What are Guidelines For Thinking With The Church Today?

April 13, 2020

excerpt from my spiritual journal this day...

Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Triduum.

All lived in virtual reality. The 'virtual' was:

- a drawing of Palms for Palm Sunday;

- live-streaming Masses and Zoom Novenas;

- a drawing of a Candle in our window for Holy Thursday;

- a drawing of a Crucifix in my hand for Good Friday's Way of the Cross;

and now...

- the Bells we usually ring at Easter,

silent still,

on the ledge of our home office window...

another drawing perhaps??

But, the reality lives in my heart:

...Peace and Joy within after praying our Zoom group's Rosary Novenas, every evening at 9pm,

now on Day 5 praying the Novena to the Divine Mercy.

...A quivering feeling in my heart each time I pray the Prayer for Spiritual Communion during our live-streamed Masses.

...The assurance of love in community, and a pastoral team that is caring for us, celebrating Masses for us, teaching us via videos on our parish website.

A Lent well lived, despite the pandemic that is around us.

What now will the Easter season bring?

Our transitional Deacon, Francis, has opened doors of hope that prepare the way to the next liturgical event, Pentecost.

And the roses that are strewn are Novenas,

- to Saint Joseph the Worker;

- to Our Lady of Fatima;

- The Ascension of Our Lord;

- the Novena to the Holy Spirit.

How blessed are we!

Thank you, Lord, for your faithful servants who continue to guide and guard. Thank you for your Presence and Love.

Thank you for your Grace.

I see these things now in a new way.

Visible signs of inward reality:

drawings to mark the journey to Easter, of Palms, a Candle, a Crucifix held by a hand with lines of age, and perhaps of Bells waiting to be rung...

Ash Wednesday seems a long time ago, yet it  has only been our Lenten days, just over 40 now.

Ashes to Bells.

The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Indeed, he is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Contemporary Reading:

[359] 7. We should respect the Christian call to penance and should respond freely to the abstinence and fasting of the prescribed days in the Church year.  We should also continue our personal search for the ways of giving expression to the carrying of our cross daily in our following of Jesus Christ.

[352] GUIDELINES FOR THINKING WITH THE CHURCH TODAY

[315] 2. The good spirit strengthens and encourages, consoles and inspires, establishes a peace and sometimes moves to a firm resolve. To lead a good life gives delight and joy, and no obstacle seems to be so formidable that it cannot be faced and overcome with God's grace. The good spirit thereby continues an upright person's progress in responding to God's continuing invitation.

[313-327] PART 1. Guidelines for Discerning Different Movements

Source:

DRAW ME INTO YOUR FRIENDSHIP, The SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

A LITERAL TRANSLATION & A CONTEMPORARY READING

David L. Fleming, S.J.