Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
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April 2, 2020If you pay close attention in today’s video for Mass you’ll notice that there are new prayers being said. Yesterday Pope Francis approved of a new votive Mass to be said in times of pandemic.
Basically a votive mass is a Mass offered by a priest for a special intention and the Holy Father has asked all of his priests to pray in unity for an end to the coronavirus by having a new Mass be written asking God for his help in our needs around the world due to this pandemic.
I’ve found the votive Mass’ prayers to be incredibly beautiful and comforting in this time of chaos and anxiety. The word Liturgy means “the work of the people” and I’ve been reflecting on what that means when so many aren’t allowed to participate physically in the sacraments. I think that the words of the new votive Mass highlight that in a beautiful way and I’d like to write a few reflections on them.
The Mass begins with the entrance antiphon “Truly the Lord has borne our infirmities, and he has carried our sorrows.” The very first words said at the mass remind us that Christ has and will continue to carry our sorrows with us. He has experienced what each and every one of us are experiencing right now.
I think of how lonely Christ must have been in the Garden of Gesthamane, the isolation he must have felt when he was alone in the desert or the oppression that he experienced while carrying His cross. All of these uncertainties and fears that we are can be united to Christ in his carrying the cross. St. Paul of the Cross gives us a simple and pious way of uniting our sufferings with Christ in a way that we can all do from home. “When you are alone in your room, take your crucifix, kiss its five wounds reverently, tell it to preach to you a little sermon, and then listen to the words of eternal life that it speaks to your heart; listen to the pleading of the thorns, the nails, the precious Blood. Oh, what an eloquent sermon!”
For the remainder of this Lent, which feels like it will go on forever, keep uniting your suffering to Christ. He understands what you’re going through much better than you would realize, and don't forget, in order for there to be an Easter Sunday, there has to be a Good Friday.
God Bless, Wash Your Hands,
Tom Kadlick
