EASTER IS NOT JUST ONE DAY!

There may be a tendency for some people to think that Easter is just one glorious day when the Church celebrates the joy of Jesus' Resurrection from the dead. We celebrate on Easter Sunday, and then we can go back to our normal life, and not worry about making sacrifices by offering prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we do during Lent. We might see that same tendency at Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ one day, and then move on with our life.

My friends, the celebrations of Christmas and Easter are not for just a single day. Both seasons are truly occasions for great joy among Christians around the world, but we would be sadly mistaken if we think Christmas and Easter are just one day. One can certainly make the case that our salvation begins with the Christmas Season, and is fulfilled with the Easter Season. The joy of both seasons should fill our minds and hearts, and change our lives in a most dramatic way!

Let's consider Easter. Do you realize that every Mass you attend is a celebration of Jesus' Resurrection, and we should all enter the joy of Easter every time we celebrate Holy Eucharist? Eucharist means, "Thanksgiving," and we express our thanksgiving to God at every Mass for Jesus' gift of himself, the gift of eternal life that we receive in Holy Communion. I know I am not the only one who can say this because I have heard others express the same feelings. Some- times we are not feeling particularly holy as we attend Mass. Maybe it has been a bad day, and we almost have to drag ourselves into church. Once we get to Mass, we find that everything that was dragging us down before Mass simply disappears! By the grace of God, we find ourselves renewed by the Eucharist, and we leave the church much happier and peaceful than we were when we entered! Have you ever experienced that? It is the joy of Easter, the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus, that we celebrate at every Mass.

Nothing else matters!

Easter is a wonderful season of graceful joy. Here are some of the celebrations we have during the Easter Season:

Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday – This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday which seems so appropriate for the Sunday following Easter Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday concludes the Octave of Easter, and we remember Jesus's appearances to Saint Faustina Kowalska. We pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Seventh Sunday of Easter, The Ascension of the Lord – We will celebrate the Ascension on Sunday, May 16, as Jesus Ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of The Father. By virtue of our Baptisms, we are all disciples of Jesus, and are called to proclaim His Gospel to everyone we meet through our words and actions.

Pentecost Sunday – We will celebrate Pentecost Sunday on May 23, the week following the Ascension of the Lord. Once again the Church will rejoice as we remember The Lord sending His Holy Spirit upon His disciples. It is the same Holy Spirit we all first receive at our Baptism, and the same Holy Spirit that we are “Sealed with” at our Confirmation.

Clearly the joy of Easter is not just one day! In fact, Jesus lies in us every minute of every day of our lives! We may tend to forget that throughout the very busy days we all have, but it is true. Jesus lives in us, and we live in Him! How can we not be joyful? 

June 7, 2020

          On June 5, 2020, I received an email from Giovanni Virgiglio, Diocesan Chancellor.  Highlighted at the top of the announcement were these words, “PARISHES IN ALBANY DIOCESE MAY RESUME PUBLIC MASSES AT 25 PERCENT CAPACITY BEGINNING JUNE 6, IF THEY MEET SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR COVID-19.”  Finally, we see a glimmer of light, and hope, emerging from the isolation we have all experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.  We will resume Masses at Transfiguration Parish the weekend of June 20-21, 2020, with the following stipulations:

• The obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains lifted by Bishop Scharfenberger until further notice, especially if you are part of a vulnerable population and/or have an underlying health condition.  Stay home if you are sick or not feeling well. 
• Transfiguration Parish will continue to offer three weekend Masses.  The Saturday Vigil Mass will be in Spiegletown beginning at 4:00 pm.  There will be Sunday morning Masses in Schaghticoke at 8:30 am, and Speigletown at 10:15 am.
• Due to the 25 Percent capacity restriction to allow for social distancing, attendees will have to register for the Mass they want to attend.  Registrations may be made only by calling the Speigletown Parish Office at 518-235-0337 during normal office hours which are Monday thru Thursday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Registrations will not be accepted through email or text, but only by phone.  Registrations will be closed on Thursday at 2:00 pm, and attendees must register each week.
• All Mass attendees will be required to wear a face mask throughout the Mass.  Attendees are asked to sanitize their hands upon entry, and encouraged to bring their own small bottle of sanitizer if possible.  A log of all attendees will be maintained as a precaution for contact tracing.
• Attendees will sit in designated chairs or pews, and respect social distance between others of 6 feet or more unless you are one family unit living in the same household.
• There will be no missalettes in the church.  There will be no passing of baskets for the offertory.  There will be a collection basket at the entry of the church, and parishioners are encouraged to give online as a convenient alternative.
• There will be no holding of hands during the “Our Father”, and no physical touching at the sign of peace. 
• Holy Communion will be offered by one row at a time, with congregants maintaining proper social distancing.  Masks must be worn during Communion, and congregants are asked to receive by hand only.  There will be no offering of Holy Communion from the chalice.
• Following the final blessing, attendees will exit the church in an orderly fashion beginning from the rear of the church.  Social distancing is required, and there is no congregating in groups after Mass.  Attendees are asked to proceed to their cars, and leave the premises.  No bulletins will be handed out.  The bulletin can be viewed on the parish website.
• Restrooms will be available, but limited to one user at a time with the exception of parents with little children.  Users of the restrooms are asked to sanitize the space before leaving the restroom. 

     Clearly things are going to be different from what we have always done.  We have to continue to maintain safety precautions to keep the coronavirus contained.  I ask everyone to please be patient and kind.  Welcome back!    

God bless.
Deacon Chris

The US COnference of Catholic Bishops continues its year-long effort to promote civility in public discourse through a pledge, resources and this prayer. 

Prayer to Fast from Incivility

God of all compassion,
You call us to love one another as you have loved us, especially when we face division in our communities. Help us to see our sisters and brothers as beloved children of God.
Help us to fast from incivility and feast on your love for each one of us.
Help us to fast from discord and feast on knowledge that you have created each person in your own image.
Help us to fast from fear of those with whom we disagree and feast on shating the good news of our God-given dignity.
Help us to fast from the desire to win arguments and feast on compassion shared in understanding.
Help us to fast from assumptions and feast on listening deeply to the stories of our community.
Lord, our God, be with us in this time of hurt in our communities. In out fasting may we grow closer to you, In our feasting, let us find healing.
Let us turn to you as the source of our joyfulness and our first giver of love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Copyright 2020, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved. This text may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration for nonprofit educational use, provided such reprints are not sold and include this notice. Find this pledge and other resources and prayers at civilzeit.org
Posted by the Comnission on Peace and Justice for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York
 

A PRAYER FOR DIVINE MERCY
 
     O greatly Merciful god, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy— to Your compassion, O God: and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth’s exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will through our life and at death’s hour.
 
     Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming—that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart as through an open gate we pass through to heaven. Amen.
 
     Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1570

The Daily Prayer for Priests
By St. Therese of the Child Jesus

O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests;
For your unfaithful and tepid priest;
For your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields.
For your tempted priests;
For your lonely and desolate priests;
For your young priests;
For the souls of your priests in Purgatory.
But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me:
The priest who baptized me;
The priests who absolved me from my sins;
The priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
The priests who taught and instructed me;
All the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way (especially …)
O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart,
And bless them abundantly in time and in eternity.

Amen.

I found this in a book written by Father Ronald Rolheiser titled, “Sacred Fire, A Vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity.”  This begins chapter six in the book which is titled, “Drawing Strength From Prayer.”  I think it is worth sharing.
Deacon Chris

The Difference
 
By Grace L. Naessens
 
I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish, I didn’t have time to pray.
 
Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;
Why doesn’t God help me, I wondered; He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
 
I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me – He said, “But you didn’t seek.”
 
I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock.”
 
I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

Prayer for Persecuted Christians
 
O God of all the nations,
the One God who is and was and always will be,
in your providence you willed that your Church
be united to the suffering of your Son.
Look with mercy on your servants
who are persecuted for their faith in you.
Grant them perseverance and courage
to be worthy imitators of Christ.
Bring your wisdom upon leaders of nations
to work for peace among all peoples.
May your Spirit open conversion
for those who contradict your will,
that we may live in harmony.
Give us the grace to be united in truth and freedom,
and to always seek your will in our lives.
 
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

I found this in the book, “Everything Starts from Prayer, St. Mother Teresa’s Meditations on Spiritual Life for People of All Faiths.” 
A good prayer to start our days.
God bless   
Deacon Chris

In the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: 
“Wherever they are, the Missionaries of Charity start the day’s work with the same prayer from their community prayer book: 
 

MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY PRAYER

Dear Lord, the Great Healer, I kneel
before you, since every perfect gift
must come from you.  I pray, give skill to
my hands, clear vision to my mind,
kindness and meekness to my heart.
Give me singleness of purpose, strength
to lift up a part of the burden of my
suffering fellowmen, and a realization
of the privilege that is mine.  Take from
my heart all guile and worldliness, that
with the simple faith of a child, I may
Rely on you.
Amen. 

  As you know, the Church is experiencing a shortage of priests. As a result, there have been times when priests have not been available to celebrate Saturday Vigil Masses or Sunday Masses. 
   
  In order to address the needs of the faithful in light of the shortage of priests, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved a liturgy known as the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest. This liturgy is based on the Liturgy of the Hours which has been prayed by the faithful for centuries and it includes the regular Mass readings. It may also include the distribution of the Holy Communion, depending on availability of consecrated hosts. It is important to note that the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest fulfills the obligation of the faithful to attend the Saturday Vigil or Sunday Mass. This liturgy can be conducted not only by a deacon, but also by a trained layperson.    

  While the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest liturgy is not a Mass, it is a practical solution to the priest shortage. Yet it is more than that. This liturgy is another opportunity for the laity to share their gifts and talents with others. It is another opportunity for the laity to fulfill the privileges and responsibilities which they assumed at their baptism. The Church has been enriched by the many ways the laity has taken part in the life of the Church.   
 
  Attending a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest may not be as spiritually fulfilling as attending a Mass, but we must accept the fact it is a part of our prayer life in today's Church. Let us not forget that God is present in this liturgy, as well as He is in the Mass.
      
  Let us pray for an increase in vocations, but let us also pray that God sends His grace upon both clergy and laity during this time of challenge.