St. Mark, Greater Litanies, Easter III
The Strife is O’er
Entrance Processional, Easter 2021
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Wednesday’s white wakeup was more than a wonderful way to start the day. It was a kind of manna for the soul, a nourishment from Heaven, and that on St. Joseph’s Day! In this noisy noisome world we need a quiet holy pause for wonder, which may lead to prayer. Snow for Paschal white, snow for the Nativity, snow for purity and silence. Snow for St. Joseph. It was a shame it melted by Mass time that noon, but manna, like life, is precious and passes quickly. It feeds only those who stop to collect enough for the day’s nourishment.
We had a fine rest of our St. Joseph’s Solemnity, after the morning “manna miracle,” with Solemn Mass and pizza for the children. That evening the choir was back practicing in the back. We are so grateful for their persevering efforts, especially now in these last weeks. But how beautiful the music, how gratifying the hymns in which the faithful join as well, which express both our Faith and our joy in it.
Otherwise, the weather continues often cold, a slow Spring before sure Summer heat. But the late afternoon sun! Each day seems to start in Winter and end in Spring.
Things are finally warming up for our surviving shut-ins. Fr. McGuire was able at long last legally to bring Our Lord to Joan Fey. I think He had to be sneaked in before. But Our Lord is used to being illegal. (In Ireland all religion is outlawed, even outdoor confessions.) Joan Fey is an imperturbable survivor, always cheery, quite unchanged: Surely her secret for longevity.
Janet Clementi didn’t remember Father, it’s been so long. But she was able to receive, at long last, her Sacraments, her Savior. Father had to don a particularly silly disguise to get in, but he was allowed to keep the shield as a souvenir of the occasion. Sort of a party favor. I hope these grim masked bureaucrats have some sense of humor, but I doubt it. We’ll have to make up for them.
Our seminarians have safely returned to Florida and classes. The McFathers go about their appointed, and surely at times exhausting rounds to bring the Sacraments. We miss Fr. Cekada in many ways, but most of all as a priest. We’ve been one man down for a long time now, and anticipate eagerly the fresh blood of young levites again in our midst.
Saturday, First Saturday of Mary’s month of May, may surprise you at the end of this final April week. But don’t miss it. Time to get busy again at church. But we’re never not. We’ve got a lot to do: God to honor, our soul to save, the Faith to practice and pass on, the Revolution to oppose, and Our gracious Lady lovingly to serve… You can probably think of some more.
Thanks to those who processed and prayed today. St. Michael was toppled by heavy winds before Holy Week, but as we fix him up, we pray for him to sheathe his sword, and angels to repair our woes.
– Bishop Dolan