April 07, 2020  (Tuesday of Holy Week)

Parish Update

A good man, a good Pastor,  of the evangelical faith tradition, stood before a massive crowd of a million or more persons gathered in the annual March for Life on the Washington Mall facing the great Congress of the United States.  The Pastor had been invited to offer a prayer for the unborn whose  lives had been betrayed by the world.  His prayer included a true story.  His family had chosen to adopt an unwanted baby not yet born.  His children were told they would soon have a new brother.  And all the family could hardly wait.  One of the children asked what is the name of their new brother.  The father said the baby has no name.  He has not yet been given a name.  Then one of the children, after a long pause, suddenly said,  I know a name we can call him.  A name God calls all babies before they are born.  Let us just call him ‘Wonderful’.  And so the family called their longed for baby ‘Wonderful’.    Today the prophet Isaiah, predicts the coming of a child who will be born, named in his mother’s womb.  He was also named ‘Wonderful’.  His name is Jesus.  In the Mass readings the prophet sings  “Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away!  The Lord called me before I was born. While I was in my mother’s  womb he named me.”  God names his Son.  He names all his sons and daughters before birth.  He names us.  He knows us.  He calls  us ‘Wonderful’.   And yet, from coastland to coastland, we so often take the name God has given us, and we betray him by it.  We maim the name.  Today, Judas betrays Jesus.  He will betray his Name.  He will maim the Name and sell it for 30 pieces of silver.  He will take from Jesus the ‘Wonderful’ bread of life, and with his hand dip it in a dish.  A dish of betrayals.  It is the beginning of the destruction of ‘Wonderful’.  Life in the womb is killed.  The Name will be killed.  From coastland to coastland, the prophet calls us, to listen, to see,  to pay attention, to see those places where have we betrayed the Name.  To see from far and wide, from coastland to coastland, how we have betrayed ‘Wonderful’ in our relationships, in family, in marriages, at work, when we are cheating, and deceiving, breaking promises, breaking vows, bringing scandal to ‘Wonderful’s church, destroying the millions of ‘Wonderfuls’  in the womb without a word of protest from our lips.  The homeless, the poor, the refugee, the exiled, the hungry betrayed.  Greed, selfishness, pride, hubris,  laziness, over-consumption, moral and natural pollution day in and day out, just a dish of betrayals.  We turn away we betray.  And  we come to Mass, and we might dip the tip of our finger, like Judas, in a dish.  And the name ‘Wonderful’ is killed.  And we don’t even realize it.  What is  wonderful about Holy Week is that ‘Wonderful’ still wants to love us and forgive us.

Parish Messages: 

Thank you to all who have signed up to help CARE FOR NEIGHBOURS TEAM.  Those who have been asked to help a neighbour please keep a check on them.

Mass is offered today for the soul of Tomas Madrid.

Pray the  Rosary at 4 PM in your homes offering prayers for the sick, and afflicted,  our nurses and doctors, and an end to the pandemic.

Mail drop off at the Rectory mail box kitchen door.  Place prayer requests, messages, envelopes, letters.

Dry food items for food pantry can be placed in the grey bin outside office entrance doors.

A REMINDER THAT PALMS COULD NOT BE DISTRIBUTED ON PALM SUNDAY OR LEFT ON PARKING LOT FOR PICK UP.   IT FOLLOWS GOVERNMENT ORDER TO AVOID GATHERINGS.   IT IS HOPE THAT PALMS CAN BE DISTRBUTED WHEN THE CHURCH REOPENS.  

DIOCESE DECREES ALL WEDDINGS MUST BE CANCELLED UP UNTIL JUNE 30, 2020.   A WEDDING CAN TAKE PLACE BUT ONLY WITH THE BRIDE, GROOM, AND WITNESSES. 

FIRST COMMUNIONS AND CONFIRMATIONS ARE ALL CANCELLED.  TO BE RESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE.

Reminder this Sunday 9 AM Mass will be live streamed.  Instructions are posted on the Parish Website https://holyrosaryguelph.ca  under the “Masses” header on the home page of website.  A link to a recording of the previous Sunday Mass is also available in the same location.

Courage everyone.  Pray.  With my blessing.         

Fr. Vernon P. Boyd S.J.

Pastor

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

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