Fr Dominic Howarth writes:
Even though we cannot enjoy each other’s company, or Lourdes, in these months, we can stay connected. Our monthly Youth Masses and Sunday Masses will be livestreamed on the BCYS Instagram – BrentwoodCYS. If you are not already on Instagram it is easy to set up, and this little How to access Instagram BCYS will show you how to find us (thanks Beth!). We are there every day (apart from Wednesday) at 10.30am, and you can watch/pray Mass at a different time if that helps you, as the story remains there for 24 hours after streaming.
The Coronavirus might raise a lot of questions for you – and friends – in relation to faith. Perhaps you are being challenged by your friends (or even your family) about where God is in any of this? If you want to send in a question then email me directly, or send it to our Instagram, and during the homily I will try to offer some answers, and maybe take a few live questions, to keep Mass as interactive as possible. You can also send in prayers at the time of the Intercessions, and I think a good number of you have already discovered creative graphics for the sign of peace – the screen often fizzes with bursts of hearts – so be ready to do that, in these times when it is not possible to hug.
Next week is Holy Week and we will have Masses/Services on Holy Thursday (9 April), and Good Friday (10 April), as well as an Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday 11 April, and a Mass at 10.30am on Easter Sunday. It may be that you have never been to the Holy Week Masses and services before – these are the greatest and most powerful moments in the Church year, and it will be a journey with particular poignancy this year as we commemorate the Crucifixion and celebrate the Resurrection in this time of isolation. It will all be on the Instagram live stream, and it might be good to think about how you are going to set up your room to watch and pray during these times; maybe you have a candle, an image from Lourdes, and a crucifix in the house? If you haven’t already, this would be a good time to find them, and make a little “sacred space” somewhere where you can then prop your iPad, phone or laptop.
