Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1225641
9 DENVER CATHOLIC | MARCH 28-APRIL 10, 2020 LECRAE 6/28 FAITHkFAMILY NIGHT ARTIST JUNE 24 - JULY 5 2018 & 2019 top 10 rodeo by usatoday TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT GREELEYSTAMPEDE.ORG 970-356-7787 An example is the stories St. John Paul II used to tell about the many faith- ful who lived in communist countries and had to gather in secret without a priest. They would pray together and recite the parts of the Mass but would weep when silence broke during the part of the consecration. Yet they never lost their faith. On the contrary, their faith and desire for the Eucharist also grew. Similarly, Father Cardó referred to St. Therese of Lisieux's phrase when she was too sick to receive Holy Com- munion: "No doubt it is a great grace to receive the sacraments. When God does not permit it, it is good too. Everything is grace." Being aware of this reality can help the faithful establish practices at home to observe the Lord's Day and prepare for Easter, and also to avoid the risks present during this time. "Some possible risks are isolation, selfishness and being consumed by fear or sadness," Father Cardó said. "In some cases, it could also be a risk to complain or be bitter because we cannot receive that which we normally understand as the source of our strength. That could also be a very concrete strategy of the enemy and will lead us to waste the abundant graces that will come and are coming in different ways." LITURGICAL ACTIONS AT HOME He explained that watching Mass online is a good practice that he him- self will provide for his parishioners. Nonetheless, he added that making it the norm might also wrongfully reinforce the idea that if the faithful can't at least watch the Mass, they'll be totally lost. "I think that [watching online Mass] is a good thing and it can bring comfort, but I also think that cannot be all," he said. "We should not waste the opportu- nity to enter more deeply into the riches of Liturgy of the Church, which are not limited to the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the center, source and summit, but there's more that we don't necessarily appreciate all the time." In fact, he explained that the Liturgy of the Church – the action of the Church through which we give glory to God and are sanctified – includes the seven sacraments but is not limited to them, since it also includes the Liturgy of the Hours and the sacramentals. "So, there are some liturgical actions that can be performed by everyone at home, and, therefore, can be fruitful channels of grace. I think this is an opportunity to discover that," he said. The first recommended practice is praying the Liturgy of the Hours as a family. "The prayer of the Liturgy goes beyond the Mass and into every hour of the day. It serves to sanctify time and respond to Christ's command to pray always," said Adam Bartlett, Founder and CEO of Source and Summit, a new apostolate designed to help parishes and Catholics pray and elevate the Liturgy. But it also true that many Catho- lics shy away from it because it can be rather complicated. For that reason, Source and Summit has launched a special website – KeepTheLordsDay. com – that contains the Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer for Sundays, with instructions and explanations on how to pray it alone or as a family, in addition to the Sunday readings and a prayer for Spiritual Communion. "I believe it's a great resource for families to be able to pray on Sundays in a more liturgical way," Bartlett said. "By praying the Liturgy of the Hours, we're praying with the Church here on earth and also with the saints in Heaven in a very real way." Other practices recommended by Father Cardó include meditating on the Sunday readings and the prayers of the Mass, making an act of spiritual com- munion and turning to Mary by praying the rosary – and doing all these things without forgetting charity, especially toward the elderly and the people who might be lonely; those who are just a call away. "When you think about all these pieces, I think we can see that they're wonderful ways to sanctify our days, but particularly Sundays: We can start with Morning Prayer, and then the readings, and then enjoy our morning and have lunch, and maybe get together again in the evening to pray the rosary," he said. "Who knows? Maybe not having Mass will be an invitation to not just go and check that I went to Mass, but to try to sanctify the holy day in a more proactive and intentional way." "I think one very specific fruit from this experience should be to renew our love and desire for the Eucharist and our appreciation of the gift." FATHER DANIEL CARDÓ