Sing along with Mass today at 11:15 — You can find the words and music here.

Mass will include the Blessing of Palms (in all their various shapes and forms!

See you there,

Fr Ed

When we’re joining in prayers and Masses and Adoration online, it helps if we create Sacred Space — something that appeals very much to our Catholic imagination and culture. Here are some hints and tips that could enhance our prayer environment. Let us know how you get on with these, and send in pics to the parish email address.

• Set aside a small table/corner of your room/shelf in your home
• Light a candle (battery-powered candle with children) during prayer time
• Light a scented candle!
• Have an icon, a holy picture, a bible, a statue in your prayer space
• Write down your prayer intentions and put them in your sacred space
• Place photos of those you are praying for in your sacred space to help you focus
• Turn off mobile phones, and resolve not to check email/messages during prayer time
• If you wish to join in the prayers, print the orders of service and don’t be afraid of joining in at home!
• Invite family members/flat-mates to join you in prayer

If you have more ideas, let us know!

Fr Ed

This Sunday is a Palm Sunday like no other, so we have to get creative! We will, of course, go ahead with blessing of palms at the beginning of Mass… just broadening the definition of palms. Thank you to Nancy for forwarding this idea — we find a branch, any branch, preferably with green leaves. Log in to watch the Mass live on Sunday, and have your branches with you. They will be blessed from a distance. Then, as the article suggests, you can display them in your home, in the window, on your front door, or on the wall.

Equally, you can make a cross with two twigs/branches, tying them together with thread.

Another suggestion which can accompany the one above is to make a palm cross out of paper. I tried this myself, in spite of not being good with paper…

Cut two strips of A4 1cm wide down the length of the paper, and stick them together so they are one long strip of paper 1cm wide. Cut one end of the strip into a point.

Then follow the instructions here (or on any other of the many YouTube videos out there. Then know your crosses will be blessed — and send a pic of your cross/your family celebration/your blessed branch/home-made wooden cross.

We will celebrate together on Sunday!

Fr Ed

Holy Week & Easter 2020

all services are adapted from the full liturgy and broadcast online (at the moment on the St Alphonse FaceBook page, and shortly via Zoom) Service sheets will be published for all liturgies.

Saturday 04 April
11:00                      Service of Reconciliation
                                             Make your Easter Confession and be assured of pardon and peace
21:00-22:00           Eucharistic Adoration, with Night Prayer at 21:45

Sunday 5th April
11:15 Palm Sunday Mass
                                        Suggestions for blessing of Palms to follow
21:00-22:00          Eucharistic Adoration, with Night Prayer at 21:45

Mon 6th-Wed 8th April
11:00-12:00          Morning Prayer and Eucharistic Adoration
21:00-22:00           Eucharistic Adoration, with Night Prayer at 21:45

Thursday 9th April (Holy Thursday)
11:00-12:00          Morning Prayer and Eucharistic Adoration
19:00                     Mass of the Lord’s Supper

 Friday 10th April (Good Friday)
15:00                    Celebration of the Passion of the Lord
19:00                    Meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus

Saturday 11th April (Holy Saturday)
10:00                     Blessing of Easter baskets (Święconka PL)
19:00                     First Mass of Easter

 Sunday 12th April (Easter Sunday)
11:15                     Mass of the Resurrection

Thank you for your patience and understanding in these challenging times

Fr Ed

Part I, Part II, and Part III of the essay The Mass on the World, written in 1923 by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), a Jesuit priest, a theologian and a palaeontologist, were successively read last week and this past week (All posts are available on www.catholic.lu  under the general title “Facing Unusual Times”)

As was the case last Friday, below (pdf file) are some tips for prayer which you may find helpful to accompany you this coming weekend on your own spiritual journey.

IESC-Facing-Unusual-Time-PTdC-Prayer-Tips-Week-II-200403

Next week we will take a break. It is Holy Week. Specific proposals will be made from Monday to Wednesday.

We will be back with the continuation of The Mass on the World by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin after Easter.

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth” (Ps 123 (124), v. 8)

Fr HP