Happy Easter Week! Following three days of memorable liturgies live-streamed from the sanctuary of our beautiful church to the screens in our homes, we now celebrate what those three days revealed: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!!
Below is a screenshot of a group of parishioners from Holy Cross and nearby churches who gathered this morning as they have done every Monday, Wednesday and Friday since Sheltering-in-Place began for the practice of Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading.
This photo captures the group in a moment of serious reflection (and after three people had to leave). The phone icons denote the presence of two people participating by phone.
Before our lives changed four weeks ago, the "Wednesday Conversations" group had been meeting in Room 106 of the Pastoral Center following Wednesday Mass every week for more than seven years. It all began some time near the beginning of this decade, but in 2013 a momentous event gave us direction and a name for ourselves. That occasion was the election of Pope Francis on March 13, 2013. As we began to study his encyclicals, most notably "Laudato Sí" in 2015, we started referring to ourselves as "Travelers on the Road with Francis." We were exactly that as we traveled from the Mission Garden to the front porch of the Misíon Galería when it rained and finally to Room 106 of the Pastoral Center.
In all of these journeys we've been accompanied by Pastor Emeritus Mike Marini whose guidance and wisdom has been food for the journey.
Every Lent and Advent we gathered a larger group to study such scriptures as Lamentations (2019) or Luke (2017) or the teachings of Pope Francis. The photo below is a dramatic interpretation of the Last Supper according to St. Luke. Along the way our then Deacons Dat and Vince joined us and are still part of the online community through our weekly (and now thrice weekly) communications. If anyone would like to join us, either for our letters or Zoom gatherings, send a request to bannerdays16@gmail.com We would love to have you join us.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus traveled seven miles with Jesus, without knowing him, to the village where he was finally recognized in the breaking of the bread. They immediately returned to Jerusalem, another seven miles, to tell the others what had happened, their hearts "burning within them!" Like those disciples we Travelers on the Road with Francis find our hearts on fire as we reflect on God's Word and its meaning in our lives. To know it is one thing; to share it with our community is doing what Christ invites us all to do. "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!"
The Lord calls you today to travel with Him
through the city, your city. He calls you to be His missionary disciple.
Pope Francis