Letter from Father Tadeusz for Holy Week – 6th of April 2020

Once I asked school children:

What does Jesus do during Holy Week?

A girl from yr. 3 raised her hand and said in response:

Jesus is doing Holy stuff!

What is this Holy stuff?

Last Sunday with the Palm Sunday Mass we have entered into the celebration of Holy Week. Jesus entered the holy city of Jerusalem. We might ask what was his reason for him to go there.

Did he want to be proclaimed a King of the Jews? Absolutely not.

He entered Jerusalem to begin his Passion. He knew what was going to happen to him in the next few days. He knew his father’s plan of salvation and he wanted to be faithful to him to the very end.

Last week we have covered the Crucifix at our church because at times we get so accustomed to this symbol of Christ’s love for us that entering the Church we don’t see him there on the Cross anymore.

Dear parishioners,  

I would like to encourage you to do the same at your own home. Cover the Crucifix at your prayer corner and as you pray there daily, you will desire to see him anew. Take the cover down on Good Friday during the Liturgy of The Passion as you watch the live stream and have your own Veneration of the Cross at the same time as at our church. May we show our love for our Saviour through this simple but profound gesture of venerating his body on the Cross.

Normally close to Easter we would celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation together as a parish. This time we will not get together but for those who wish to receive reconciliation individually please contact our office to make an appointment. You don’t have to give your name if you don’t want to; your preferred time for reconciliation will do. I will be doing it in the Parish Centre, just come to the office and ask to talk to me (or you can wait for me at the Parish Centre).  At this time of the pandemic, any time during the day is good for me to celebrate this sacrament of God’s mercy and forgiveness with you.

Normally too, on Holy Thursday morning at St Mary’s Cathedral, we would celebrate the Chrism Mass when all priests from our Archdiocese would gather with our bishops. During this Mass, Archbishop would bless the oils for sacramental celebrations for the entire year. Due to COVID-19 Archbishop Fisher postponed this Mass until 28th of October.

As Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem he wants to enter our hearts as well.  He wants you and me to follow him through this Holy Week.

This year we will be doing so through live streaming from our church as we gather at our homes to watch and pray.

I would like to invite you to dine with Jesus and his Apostles at the Upper Room on Holy Thursday night as we celebrate Mass at St Luke’s. On that evening Jesus taught his Apostles and He teaches us today how to be of service to others. Over two thousand years ago on that day, He established two sacraments: the Priesthood and the Eucharist thus equipping His church for the time when He will not be there with them any longer.

Later in the evening, He invites us to wait with Him as he speaks to His Heavenly Father at The Garden of Gethsemane.

At St Luke’s we will commence Holy Thursday with the recitation of the Rosary at 7.10 pm in preparation for the Eucharist of the Lord’s Supper at 7.30 pm followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 9.00 pm. Let’s keep Jesus company on the evening that was perhaps the loneliest of His life. Being abandoned by His disciples He wants us to stay with Him and pray.

On Friday morning we will walk with Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem recalling what He went through during his Way of the Cross on the first Good Friday. The youth of our parish will lead us in this prayer live-streamed from our church at 10.00 am.

Let’s gather again later that day at the hour of Jesus’ death on the Cross which is 3 pm to reflect on Jesus’ Passion, his suffering and death, listening to the Passion Liturgy live streaming from our church.

Please remember that Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence and we should try to make special sacrifices at these trying times.  The law of fasting binds those who have completed their eighteenth year, until the beginning of their sixtieth year; the law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. It is not about the law but about our love for Jesus that we want to make such sacrifices during these special days and unite ourselves in some small ways with His sacrifice on the Cross.

Let’s try to do our very best to remain in silent prayer and reflection all through Good Friday and Holy Saturday if possible.

Holy Saturday is the day of silence and waiting as heaven is readying to welcome back the Son of God. At St Luke’s we will welcome Him as resurrected Christ during our Easter Vigil that will commence with The Rosary at 7.10 pm for 7.30 Mass;  this is the most beautiful celebration during in our liturgical calendar.

Easter Day, a great day of Christ’s Resurrection will see two Masses live-streamed from our Church:

• 9 am, preceded by the Rosary at 8.40 am, and;
• 11 am – a Family Mass. I would like to invite all children with their families to pray together. We will continue Family Masses as long as needed at 11 am every Sunday.

Thank you for all your prayers, your support for the parish and the ministry of those helping regularly especially during our live streaming. I pray that you will stay well and be protected by Our Lord.

If you have been missing Him lately I can assure you that He misses you, that St Luke’s community misses you and I miss you too.

We know that He is still with us, giving us Himself in the Eucharist but now in a different way. Please continue to receive Him spiritually, not only when you watch and pray live stream Mass but at any time during the day or night.  Remember that Jesus doesn’t need to sleep, he is always ready to listen.

When this time of longing for him and desire to receive him ends, we will come back to our church renewed, with greater faith and trust.

Let’s continue to walk with Jesus this Holy Week. Let’s stay with him for the rest of the week together with Mary, his and our mother.   Let’s take good care of each other, especially those isolated and needing help.

If you know of anyone who needs any assistance, please let us know. We now have a team of a few people waiting to help. We want to help and stay in touch with you. We are the Family of God.

You will find a selection of prayer cards, medals, crosses, our parish bulletin and Holy Water at the door of our church, near the sacristy.  Please take what you need and share with others.

Let’s continue to pray, and pray more.

The world needs our prayers.

With prayers

Fr Tadeusz Seremet SDS

You can watch and join Father Tadeusz Live – Daily:

Monday to Friday

7:10 pm Rosary

7:30 pm Mass

8 pm – 8:30 pm Adoration and Stations of the Cross.

Saturday and Sunday

8:40 am Rosary

9 am Mass followed by brief Adoration and Stations of the Cross

Sundays from Easter Sunday

11 am Family Mass

Click on the Link to watch and subscribe: stlukesrevesby.com.au

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