Message From Father Boyd – March 27, 2020

March 27, 2020    (Fifth Friday of Lent) 

Parish Update

In the first reading of the Mass today we are told a sad prediction.  The prediction is found in what is called the Book of Wisdom and it tells of a righteous man  who will come into the world and many will be lying in wait for him.  They wait  not to welcome him but to kill him.   For those who have visited Israel there is an eerie memorial called Yad Vashem reminding the world of the millions of  men, women, and children who died in the holocaust during the Second World War.   It contains the names of thousands who are called the ‘righteous’ and a tree is planted for each.   They were killed in a world lying in wait not to welcome but to kill them.    The reason being the righteous are so often considered to be an inconvenient reminder to those who do not want anyone calling them to the truth.   The righteous of Yad Vashem  called the world to the truth, they called their friends, nieghbours, governments, and nations to the truth.   But many did not want to hear from anyone calling them to the truth.   The truth being life is gift from God.  And we must serve God.    And serve one another.    But the many do not want to hear about love of God or neighbour.   It is too inconvenient  a truth.   Rather if one must kill to get what one wants even if it means killing innocent men women and children this they will do.   The prediction we hear in the Book of Wisdom is as true today as it was then.

The prediction has come true.   The prediction is  about Jesus.    He is that righteous man who comes to the world to help us learn the truth.   Yet the so many in our world find him too inconvenient to ones way of life.   We continue to want more than we need.  We consume more than we need.  We take more than we need.    We travel more than we need.  And we so often do not want to be challenged for it.   We kill the truth.   We kill Jesus when we do this.   Let us notice no tree has been planted for  Jesus.  Rather many in the world have put him on a tree for being the righteous man.   When he challenged the world for its lack of love for one another.   When he challenged the world’s hubris and pride.   For challenging those who are willing to destroy and kill anyone who might get in their way.  Most of us do not fall in such extreme a category.     But we do fall somewhere in the middle.    When we are challenged to stand up for the truth, for a principle that protects, promotes, and sustains life do we say anything or do anything about it.  Do we fall away and say nothing?   The truth of the righteous man is hard to hear at times.   It is because the truth is  just  too inconvenient for many.  Are we willing to give our lives like Jesus righteous man.    Let us be grateful for the righteous of our world.   They bring us hope.  We can find them in all times and places.   They are with us in our world in this  pandemic time .  They are doctors, nurses, family members, friends,  care givers, who are risking their lives every day.   God knows the righteous heart. It not an arrogant heart.  It is a gentle heart.  It is a heart that imitates Jesus the righteous man.

Parish Messages:

Be united in prayer with others saying the Rosary in our homes at exactly 4 PM Daily.

Blessed Sacrament available for Adoration can be seen through the Office Window from your car or walking by.

The Pope invites all to join with him today at 6 PM for a special blessing and offering general absolution and plenary indulgence.  View him on Catholic TV.

The Mass celebrated this morning is for our children and families, for all nurses and doctors, for Josee and her healing, for all afflicted by the virus for their healing.

Thanks for dropping food items for the food pantry for those in need.  Put items in GREY BIN OUTSIDE  parish office doors. I will check each day.   Place any prayer requests, offerings, messages, in Rectory House Mailbox.

The Parish Sunday 9 AM Mass March 29, 2020 will be streamed live.  Follow the instructions below in order to access the Mass.

Instructions to View Mass

You are invited to see the Mass celebrated at Holy Rosary at 9 a.m. EDT on Sunday through your computer. To listen and watch, place the cursor on your computer screen over the words click here in this email message and click.  This will automatically connect you to the broadcast on the internet. That is all you have to do.

You will receive a reminder email about the broadcast closer to Sunday.

 

Fr. Vernon P. Boyd S.J.

PastorHoly Rosary Parish, 175 Emma Street, Guelph, ON, N1E 1V6

519-822-4701 x  22   www.holyrosaryguelph.ca