Question of the Week: There were so many aspects of our Lord’s Passion. What strikes you the most as you consider what Jesus did for us? Where is hope when we look at Christ crucified?
We begin Holy Week.
And for us, it is Holy. It is a week set apart for God. In this week, we remember and celebrate that Jesus, the God-man accepted unjust and cruel torture, suffering and death for our sakes. He did so out of love for us and God His Father. By His Passion, Jesus was set apart as the unblemished Lamb, sacrificed for us all on Golgotha. His blood was poured out for us; His life, given to us to save us from sin and death.
Now, all believers are met by Him as we walk into death. He is the gate in and through which His sheep enter. He promises those who beleive in Him to bring them to good pastures.
The suffering and death of Jesus leads to resurrection!
This is our faith and how important it is right now. The Coronavirus is affecting us all. Just recently, I received a text from a friend strugging for her life in the University of Michigan Hospital Intensive Care Unit. Her name is Mary. Mary had been taking good care of her special needs brother named Tim shown in the photo above. Mary is on the right side of the photo with Tim as the patient in the middle. Tim sadly had a stroke in the Fall, and Mary was by his side taking good care of him both in the hospital and then in the care facitilies trying to help him recover. Sadly, during his stay in the nursing home, there was fear that some of the patients might have contracted the virus, and Mary was forced to leave. In fact, her brother did contract the virus and was taken to Beaumont hospital where he died. Mary too contracted the virus. Right now, Mary has been at U of M for the past 10 days. She just developed pneumonia and is on 50 percent oxygen. We place her in God’s hands and pray that she will live, and that her brother Tim be with the Lord. May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ protect her and all who struggle with this virus and other illnesses.
Important Financial Update
As you may imagine, our Sunday collections are significantly down (well over $100,000 dollars at this point). I want to thank all who are sending in their envelopes or who are giving in our online offertory. It is a great help! Remember you can do so by going to our online giving portal. It is easy to set up.
Still, because of the shut down and lack of income, we have had to make a very hard decision to temporarily lay off nearly all of our church employees including our preschool teachers.
This is sad for us all. We are looking at ways to remedy this as soon as possible, even possibly through taking out a loan that is being developed and offered to small businesses to respond to the Covid-19 Crisis. I will keep you all updated on this.
In the meantime, anything you can do to help will be appreciated! Sacrifice is at the heart of our faith as we contemplate the Passion of Jesus Christ.
I know many of you are also going through your own financial woes, so know you are in our prayers, too. Be safe, be well! I remember you all in my daily Mass. God bless you!