have some fun doing it. Here’s how: when you’re planning dinner for this coming Sunday, March 21, 2021, how about chili? As you enjoy a nice warm bowl, enjoy a blessing and some entertainment, too -- visit the parish website, ssppmilw.org/events, and follow the links, including a link that makes it easy, if the spirit moves you, to make a modest gift to our friends. As our sister parishioners like to say, Wocolawal!
Lent Webpage. Visit our Lent webpage at ssppmilw.org/lent-2021 for details on this year’s theme, almsgiving project, events, and more. Updates will be posted throughout Lent to support prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we find hope in the possibility of encounter. If you’d like to support this year’s Lenten almsgiving, please write a check out to your parish and put “Lenten Almsgiving” in the memo line.
Bulletin. Please be sure to read the Family of Four Parishes Bulletin to get this week’s updates! Click here to view the bulletin or click the picture below.
Parish Financial Support. We continue to be humbled by your financial support of the parish during these tender and tenuous times. Thank you so much, it has been amazing to witness the generosity of so many! Please mail in your envelopes and contributions to our parish office (SS Peter & Paul Parish, 2491 N Murray Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211), and our parish staff will process these.
Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Tim (Cell: 414-762-7986; kitzket@archmil.org) or Fr. John (Cell: 414-305-3824; jbaumgardner@ffpmke.org) if you need anything! Be assured of our love and prayers.
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Click the picture below to view the bulletin.
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Learn more about the Archdiocesan Ministry Center at All Saints in the video below.
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