West Texas Angelus Again Over the Coming Months
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DIOCESE OF SAN ANGELO PO BOX 1829 NONPROFIT ORG. SAN ANGELO TX 76902-1829 US POSTAGE PAID Inside this issue: SAN ANGELO, TX PERMIT NO. 44 • Bishop Sis: “Mortality and Faith” (Page 2) • Seminarians begin new school year (Page 5) • New deans, vice-chancellor, KofC diocesan deputy (Page 7) • Updates to St. Paschal Church in Sterling City (Page 20) AWESTNGELUS TEXAS Serving Catholics in the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas Volume 40, No. 9 September 2020 ALAN TORRE | APTORRE PHOTOGRAPHY Bishop Michael Sis celebrated the annual Rural Life Mass for the Diocese of San Angelo on Aug. 27, 2020. After being previously postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Mass was held outdoors beneath a pavilion at Mandujano Brothers Produce Company in Coyanosa, Texas. See more photos, Page 24. Page 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 The Angelus From the Bishop’s Desk The Prayer Square Mortality and faith Litany for a The coronavirus pandemic is impacting our lives at all happy death levels, at home and at school, at work and at play. It affects our relationships, our spirituality, and our finances. It has O Lord Jesus, God of goodness and of mercy, led to physical suffering, emotional distress, and death. Bishop Michael J. Sis I come before you with a humble and contrite The unpredictability of the virus can be stressful. How heart. long will this go on? After recovering from COVID-19, is To you I commend my last hour and what there a lasting immunity, or is it possible to get re-infected? Diocese of San Angelo awaits me after it. When will a vaccine be available to us? Just how careful do When my feet, no longer able to move, shall I need to be? Who will be infected next? Will I lose loved warn me that my journey in this world is draw- ones? What if I contract the virus? ing to a close, By now, many of us know someone personally who has merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. Thomas à Kempis says, “Every action of yours, every died of COVID-19. Beloved members of our families and When my trembling hands shall no longer thought, should be those of one who expects to die before our parish communities have passed away. Their loss has have the strength to clasp the crucifix, and the day is out. Death would have no terrors for you if you caused grief and mourning. Those of us who survive must against my will I am forced to let it fall upon had a quiet conscience. … Then why not keep clear of sin face our own vulnerability and mortality. my bed of suffering, instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face This presents a tremendous opportunity to think through merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow.” (The our personal preparation for the end of life. Psalm 90:12 When my eyes, dull with the pain of near Imitation of Christ, 1, 23, 1). says, “Teach us to number our days aright, so that we may death, fix on you their dying gazes, God has given us what we need to prepare spiritually gain wisdom of heart.” When we are placed in a situation of merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. for death. He has shown us the proper way to live by obey- facing the fact of the shortness of life, it can help us to put When my lips shall pronounce for the last time ing his Commandments. He has instilled in every human our priorities in order. your most holy name, heart the gift of the moral conscience, to help us avoid sin I had a friend who said he was atheist. He told me, “I merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. and apply his law in particular circumstances. He has sent don’t believe in God, but maybe when I get to be an old When my face, pale and bathed in the sweat us his Son Jesus Christ to show us the path to eternal life. man, then I will start believing in him.” While his approach of death, shall indicate that my end is near, He gives us wisdom and guidance through the Scriptures may seem clever, none of us knows how many days we merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. and the teachings of the church. He offers us the sacraments have left on this earth. Our religion inspires us to live now When my ears, soon to be shut to the words for the spiritual good of our souls. in faith, hope, and love, and to prepare our souls for the of men, shall be opened to hear from your Here are some things we can all do to prepare for a next life. Christ calls us to choose him and follow him now. mouth the irrevocable sentence which will de- happy death: Love God. Love our neighbor as ourselves. He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” termine my condition for all eternity, Reconcile with God by turning away from our sins. Recon- (Mt 4:17). St. Paul says, “Now is the hour of salvation” (2 merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. cile with others by offering forgiveness and seeking for- Cor 6:2). When my heart shall be overwhelmed by the giveness. Fulfill our basic duties in life. Pray. Ask God what According to our Christian faith, for those who die in anguish of death, and my spirit, troubled by he wants us to do. Carry out the corporal and spiritual the grace of Christ, death is not a tragedy, but a positive and the remembrance of my sins and the fear of works of mercy. Live the beatitudes. Offer our sufferings in holy experience. It is a participation in the death of Jesus your justice, shall struggle with the angel of union with the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross in atonement Christ, so that we can also share in his resurrection (see darkness, who will strive to fill me with doubts for our sins and those of the whole world. Receive the sac- Rom 6:3-9 and Phil 3:10-11). St. Paul says, “For to me to concerning your pardon, raments frequently — especially confession and Commun- live is Christ, and to die is gain. … My desire is to depart merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. ion. and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil 1:21-23). At When I shall shed my last tear, the sign of my Despite the limitations of the current pandemic, our the end of her life, St. Thérèse of Lisieux expressed a simi- dissolution, receive it as a sacrifice of expia- The priests are available in our churches to hear confessions and lar perspective: “I am not dying; I am entering life” ( tion for my sins, and in that dreadful moment, Last Conversations absolve sins. I recommend to our people that they contact ). merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. their local parish, find out the times that confession is avail- As Christians, we believe that every human being will When I shall have lost the use of all my Catechism of the Catho- able, and prepare personally to make a good confession. (As be judged by God upon death. The senses, when the entire world shall have van- lic Church a side note, while I was writing this article, sitting in the says that “Death puts an end to human life as the ished from my sight, and when I shall groan in DFW Airport, just a few minutes after I composed this para- time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace the anguish of my last agony and feel the sor- graph, a complete stranger approached me and asked if I manifested in Christ” (CCC, no. 1021). It is never too early rows of death, would hear his confession. Perfect timing.) to say yes to Jesus Christ and get on the right path. merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. Besides being spiritually prepared for the reality of Our Church calls us to remember our mortality, and to When my soul shall leave my body pale, cold, death, it is also prudent to be prepared practically. This in- prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. We have only a and lifeless, receive my soul as a homage cludes creating or updating our will and other important limited time in this life, and we have only one life to live. which I pay to your divine majesty, and in that personal documents. When we have a will in place, it can There is no “reincarnation” after death (CCC, no. 1013). moment, merciful Jesus, have mercy on me. make decisions much easier for our family and loved ones. The way we live in this life has an impact on our eternal When at length my soul shall appear before Our choice of beneficiaries is an expression of our values. life. St. Francis of Assisi says, “Praised are you, my Lord, you and behold for the first time the immortal Regardless of whether or not we have any financial re- for our sister bodily death, from whom no living man can splendor of your majesty, reject me not from sources to pass along, we can all write down the principles, escape. Woe on those who will die in mortal sin! Blessed your presence. Deign to receive it into the insights, morals, beliefs, and devotions that we have found are they who will be found in your most holy will, for the loving embrace of your mercy, so that I may Canticle of the Crea- second death will not harm them” ( eternally sing your praises.