Arms outstretched in blessings....

Admit it. Sometimes when Father Richard asks us to raise our hands in blessing over the Eucharistic minister at the closing of mass, we inwardly groan a little. It’s hard work to hold your arms up like that and you’re ready to head out to brunch or lunch or the duties of the day. I had felt like that in the past until the day it dawned on me what an awesome symbol of community and outreach this simple gesture represented. One particular Sunday when bringing the Eucharist to a nursing home after receiving the blessing of Father and the entire parish, I described the blessing to the residents and had them close their eyes and imagine all of those hundreds of arms outstretched toward them in blessing. They were overwhelmed.

So often the elderly and infirm feel loneliness and disconnect from their faith community. They miss being able to attend mass and the many activities related to parish life. Knowing they have an entire community of the faithful sending a blessing their way each and every Sunday is a beautiful reminder of our truly being one body in Christ.

Natural Beauty of God's Creations

From the moment we stepped on the bus to the moment we got back to Good Shepherd, God had become evermore apparent in my life as he worked through the actions and words of those I’d been blessed with as companions for this experience. This faith journey started just a few hours after we had left the church with the praying of the Rosary. Two amazing adults on this trip gave each student an opportunity to pray the Rosary every night while on retreat as part of their Lenten journey. By doing this I truly realized the strength of prayer and even more so, witnessing prayer fortified by a group of young adults yearning for their relationships with Christ to swell with the wonderful Fruits of the Holy Spirit. After 16 long hours on the road we arrived in Durango. Driving between the Rocky Mountains gives you a taste of the majestic beauty and grace God has designed the greatest parts of our world with. Everyday from 9am-4pm we had the opportunity to take part first hand in these gifts as we enjoyed the wonderful spring skiing of Purgatory. Spending each day with other young Catholics who knew the obstacles of growing up in this day and age a created a new sense of camaraderie between each and everyone of us. After days of skiing hard and falling harder not much could come close in comparison to the experiences we had on the mountain. But each night, Mark Knox, Father Richard and the rest of the adults succeeded in doing this with flying colors. Coming home to our fantastic lodges each night, to the delectable food of “Momma T”, made leaving the lifts behind each day a little less difficult. As “Doctor” Chris Wright says, “Having the opportunity to experience this before I graduate has made a lasting impression in my Catholic faith”. And you should trust him, he’s a doctor! Each night we took part in mass accompanied by confession and on the last night, adoration. These hours of worship were something I had never encountered. A group of 50 young adults pouring themselves wholesomely into the liturgy and walking side by side through an entire night of praise. This preceded supper and night activities. Each night a different leader planned group events to compete in. From the first night of Fear Factor, to karaoke, and into the last night of hilarious infomercials and skits from start to finish this retreat was thoroughly entertaining. Just like everything they did this group of ten adults we had been blessed with, made this forever a memorable experience. As we departed from Durango there was the usual sadness of having to leave something so amazing behind, but as a group we decided to think of it differently. Friendships had been made, laughs had been had, and an innumerable amount of great memories were to be remembered. On our trek home, six hours from Dallas, I had a God sighting that I pray will never forget. We stopped our buses at a park that contained the 14 Stations of the Cross and an enormous cross that dwarfed even the west Texas plains. As we walked and read the stations, huge Texas storm clouds rolled across the pink setting Sun. Just being able to witness the awesome and natural beauty of God's creations one more time made this trip something I will surely never forget. 

~Soren

To give you His grace, and send you His Love...

Holy Thursday. What is Holy Thursday? It's the day marking the leading up to of the Easter Vigil. It is a day where Catholics celebrate not only the Eucharist, but Christ's priesthood, His last supper with His disciples, along with celebration of the Passover. The Last Supper was also Christ's farewell to His assembled disciples, some of whom would betray, desert or deny Him before the sun rose again.  

John 13:14-17 14 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.  

The Catholic faith still practices this on Holy Thursday. The Priest has 12 individuals in which he washes their feet, just as Jesus told us to do. After, we are all invited to do the same and do for others as Jesus does for us. At this 'Chrism Mass' the Priest also blesses the oil of the Chrism used for Baptism and Confirmation. 

"The action of the Church on this night also witnesses to the Church's esteem for Christ's Body present in the consecrated Host in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, carried in solemn procession to the flower-bedecked Altar of Repose, where it will remain 'entombed' until the communion service on Good Friday. No Mass will be celebrated again in the Church until the Easter Vigil proclaims the Resurrection. 

And finally, there is the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament by the people during the night, just as the disciples stayed with the Lord during His agony on the Mount of Olives before the betrayal by Judas."

The above information is so profound to me. As our Priest wrapped up the body of Christ, and processed out of the church tonight, holding it almost like a casket, I wept. The procession followed, the church sang a solemn song, flowers were carried out following the procession. So many emotions overcame me.  I left church overwhelmed with emotion for many reasons. What a holy night and what a start to this Easter weekend.

What is so good about Good Friday? This is the day that is celebrated amongst Christian faiths worldwide, remembering the death and suffering our Jesus Christ. The good in all this suffering, is to remember that Jesus did this for our sins. And because of that act, we are able to celebrate with Him eternally. That is not just good, it's wonderful.

When I think about the cross we bear as humans, I've come to see that there are many people which carry such a heavy burden. I've come to see that we are not the only family that has been faced with tragedy and loss. I've come to see that there are so many families, individuals, that carry their own burdens and that have so many hardships. Some more than ours.

"My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?"

Even He in His human nature cries out why. God has not promised us a calm passage, but a safe landing. If we believe in Him.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,

There will always be sunshine, after the rain....
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call....
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
A word from His lips, can calm every fear...
Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...
The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
To give you His grace, and send you His love...

Channan

Easter Triduum

Click for four good reasons why Good Shepherd Catholic Community invites you to celebrate the three highest holy days of the Pascal Triduum with Catholics throughout the world on Holy Thursday (April 5 at 7:00 PM), Good Friday (April 6 at 7:00 PM) and the Easter Vigil on Saturday night (April 7 at 8:30 PM).