{"id":1583,"date":"2020-04-06T15:19:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T05:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/spc-townsville\/?post_type=article&p=1583"},"modified":"2020-04-06T15:21:25","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T05:21:25","slug":"director-of-mission-3","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/spc-townsville\/article\/director-of-mission-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Director of Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Director of Mission<\/h3>\n

Athena Costopoulos<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John<\/h3>\n

John 20:1-9<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene\u00a0went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.\u00a0So, she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved,\u00a0and said, \u201cThey have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don\u2019t know where they have put him!\u201d<\/p>\n

So, Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.\u00a0He bent over and looked in\u00a0at the strips of linen\u00a0lying there but did not go in.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,\u00a0as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus\u2019 head.\u00a0The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first,\u00a0also went inside. He saw and believed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>(They still did not understand from Scripture\u00a0that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)<\/p>\n

The Word of the Lord,<\/p>\n

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Reflection<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We are where the Church is.<\/h4>\n

This year, as we prepare to celebrate Christ\u2019s passion and resurrection, we will be experiencing the disciples\u2019 emotions. It will be a time of loneliness, isolation, fear and sorrow for many.\u00a0 Daniel O\u2019Leary in his book, Unmasking God<\/em>, writes:<\/p>\n

Easter \u2026 reminds us that God reaches us in human touch. It is in our physical, earthy humanity that we heal and save each other. We have learned this from a human God. John placed his ear on the heart of Jesus at the Last Supper. Mary Magdalene touched his feet, Thomas his wounds. <\/em><\/p>\n

While social distancing has closed our churches, schools, work and recreational places, we are reminded that we are all in this together. Amongst the heartbreaking news stories, we hear the heart-warming ones of love and kindness in our community. Health workers caring for the sick and dying, online choirs, grocery drop offs, gifts of toilet paper and phone calls from loved ones are all acts of love that connect us to each other.<\/p>\n

When the New Testament mentions \u201cthe church,\u201d it is talking about the people\u2014the body of Christ, sent to share the Good News<\/em>. We are the Church. We are where the Church is.<\/p>\n

The data suggests that what the world needs now is not our physical presence, but our absence. So, we find new ways of connecting with each other \u2013 by phone and email and Zoom and Skype. Still a Church. A church without walls.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mass Participation and Prayers From Home<\/h4>\n

Send a prayer for those affected by Coronavirus<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Post a prayer and light a candle at Catherine\u2019s Tomb<\/a><\/p>\n

Post a prayer and light a candle at Baggot St Chapel<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Join the live stream of:<\/strong><\/p>\n