April 19, 2020

Signs and Wonders!
         Blessed Divine Mercy Sunday to you and your family!  On this Second Sunday of Easter, the Gospel of John directs our attention to the Upper Room where Mary and the Apostles were gathered.  In  John’s Gospel, we hear that Jesus transformed water into wine, he cured the royal official’s son, cured a paralytic, fed a crowd of five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish, walked on water, gave sight to a man born blind and raised Lazarus from the dead.
Last week, we watched as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, spoke words of comfort to his followers, suffered his passion, and rose from the dead!  We accompanied Mary to the tomb, and with her, experienced the risen Jesus, the Word made flesh who continues to dwell among us.
John makes this interesting statement at the end of his Gospel: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book.  But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (Jn 20.30-31).  But why?  Why stop with just seven signs?  Why just a few accounts of his resurrection appearances?  Why not include them all?  Can we possibly get tired of hearing more about Jesus and the many ways he manifested himself as the Son of the living God and made flesh to his disciples?
     To understand what Saint John is doing, we have to look at today’s Gospel; one that’s very familiar.  The disciples were locked in the Upper Room, paralyzed in fear.  Jesus suddenly appears in their midst, and breaths the Holy Spirit upon them.  Thomas however, wasn’t there.  Thomas didn’t see.  He doesn’t encounter the resurrected body of Jesus.  Poor Thomas.  He’s become the “whipping boy” in homilies throughout the ages.  He’s dubbed the skeptic who has to see to believe.
    I think that at times, we all share the same doubt expressed by absent Thomas.  Like Thomas, we tell ourselves that we have not seen the risen body of the Lord.  We tell ourselves that he hasn’t spoken face to face with us.  He hasn’t personally announced to us “Peace be with you.”
And when Jesus comes back to the Upper Room the following week, seeing Thomas, Jesus invites him to place his hand in his side and put his finger in his wounded hands.  Thomas responds by crying out, worshiping and adoring risen Jesus!  Jesus then goes on to tell Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen me and believed “
(Jn 20.29). 
     In other words, blessed are we, the Church TODAY, as we recognize the Lamb once slain in our midst, though currently separated sacramentally from him in these unusual times.  Yes, Jesus did many more signs that are not recorded.  Right now, in the Church, Jesus makes himself present through signs, beginning with the Eucharist.  He appears in the sign of the hungry, the homeless, the elderly, the weak, the lonely, and those paralyzed by fear.  He appears in the sign of those to be baptized, those preparing for reception of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, those looking forward to celebrating Holy Matrimony, and yes, and even in the dying.
Friends, the Church is thirsting for these signs and, we are depending on one another to BE witnesses - living signs that Christ is risen from the dead and dwells among us!  And that is because we as Church, the assembly of disciples, is where we continue to meet the risen Lord.
     And yes, there are many more signs to see.  The Easter season is a time for each us to focus our sights on the risen Lord present in our midst.  He’s not done healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting sick and the dying, bring comfort to those in fear, and hope to all especially now, when we are separated from one another and yet still are the Church.  Good people, recognize the risen Lord in your midst, and BE the healing presence of Jesus that our community and our world continue to thirst for.  Simply put, we are an Easter people!  Alleluia!

Mass Intentions
     Among the irregularities caused by the COVID-19 virus, there has been a significant decline in the number of Mass requests being made. The Mass is always offered for all of God’s people, living and deceased, but the first and primary fruits of the sacrifice are directed toward the intention for which it has been requested.
     Father Will and I have been celebrating the Eucharist privately - without people present daily. Not having a backlog of intentions to begin with, we are particularly grateful at this time and welcome any Mass intention requests that you make.  You may do so by contacting MaryEllen, the Office Manager at [email protected]
     Unfortunately due to current circumstances, we are unable to invite you to join us at the actual celebration of the Mass or, be able to guarantee that your intention will be offered on a specific day.  We will, however, notify you when your Mass request has been satisfied.
     Know that with the whole Church, we pray daily for the sick - especially those who have contracted the
COVID-19 virus, the medical professionals and staff who are caring for them, those who are working to keep our lives as normal as possible, and you, the good people we are blessed to serve. 
     Please be safe and stay well.  Draw close to the Lord who hears all our prayers. And looking forward to being together soon!  God bless...

Parishes’ Financial Update
       In response to the federal government’s Small Business Loan Assistance Program, our parishes here in Wexford were among the first in the Diocese to apply for loans.  We are unaware of what the position of our application is, however, national news outlets reported that the designated funds allocated to this program have all been dispersed.  We will be following up with our bank where we applied for the loan for an update on our status. There is talk of additional funds being designated for small businesses to meet the many requests that have been filed.  However, there is no guarantee that with these additional funds, our request will be accepted. This is why it is important that everyone in our community tries to do their best in responding to the call to be good stewards.  Even with the loan, we are not dispensed from making the best gift that we can to God’s love. Since before the Masses were cancelled, we have seen the offertory collections for both parishes combined down an average of 45 to 50 percent, which is good, but still not where we need to be. The parishes still have financial responsibilities that must be met on a monthly basis as well as expenditures that, even if we receive the federal loan, will not cover a number of obligations that both parishes remain responsible for.  In the meantime, a sincere thank you for your generosity in these difficult times. Be assured that we will keep you updated on any new information on this matter as soon as it is made available to us.
     How you can help:  First and always, PRAY.  Pray first and foremost for those who have contracted the COVID-19 virus.  We pray for their wellbeing and recovery and the wellbeing of those who are caring for them – medical professionals and a host of others.  We pray for a vaccine to prevent this scourge from reoccurring in the future.  Simply put, pray for a cure.  It is prayer that connects us with God who enables us all to see the light beyond these times of darkness.  Pray too, for those who have been separated from their work and ministry and for those employees who remain who are extending themselves in countless ways. 
     Secondly, if you have not recently been adversely affected in your employment situation, and if you are not already participating in an electronic giving program, please, please, please, do so now.  Use this time of adversity as an opportunity to help our parishes in the long run by signing-up for e-giving.  In doing so, it becomes more convenient for you to faithfully make your weekly or monthly return to the Lord, while being helpful for our parishes to receive a more predictable cash flow which enables us to better forecast the annual operating budget.  In addition, e-giving saves the parish the additional expense of the envelopes and postage.  If you choose not to take this route, we appreciate the mailing of your weekly gift to the Parish Center.  In in this time of social awkwardness and restrictions in our public gatherings, your generosity and practice of stewardship means so much.  Thank you for all that you do in the name of the Lord!
     Be assured of Father Will’s and my prayers with you, your family and loved ones.  We pray with and for you daily.  Know that you are loved and missed, while being loved most by our God.  Blessings…
                                              In Jesus' love,
                                              Fr. Zywan