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4/2/2021

Holy Week Worship

March 26, 2021

Dear Friends on the Journey,

Happy Easter!

Sunday Morning
A poem by Jean Clayton, hospital chaplain, writer & poet

I like to imagine that
he sprang from the tomb
in a great ballet leap,
showers of light falling from his naked
new body, the Overcomer!

Or to imagine the rock tomb
cracking dramatically like
a giant egg,
and him standing there
in radiant white, in
a great exit, bowing
to the cheering crowds.

More like, though,
he struggled from death as a babe-chick
from an egg,
a crack at a time, maybe
breathing hard, shaking
nightmare from
his aching head,
saying, “Oh God, oh God,
it was only a dream,”
as we do,
and stumbling to the door
to breathe in the golden
morning, trembling
with relief.

We hope that all will join your Paulist Center Community for Good Friday (Ecumenical Seven Last Words, Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, and Stations of the Cross), Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil Celebration), and Easter Sunday Mass. An added attraction: Let’s gather by Zoom (how else?) after the Holy Saturday Vigil and/or Easter Sunday Mass: within ten minutes of the Easter Vigil (probably about 8:30pm) and within ten minutes of the Easter Sunday Mass (probably about 11am). The latter makes room for the Families who have their own ”coffee klatch” after their service. The links for both are just below the respective liturgical service. All are welcome!

Concerning the rest of Holy Week at the Paulist Center:

There are no places available for in-person Easter Sunday Mass. Here are the Links for upcoming services:

• Friday, April 2^nd, 12:05pm, Good Friday Ecumenical Seven Last Words Service. Here is the Zoom link and here is the Poster/program.
• Friday, April 2^nd, 3pm, Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. The YouTube link; here is the Order of Worship.
• Friday, April 2^nd, 7pm. Social Justice Stations of the Cross led by our Young Adult Ministry. The Zoom link.
• Saturday, April 3^rd, 7pm, Easter Vigil Celebration. The YouTube link. Here is the Order of Worship. For after the service, here is the Zoom link. We’ll “gather” for about a half hour.
• Sunday, April 4^th, 10am Easter Sunday Mass. Here is the YouTube Link & Order of Worship. For after the mass, here is the Zoom link. We’ll “gather” for about a half hour.

Racial Justice: Report Back Event to the Paulist Center Community

Important Community-Wide Meeting on
Racial Justice

Paulist Center Community is committed to working toward Racial Justice. Last October, 62 community members signed up for an 8-session program offered by JustFaith Ministries facilitated by our Pastoral Minister of Social Justice, Susan Rutkowski, and community member Patricia Shea, SNDdeN. For four months (Oct-Feb), the participants read, listened, learned, prayed, and discussed awakening to the economic systems, public policies, cultural norms, and hidden biases that empower some and oppress others. At 7-8pm, Thursday, April 22^nd, participants of this program will report back and debrief to the broader community the significance of what they experienced. Furthermore, they will propose what this community can do to continue to be active learners in the fight for racial justice. We will listen to faith testimonies from participants in the program, and we will hear from a guest speaker from the Free Minds organization in Washington, DC, who uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults to their own potential. Afterwards, we will talk about next steps in how the Paulist Center will continue the fight for racial justice. Please join us on Zoom for this important event. Here is the link.

The Paulist Fathers are offering a Virtual Discernment Retreat on Saturday, April 10^th, for those curious about becoming a Paulist Father. For more information, go here.

Worshiping In-Person at the Paulist Center Chapel (imperative if you will be worshiping with us)…
Please reserve a place for either the 5pm Mass on Saturday or the 10am on Sunday.

How to reserve a place?   Please call the Center (617.742.4460) Wednesday through Friday and, on the voicemail, leave your 1) name, 2) contact information (either email or phone number), and 3) which Mass you wish to attend. (We need this information so that we can contact you should we become aware, after the liturgy, of a person with Covid who attended your Mass). Thank you for your understanding.

Note Carefully: If you are experiencing ANY symptom that would indicate that you are ill (not just for Covid), please stay home. If in doubt, please stay out! Also, please read carefully the Procedures and watch the video (both links below). Of special note:

• The doors open 10 minutes before the service;
• Since there is no singing, we invite you to hum along with the songs.

Procedures:

1) Here are the expectations and requirements
2) A wonderful YouTube Video

1.   Print it out to have in hand as you tune in; or
2.   Use a second “tab” in your browser for the Order, to alternate with viewing the Mass; or
3.   Bring it up on a second device (e.g., smart phone, iPad) while following the Liturgy on the Desktop.

2) Paulist Center Families’ Liturgy of the Word, 10am, Sunday:
See Fr. Mike’s Email Missive for the link details.

3) Paulist Center Rosary Circle. 7:30pm every Monday.
Here’s the Zoom Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/487503158
pwd=aVFZb3BWNFBiQzZMSXdhbmo3NUozUT09
Meeting ID: 487 503 158; Passcode: 021078

4) All are welcome to a half-hour prayer gathering with/from the Paulist Center’s  Pastoral Council led prayer next Wednesday, 7pm. See Fr. Michael’s email missive for the link.

Ways of Giving:

Our “Community Gift” is the Paulist Center’s tradition of giving away 5% of our weekend offerings, averaged out over the whole year, to a group outside of ourselves. This week we lift up the Holy Land Shrines which support the sacred places and the educational, charitable, and peace-seeking ministries of the Church in the Holy Land. Thank you so much for your generosity!

We are so very grateful for your support during this time of uncertainly and financial peril. Here are two ways to give:

1. To make a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card, click on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter
   Giving by text: Text 844-899-7511 with the amount you would like to donate (whole dollars only). Donations collected this way will be designated as part of the “Weekend Offering.”
2. Giving by text: Text a whole dollar donation amount to 844-899-7511; this will be designated as your “Weekend Offering.”

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I conclude now with the Prophet Micah 6:8:

Our Faithful God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

And let us pray for/with one another.
Michael
Michael McGarry, C.S.P.
Director, the Paulist Center

Along with Patty, Chuck, Susan, Peter, Dorothy, John, Barbara, Rob, Alvaro, and Sal. Please feel free to call upon your Pastoral Ministers if you wish.

I will be sending out something every Thursday or Friday as the COVID-19 restrictions continue.