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APRIL 2000 TAPESTRY

The Triduum      Triduum is a strange word. It means “Three Days.” The three days that we are speaking of are the days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday. It is in these three days that we remember the events of our salvation. It is in these three days that everything in the church stops—no sacraments are celebrated, the tabernacle is empty, and the holy water fonts are empty—until the great day of Easter.
     It wasn’t always this way. In the first century, Easter was celebrated each week. Sunday is the day of resurrection. As such, every Sunday became a day to remember the death and resurrection of Christ. The reason we celebrate Mass on Sunday, especially in the morning, stems from that early realization.
     The earliest celebration of Easter took place in Asia Minor when Christians would celebrate it at the same time as Jewish Passover. It wouldn’t matter what day of the week it fell. Rome was slow to accept this. In fact, when the celebration of Easter became more widespread, the date was set as the Sunday following the first full moon of spring. That is still the reason Easter changes each year. It is set by the movement of the earth and moon. The entire universe must be right to celebrate the great feast day.
     In the 4th century, when the church was no longer persecuted in the Roman Empire, greater rituals could develop around Easter. Naturally, these started in Jerusalem at the place where Christ ate the Last Supper, in the Garden of Gethsemene,
the place of crucifixion, and the tomb. After fasting on Friday and Saturday the vigil would begin in the late afternoon with readings from scripture, psalms, and hymns. Baptisms were celebrated and the new Christians would celebrate Eucharist in the community for the first time. The vigil would often last through the whole night.
     As time went on, baptisms of catechumens were few, and the development of Masses on Easter Sunday relegated the
celebration of the Easter Vigil to Saturday morning attended by the clergy and maybe a few others. It wasn’t until the reforms of Pius XII and later at Vatican II that the understanding of the Vigil as a celebration at night would be restored.
     Today in churches throughout the world the three days are celebrated. The reckoning of time is not the traditional midnight-to-midnight timekeeping, however. It is the earlier Jewish, sunset-to-sunset telling of time. Day One begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening. At that Mass we recall the Last Supper and the meaning of Eucharist by the washing of feet. As the sun rises, we recall the events of Christ’s passion. Friday is the day to venerate the cross, hear the passion as told in John’s Gospel, and receive Eucharist to be strengthened in our Paschal fast.
    Day Two is a quiet day. It is Saturday. We continue the fasting of Friday, if we are able. We spend time in silence. For the Elect, this is a preparation day. They might gather together in prayer.
    As Day Three begins, the events of our salvation are retold. The darkness gives way to the light of Christ carried aloft from the Easter Candle into the Assembly. Once the fire has been lit and the great Exultet sung we hear in scripture of God’s abiding promise to Israel to save His people. The Gloria is sung and the Gospel proclaimed to joyous Alleluias.
     The Elect are immersed in the pool of baptism. The candidates and all of us, the faithful, recall our own baptism by recommitment to our baptismal vows and the sprinkling with newly blessed Easter water.   Now, truly one community, we share at the table of the Lord. The newly baptized, those received into the church, reconciled penitents; all of us are invited to the table. The Easter Vigil concludes, only to be picked up again with the Masses on Easter morning. All the faithful are gathered together to hear the Good News of our salvation.
     Day Three ends not at 1pm on Easter Sunday. No, it concludes with sunset on that day. Ideally the community should gather together to conclude the Triduum. All members of the faithful should stop and pray as the sun is setting. The sacred Triduum is complete and the joyous 50 days of Easter has begun
                                                                                                                        Peace,
                                                                                                                                 Fr. Chris

Holy Father’s Intentions for April: That through Christians’ generous welcome refugees and immigrants may experience the Father’s goodness. Mission Intention: That the peoples of Africa, torn by discord and wars, may find in the Gospel strength to repress any urge to revenge and violence and to open their hearts to mercy and reconciliation.

UNITED STATES CENSUS 2000 – REMEMBER CENSUS DAY – APRIL 1, 2000

· The Census is a complete accounting of every resident in the United States.
· By completing and submitting your Census form you will be helping our community get financial assistance for roads,
hospitals, schools, and much more.
· Answering the Census is important, easy and safe!
· All information gathered by the Census on individuals is held strictly confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot divulge
   information to anyone including the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the police, the
   military and welfare agencies.
· Census 2000 will be the first time that the city of Deltona is included as an incorporated city.
· The 2000 Census count of Deltona’s population will determine how many federal and state dollars that the city will receive as
   well as the city’s representation in government for the next ten years.
· Help Wanted! The Census is recruiting workers who want to schedule census jobs around their current employment as well
   as retirees, participants in government programs, and people who are not currently employed. Census takers must work
   evenings and weekends. Census takers will spend most of their time locating addresses and conducting door to door
   interviews. Interested job applicants should call 1-888-325-7733.
· For more information about Census 2000, visit the Census Bureau’s Internet site at: or call the regional Census Center at
   (404) 331-0573.

YOUR ANSWERS WORK FOR YOU – STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

The second commandment tells us to love our neighbor. One way you can express that love is by preserving the
environment, as a person and a voter. Preserving our environment is more than an economic problem. Christians
must be conscious of the implied environmental commandment. We can make a difference:
· Plant trees in your community.
· Put a water-conserving device in your toilet tank.
· Turn water off while brushing teeth.
· Use re-chargeable batteries.
· Pick up litter along the highway.
· Sponsor a clothes swap.
· Teach your children to be ecologically responsible.
· Become informed about toxic waste in your area.
· Hang clothes out to dry.

ALTERNATIVE JUSTICE

Judge Thomas Quirk gives his defendants a rather unique alternative to spending time behind bars. They can spend
time on a church pew instead. The Louisiana judge has found that many of the people he fines choose weekly
attendance at church for one year, ahead of doing time. “He’s doing it because other alternatives don’t seem to work,”
says lawyer Mike Veron. People in Lake Charles who are guilty of crimes like drinking and driving are given the
church choice and must have a church official sign a card proving that they attended each week.

AND SO SHALL OUR CHILDREN LEAD US

     After undergoing ministerial training and certification, all Ministers To The Sick (MTS’s) are required to attend further educational training in order to maintain their certification. Mostly, these training sessions are not difficult or very time consuming. They are however very informative and interesting.
     At a recent training session, the primary instructor asked people in the assembly to give testimony about how they first recognized a calling from God to serve in this ministry. Among others, Richard Rollinson of our parish stood to give his testimony. It turned out to be one of the most powerful stories any of us had ever heard.
      Richard told about how at St. Clare Catholic Community people go about the church hugging one another at the peace offering after the Lord’s prayer. He explained that the Rollinson’s son had severe physical challenges from muscular dystrophy. Despite the difficulty involved, their son would always reach out to others, to hug them and to wish them peace…. Especially those obviously ill or handicapped, or in wheel chairs.
     Richard went on to tell us that after his son’s death some five years ago, he and his wife Carol both felt God calling them to this ministry. In a most personal way, he confided that they not only felt God calling them, but felt their son pushing them.
PRAISE GOD AND BLESSED BE HIS HOLY NAME

FOOD FOR HER JOURNEY
     Recently I brought communion to one of our terminally ill sisters in Christ. Barely able to speak any more, her nod and her face conveyed the message that she wished to receive the Eucharist. A few prayers were offered together, and as I watched her reception of the Body of Christ, I was touched by the reverence and appreciation that I saw. Slowly she tasted and ate the Eucharist, savoring it all. I left her resting in peace, which Jesus brought to her.
     I spoke with her family after I had left her room and learned that a decision had been made to stop any solid foods because her system was no longer able to handle them. She probably was not aware that the Eucharist she had just received was going to be the last “solid” food she would have. “Food” for her journey; a journey which ended a few days later.
     Lord Jesus, may I never take for granted your gift of life and nourishment offered to us in the form of bread. I don’t know when the final part of my journey home will be.

A VISIT DURING EXPOSITION
One of many testimonies is: “When I go to visit Christ in exposition, I have a different experience every time. Sometimes I’ll go and have so much to tell Him, that I’ll sit there and talk for the entire hour telling Him about everything that has been happening in my life. Sometimes I’ll be discouraged and upset and I’ll tell Him about all of my failures and ask Him to help with my daily struggles. At other times, I’ll go and just be there with Christ not saying anything. Some of those have been the most consoling hours, when I’m just there being with Christ.”

Bake Sale Sat. & Sun., Apr 29 & 30 After all Masses

Parish Seder Meal Tuesday, April 4 7 PM.

Outdoor Stations of the Cross Fridays of Lent Noon

Soup & Bread Fridays of Lent 7 PM.

Communal Pennance Service Friday, April 14 7:45 PM

Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 15 11 AM

Living Way of the Cross Friday, April 21 3:00 PM

Blessing of Easter Food & Easter Baskets - Easter Morning after all Masses

DIOCESAN SPONSORED MORNING OF REFLECTION FOR EXTRA-ORDINARY MINISTERS OF
THE EUCHARIST:
April 29 from 9:00 am – 12 noon; Blessed Trinity, Orlando; cost is $3.00 per person.

THE SACREDNESS OF GOD’S HANDIWORK
     How do we live in creation? Do we relate to it as a place full of “things’ we can use for whatever need we want to fulfill or whatever goal we wish to accomplish? Or do we see creation first of all as a sacramental reality, a sacred space where God reveals to us the immense beauty of the Divine?
     As long as we only use creation, we cannot recognize its sacredness to all that surrounds us as created by the same God who created us and as the place where God appears to us and calls us to worship and adoration, then we are able to recognize the sacredness of all God’s handiwork.
                                                                                                                     Henri J. M. Nouwen   Bread for the Journey

NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH
Mother’s Day will be here before you know it. Come and celebrate with a cruise sponsored by New Hope Baptist
Church Women’s Ministry, dining on the St. Johns River on Saturday, May 13 from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm. It will be an
enjoyable time of fellowship, fun and dining with other sisters in the Lord. Cost is $ 33.00 per person. For more
information, call Dot Bradley at (904) 532-8291.

FAITH & LIGHT RETREAT
St. Mary Magdalen Parish, 861 Maitland Avenue in Altamonte Springs, is sponsoring a Faith & Light Retreat on April
29 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Anyone may attend; a special invitation is extended to all people with disabilities,
including developmental disabilities, and their families. The program is animated by Bill & Debbie Cramsie and the
local Faith & Light team. For more information, call the Respect Life Office at (407) 277-7266.

MINISTRY CELEBRATION
A ministry celebration for all Respect Life Ministry Advocates and their committee members and friends is being held
on April 29 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Parish. The theme will be “Catholic Social Teaching: Best
Kept Secret of the Catholic Church.” Guest speaker: Michael Stone, Diocesan Director, Office of Justice & Peace,
Diocese of Orlando

TRECENARIO
     Trecenario es una palabra estraña. Quiere decir “Tres Dias.” Los tres dias que nosotros estamos hablando son Viernes Santo, Sabado Santo y Domingo de Pascuas. En estos tres dias nosotros nos acordamos los eventos de la iglesia son descontinuado, no se celebran los sacramentos, el tabernaculo esta vacido y la fuernte de la agua bendita esta vacida; hasta el gran dia de Pascuas.
     No fue siempre asi. En el siglo pirmero, las Pascuas se celebraban cada semana. El Domingo es el dia de resurección. Como tal, todo los Domingos vino a ser un dia de recordatorio de la muerte y resurección de Jesucristo. La razon por la cual nosotros celbramos las Misas por las mañanas, nace de esta realisación.
     La celebración mas temprana de Pascuas fue celbrada en la Asia Menor cuando los Cristianos la celebraron al tiempo que los judios celebraban su Pascuas Judiacas. No importabe en el dia de la semana que caliera. Roma estaba lenta en aceptar esta practica. Es mas; cuando esta practica cogio mas auge, la fecha fue designada para el primer Domingo de Luna llena de la primavera. Es por esta la razon la cual las Pascuas se celebran en diferentes epocas del año. Es programada por el movimiento
de la tierra y la luna. Todo el universo deve de estar en la posición de celebrar este gran dia de fiesta.
     En el cuarto siglo cuando se descontinuo la persecución en contra de la iglesia por el Imperio Romano los rituos de la Pascuas fueron en aumento. Naturalmente estos rituos se celebraron en Jerusalem donde nuestro Señor Jesucristo tuvo la ultima, cena en el Jardin de Gethsemene, en el sitio de la crucifixión y en la tumba donde fue enterado. Despues de llevar ayuno durante el Viernes y el Sabado la vigilia se llevaba acago por las tardes, leyendo paisages de los libros en las escrituras, los salmos y los cantares. Se llevaban acabo la celebración de los Bautismos y por primera ves los nuevos Cristianos celebraban la sagrada Eucristia en la comunidad.   Muchas veces la Vigilia duraba toda la noche. Al tiempo pasar, los bautismos de los catecúmenos se fueron desminullendo y el desarollo de las Misas del Domingode Pascuas se paso a celebrarse los sabado de la Vigilia Pascual, por las mañans y su asistencia era muy poca solo el clero y un puñado de gente. No fue hasta las reformas del santo Padre Pio XII y mas tarde en le Vaticano II que hubo el entendimiento de restaurar la celebración de las Vigilias por las noches.
     En los dias presente se celebran los tres dias en todas las iglesias del mundo. Aunque el reconocimiento del tiempo no
es el tradicional de media noche, sino que es el tiempo mas cercano Judiaco del sol saliente del tiempo. El Dia Primero se celebra la Misa de la ultima cena de nuestro Señor el jueves por la Noche. En esta Misa recordamos la Ultima Cena y el significado de la Eucaristia al Señor lavar los pies a sus decipulos. Al llegar la salida del sol recordamos los eventos de la pasión en segun es dicha en el Evangelio de San Juan y recibir la Eucaristia para reforzer nuestro ayuno Pascual.
     El Dia Dos es un dia de silencio, el Sabado, continuamos con nuestro ayuno si aun lo podemos hacer. Pasamos el tiempo en oración. Para los Elegido, este es un tiempo de preparación, se unen juntos en oración. Al empezar el Dia Tercero, los eventos de nuetra salvación son repetidos. La obsciuridad de paso l la luz de nuestro Señor Jesucristo al llevar la Vela Pascual a la Asamblea. Una vez es llevada la luz y el cantico jubiloso de las promesas del Señor el pueblo de Israel de salvar a Su pueblo, se cantan las glorias y proclamamos en el Evangelio en jubilo los aleluyas.
     Los Elegidos son emergidos en el bautismo. Los candidatos y todos los fieles recordamos el bautismo y nuestro compromisos bautismal al ser rociados con las aguas benditas Pascuales. Ahora, como una comunidad unida, celebramos la mesa del Señor. Los nuevos bautizados, aquellos recibidos en la iglesia nos reconciliamos en penitencia al todos ser
llamados a la mesa del Señor. Terminada la Vigilia Pascual, se empieza de nuevo con la Misa por la mañana de Pascuas. Todos los fieles son unidos en un solo cuerpo para escuchar las buenas nuevas de nuestra salvación.
     El Dia Tercero no termina a la una de la tarde el Domingo de Pascuas. Concluye con la ida del sol de ese dia. Es el tiempo de unirse la comunidad en una tarde solmne de oraciones. Si no puede unirse a la comunidad, todos los miembros fieles deven de parar y orar al sol alejarce. El Trencenario a terminado y los cincuenta dias de jubilo Pascual an dado su comienzo.
                                                                                Paz,
                                                                                        Padre Chris

Intención del Santo Padre para Abril: Que a través de la bienvenida generosa Cristiana refugiados e imigrantes experimenten la bondad del Padre. Intención Misión: Que la gente de Africa, desgarrados por la discordia y guerras, encuentren en el Evangelio fuerza para reprimir el deceo de venganza y violencia y que sus corazones se abran a la misericordia y reconciliación