Letter 4/10/04

One of the truly great changes in the Church in the last fifty years has been the reform of the Easter Vigil liturgy. Incredibly, I recall as an altar boy arriving at church at 6:30 on Holy Saturday morning for the Easter Vigil. At that early hour one solitary priest and the acolytes began the Easter Vigil and Mass, which would usually take place at record speed in the presence of several devout elderly women who never missed anything in the church.

The goal of the interminably long Latin readings and the lighting of the new fire seemed to be the production of Easter water. This water was blessed in huge galvanized tubs, and as the liturgy came to an end at about 8:15, a curious spectacle would ensue. The church would begin to fill with all sorts of devout people carrying a vast assortment of bottles-milk bottles, blue milk of magnesia bottles, and others that gave rise to the suspicion that they might once have held alcoholic spirits. Later when I served Mass at the Dominican motherhouse, I remember another experience: a feeling of exultation as the sisters chanted the Gloria and the convent bells announced Christ's Resurrection. Unfortunately, this was twenty-three hours before Easter morning.

The Easter Vigil, as it is now celebrated in the evening of Holy Saturday, with the new fire blazing dramatically in the church courtyard, cannot fail to fill faithful souls with something of the mystery and glory of Christ. This year I will celebrate the Vigil alone, reading the liturgical prayers and looking forward to celebrating Mass with my fellow patients the next morning in the hospital.

Father Mariusz, of our community, will be principal celebrant, and I will be seated in a wheelchair with still broken bones and many other problems. I expect, however, to be just as happy that Christ is risen. And I can't complain, because I remember celebrating the Vigil once in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. After that liturgy I knelt in the cave of the Cross in the sepulchre and it meant so much that Christ is risen.

Being in the hospital, especially for a long time, remind us that we are on a journey and that we have here no lasting home. Christ calls us to a world where there is no mourning or weeping or crying anymore. How happy we will be then that Christ is risen!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you, Father Groeschel, for your Videos shown on EWTN on Good Friday. May God bless and reward you.-Nanette, Wexford, Ireland

Dear Father Benedict: I just wanted to share a little miracle-- when I checked on you the other day you mentioned the "Wounds of Christ" talk for good Friday. I tried to order it on the web and to my frustration for some reason it would not accept my order because it didn't like my name or my husbands' either for that matter! lol. Anyway, I thought maybe I could get someone to overnight it to me so I would get it by Friday. I called Holy Thursday morning (the next day) and Chuck said he would do the best he could. That was about 9:00 am Holy Thursday; imagine my surprise to see the tape in my mailbox at 5:30pm. Anyway, I cried... I opened it to see that Joseph Campo had mailed it to me on the 5th, before I even knew that it existed or that I wanted it! God is SOOO good and He gently provides everything we need in His time. Thank you for everything-- I am watching the tapes on Good Friday this a.m... It is interesting to note that you rub your forehead very close to where you currently have a head wound; can't help but reflect that this Good Friday, you do indeed share Christ's passion including head wounds... We all love you and thank God you are still here, and will continue praying for you. Happy Easter!! Happy Divine Mercy Sunday!!-Erin, Germantown, Tenn.

Dear Father Groeschel, God bless you! You are such a blessing to us, even from your hospital bed! We are praying for your full recovery. We look forward daily to your messages on the web-site...it's gotten to be our daily routine to check on Father Groeschel! We have listened to you for about 7 years, and what a special part of our family you are! Thanks so much for "fighting the good fight"...I know God has worked much through your suffering, he never wastes anything, especially our suffering when we offer it up to Him. God bless you, and thanks for all that you are...we love you!-Rebecca, Arkansas City, Kansas

Hi Fr. Benedict, We just finished watching the Good Friday video. Thank you for encouraging us to pray for our priests and to support them. Thank you for your message of hope. You are certainly carrying a heavy cross at this time, but you are an inspiration because you never hestitate--you just embrace it! Thank you for being a faithful servant and a good friend. By the way, the young men from St Francis House who produced the video did an outstanding job! It is a must see! Thank you! God bless and have a Blessed Easter--you are in our prayers-Val & John, Westerly, Rhode Island

I'm a convert (1996), and my Protestant husband gave me a copy of your recent book about the Rosary (Rosary: Chain of Hope) for Christmas (my request). The night of Jan. 11, 2004, we were flying home from Chicago, where our son had just graduated from Navy boot camp. Our plane left Chicago at 8pm, Chicago time, and a few minutes later I began to pray the Rosary using your beautiful book together with my Rosary beads. My husband (not a Rosary fan)commented, "I see you have your chain." I responded, "Yes, my chain of hope," thanks to inspiration from your title. Based on the time difference between Chicago and Florida, I guessed that I was probably about to the sorrowful mysteries at the time of your accident. I am consoled to know God promted me to pray when you needed extra graces. Thank you for the beautiful book, and for your example of faith.-Catherine, Fremont, California

Dear Father, I wish you a most blessed Easter. I hope you are feeling better and will be up and back to your ministry soon. Your Good Friday Tape is beautiful and very helpful. Get well soon, and God bless you and your Brothers.-Diana of Camillus, camillus, New York

Dear Fr. Benedict, I am a Second Grade Catholic School teacher in Washington, DC. My Students and I have been praying for your recovery ever since I heard of the accident. Yesterday I showed them your video clip on our class computer. They were thrilled. It touched them very much. May the Lord lay his healing hand on you and bring you back to fullness of health. Love,-Catherine, Silver Spring, Maryland

I think of you and I hope you are doing well. I know that if it was not for you, Father, and your crisis, the Church in this country might not be healed from the other crisis that it is going through now. I hope that your sufferings, while we watch, heal our Church. You are a good man, Father G., and only good men can heal.-Ellen, Morris, Conn.

Hello Father Benedict, Thank you for your life, and each of these daily lessons. You are a true treasure of our faith. I have been reading 'Journey Toward God' as part of my Lenten observance. As one who is Irish Roman Catholic, who was lucky enough to have a Jewish mother, your thoughts on ecumenism and common beliefs resonate well here. May Our Risen Lord bless you this Easter Sunday and every day, and bring you to a full recovery. L.E.M.-Lawrence, Flushing, New York

Hola Padre! I am so glad our prayers have been working for you. I was in the hospital today and when I was being put in a room the nurse told me I was the only one with a tv. The first thing that I thought of was when you said how so many people would be watching that television in the hospital instead of considering their own thoughts and positions. So I told her I have some better things to do! So I pulled out my bible and began to read, pray, and meditate on life. I also wanted to point out that it is so true you that never know what you have until you loose it. I haven't been able to attend daily mass lately (I've been going to mass everyday for the past year) because of my illness. I questioned God why do you want me to miss mass?? In my prayer time He pointed out that I was loosing the value of mass. I saw it as more of a task than a privalege. I pray, now that I realize this, that I can begin to go back to mass. I also continue to pray for you. Pax Christi!-Jen, Franciscan U student originally from Massachusetts

Dear Fr Benedect and the Grassroots team, The Good Friday video we ordered last week has arrived and we just finished watching it. AWSOME. In Christ, the Edwards Manchester N.H ps our prayers never stop for you and the community.-Steve and Charlene, Manchester, New Hampshire

Fr. B. Your face has changed! You've gone from looking like a cherub-monk to that almost transparent beauty of our suffering Lord. We love you .-Kathy, Summit, New Jersey

Hello, Fr. Benedict! Your little videotape from your hospital bed was a wonderful Easter gift. I had logged in from my office, and that news was the first thing I said to my husband when I got home. We'll pray that, on the next videotape, you'll be talking with BOTH hands. Thanks for praying for us, and Happy Easter!-Elizabeth, Glasgow, MT

As I sit here watching your Good Friday presentation on the scandals on EWTN I am reminded how grateful To God I am For His gift of you. I am originally from Jersey City and your frankness and honesty are so appreciated in this era of the "spin doctor". I pray daily fo your swift recovery, because without priests like yourself and Fr Corapi we would be in grave danger of not hearing the Truth. May the Good Lord bless and watch over you on this holy Good Friday as you truly share in His Cross from your hospital bed. Peace,-Tony, Manchester, Conn.

April
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September