We Take Great Encouragement from our Loving God

April 8, 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
As we enter into Holy Week amidst the continuing challenging reality of the Coronavirus and its pernicious effects, I write to you again to wish you all well and to pledge my support and prayers to you and your families.

For Christians and our Jewish brothers and sisters, this week marks the highest holy days of our respective faith traditions. Christians recognize the important spiritual link between the Passover in Egypt where God brought his people out of slavery with his strong arm and outstretched hand and the mission of Jesus Christ which his great Pasch – as Christ passes over from death to life. In the Sacred Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter – we are invited into the Paschal Mystery of Christ – his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

In this time of national and global suffering and uncertainty, Christians take great encouragement from our loving God who sent his son Jesus into the world to unite our nature with God’s divine life and to serve and restore us in our time of need. I was struck by Pope Francis’ beautiful Palm Sunday homily given in a nearly empty St. Peter Basilica in Rome. In his homily, Francis said that Jesus serves us by giving his life for us because we are so dear to him. Francis called Christians to follow Jesus’ model of humble service, remarking that “life is of no use if not used to serve others.”

To that end, I have been struck by all those putting their lives on the line in service to all our fellow brothers and sisters at this time – doctors, nurses, first responders, and those delivering essential services. God bless them! Join me in continuing to pray for them and their safety. These modern-day heroes will be celebrated for years to come for their valor in service.

I invite parishioners and friends to join us for our Holy Week liturgies which will be live streamed this week on our platforms. Holy Thursday is a 7 p.m., Good Friday at 3 p.m. and Easter Sunday at 10 a.m. Fr. Evans, as originally scheduled, will preside throughout the Triduum and I will preside on Easter Sunday. We are so happy that two catechumens will be baptized at the Easter Vigil and four candidates will be confirmed on Easter Sunday. Please keep them in prayer during their final days of preparation. We are thankful for their faith.

Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude. First, to God who remains ever faithful and who sustains us by his grace in our time of great need. Thank you to our parishioners and friends who continue their commitment to Lourdes and who continue to support us through Text to Give, EFT, and in many other ways. Your generosity to Lourdes is inspiring. Finally, I am thankful to our staff and volunteers for their ongoing service to Lourdes and to all those working hard to bring our life-giving liturgies to all of you at home. Bravo!

Last Easter, the overwhelming emotion in my heart was joy and happiness. This year, my heart is full of hope – hope in a God who made heaven and earth and raised his son Jesus from death to life. With you, my hope remains in God who promises new life and restoration for all of humanity in our time of need.
United in Faith,
Fr. Griffith