Dear Good Shepherd parishioners, I am writing to ask your support for an Archdio-cese-wide initiative that Cardinal Tobin has launched to support our parish community, out-reach to those in need, and parishes in response to the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on everyday life. Please consider making a tax-deductible contri-bution to our parish. Visit our parish GoFundMe page: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/good-shepherd-parish-irvington/good-sheperdparish You may also continue to give through your typi-cal methods if you prefer: * Through envelopes or cash during the Coro-navirus (COVID-19) pandemic, you can either drop the envelope off inside the mail box located at the back door of the Rectory building, or mail the envelope to our address (just for checks, no cash). * Also remember the Annual Appeal among your options for contributing.

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March 29, 2020

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A LENTEN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS By Rev. Gus Puleo

As we all sit at home from the effects of the pandemic coronavirus, let us turn to Jesus Christ our Savior to help us “through the desert” during this time of Lent. Do not forget that we are still wandering and con-fused in these times of Lent as Moses and the Jews who were in the desert for 40 years and Jesus who was praying in the desert for 40 days. It is the time to take seriously our task of “spring cleaning” as we ask God for forgiveness and read the Gospel. In fact, we were told this on Ash Wednesday when we received ashes: “Repent and believe in the Gospel!”

For Catholics, the single most direct effect of the virus is the lifting of the Sunday obliga-tion of attending Mass. So, what can we all do? First and foremost, we should imple-ment seriously the three major practices of Lent: prayer, fasting and works of mercy into our daily lives as a family.

Now is the perfect time for all members of the family to join in prayer at home together. Pick a suitable place and time to pray the ro-sary, for example, and “attend” mass on tele-vision daily and of course on Sundays. This is the time now to receive “spiritual commun-ion” if one does not attend Mass. This is the participation of one at the Mass with the Eucharist for those who cannot receive com-munion. The following prayer can be prayed for one who cannot receive the Eucharist:

“My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Holy Sacrament, I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

If the family does not attend Mass, one of the family members may recite the readings for Sunday aloud. Then, the family can have a holy discussion about what the readings say to them and their hearts.

In addition, this might be a wonderful time to watch television together and view such won-derful films as “Jesus of Nazareth.” The family could watch it together and then discuss their reaction to the film and how it has bolstered their belief and faith in God. In addition, this is a great time for the family to sit together and speak to each other and of course, about God.

During this holy time of Lent, one is asked to fast. We can do it as prescribed by the Church as Ash Wednesday and all of the Fridays in Lent including Good Friday, but we can choose other days to fast. In fact, fasting can been seen as a secondary measure as saving up food for the difficult days ahead. Of course, we can abstain from meats not just on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent including Good Friday but on other chosen days.

Now is a great time to help those in need in or-der to perform works of charity. We can help neighbors who might be elderly by going to the store for them and placing the groceries at their doorstep since elderly persons are often very vulnerable and isolated -- especially during this pandemic. The coronavirus seems to strike disproportionately at the elderly. Pope Francis has called for greater respect for the elderly in society and in the Church. He called neglect of the elderly a “sin.” He has affirmed that “where the elderly are not honored, there is no future for the young.”

During this time of Lent as Jesus suffered, we too are feeling the effects of this terrible dis-ease. This evil and suffering can now become redemptive for each one of us and the commu-nity if we unite our pains and agonies to Christ. Rather than seeing suffering in a complete and negative way, the example and words of Christ show us a positive way in which suffering can be seen and accepted in human life. Suffering is a share in the work of the Redeemer. The ef-fects that have robbed us of peace, security and tranquility are now means in which we can share such spiritual gifts as compassion, wis-dom, hope, thanksgiving and love. In a way the work of Jesus Christ allows surprisingly good things to come from even the worst and most fearful of evils.

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THE DESIRES OF THE HEART

When Lazarus died, Mary of Bethany must have been heartbroken.

You can see why she would have been. She loved her brother Lazarus, and she trusted and loved Jesus. Like everybody else in her community, she knew that Jesus could heal sick people. So when her brother got sick and she knew that Jesus was nearby, she turned to him for help. Then she waited three desperate and increasingly miserable days. During those days Jesus didn’t come, and Lazarus died.

And so she was devastated. Her beloved

READINGS

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Reading I: Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a Psalm: 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 Reading II: Ephesians 5:8-14 Gospel: John 9:1-41

brother was dead, and her beloved Jesus seemed to have disregarded her entirely in her time of need. She must have felt sure that she had lost the desires of her heart and lost them irretrievably.

But what the story of the raising of Lazarus shows is that a person can feel sure about such things and still be thoroughly mistaken. Of course, Mary was right about some things. She had this much accurate insight into her-self: she was right in thinking that it was her heart’s desire to have her brother and to be loved by Jesus.

But she was mistaken about what the fulfill-ment of those desires would be. She thought that she could have the desires of her heart only in case Jesus came to her to heal her brother before he died. Consequently, when Lazarus did die, Mary thought that she had lost what she wanted most.

What the story makes clear, though, is that the Lord can know better than a human person does what she most wants. We are not sur-prised if the Lord knows better than we do what is good for us, and we generally expect that good to be something we don’t want. But in this story the Lord knows better than Mary what she herself actually wants.

When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, Mary has her brother, and is loved by Jesus in a way more deeply fulfilling to her and more glorious than the mere healing of her brother in his sickness would have been. And here is the thing to notice: Jesus was in the process of giving her what she wanted most even as she was firmly persuaded that she had lost it forever.

And so the story helps us see that the Lord can be trusted even with the deepest distress of the hearts of those who are his own. As the Psalm-ist promises (Ps 37:4), the Lord will give the desires of their hearts to those who put their trust in him.

Eleonore Stump

We end with a prayer by Pope Francis for the inter-cession of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary at this time of great need:

“O Mary, you always shine on our path as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who at

the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm. You, Salvation of People, know what we need, and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee, we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus, who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows to lead us, through the cross to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.