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At Saint Thomas More we want to emphasize the Celebration of the Domestic Church fol-lowing Bishop John-ston’s invitation: “to use this time of crisis to pray together daily and in an especial way on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when you normal-ly go to Mass together.”

The bishop continues, saying: “Schedule a time and make it a holy hour with Jesus at home as the Domestic Church. In the Church at home, pray together; listen to the Scriptures; offer your petitions praying for those af-fected by the COVID-19, for the health depart-ment members and for our diocesan and universal Church. This is a time TO TURN TO GOD; time to thank Him and to praise Him.”

The Domestic Church

What is the Domestic Church?The term “Domestic Church” refers to the family, the smallest body of gathered believers in Christ. Though recovered only recently, the term dates all the way back to the first century AD. The Greek word ecclesiola referred to “little church.” Our Early Church Fathers understood that the home was fertile ground for discipleship, sanctification, and holiness.

“The family is, so to speak, the domestic church…Fortified by so many and such powerful means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord, each in his own way, to that perfect holiness whereby the Father Himself is perfect” (Lumen Gentium 11).

“The holy people of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office; it spreads abroad a living witness to Him, especially by means of a life of faith and char-ity and by offering to God a sacrifice of praise, the tribute of lips which give praise to His name” (L.G.12).

SpanishCreo, Jesús mío, que estás real y verdaderamente en el cielo y en el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar.Te amo sobre todas las cosas y deseo vivamente recibirte dentro de mi alma, pero no pudiendo hacerlo ahora sacramentalmente, ven al menos espiritualmente a mi corazón. Y como si ya te hubiese recibido, te abrazo y me uno del todo a Ti.Señor, no permitas que jamás me aparte de Ti. Amén

Act of Spiritual Communion See step #7 above Acto de Comunión Espiritual

Ideas for how to celebrate the domestic church1. Make your own altar at home with Jesus at the center, Mary to his right, and Joseph to his left. (Be creative and work to-gether, if you are with a family and/or friends.)

2. If you do not have the means of making an altar just have a crucifix or any other Holy image than can help you to prepare your senses to be attentive to God’s presence in your midst,

3. Choose a specific time to pray.

4. Began with a little prayer of invocation to the Holy Spirit to come and help you to sanctify your time and place,

5. Use the schema of “Lectio Divina” which is the method we suggest to you for the Lord’s Day celebration as a Domestic Church. We recommend that you use the Sunday Gospel for this exercise, however you can choose the first or second reading, too.

6. Be open to participate and let the Holy Spirit guide you through the meditation of the Scripture.

7. At the end of the “Lectio Divina,” offer your personal inten-tions and pray the Our Father. After the Our Father, make your act of Spiritual Comunion.

8. Finish with the Sign of the Cross and, if with others, bless one another on the forehead in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

9. Share with us your experiences and pictures.Send to information@stmkc.com

Additional devotions are encouraged such as the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the meditations of the Way of the Cross, novenas, and holy books/music/movies…

EnglishMy Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this momentreceive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.Amen.

Celebrating the domestic church

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Lectio Divina: Meditating with the Word of God

WE bEGIn by calling on the Holy Spirit, asking for his assis-

tance. Then we proceed to read and to meditate the Sacred text in five movements, using a different hu-man quality each time. ["Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you" Luke 11:9.]

1ST MovEMEnT is called Lectio, which is to read the Sacred Text:

Using the intellect, we seek the objective meaning of the text. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It opens with the reading (Lectio) of a text, which leads to a desire to understand its true content: What does the biblical text say in itself? Without this, there is always a risk that the text will become a pretext for never moving beyond our own ideas”(Verbum Domini 87).Characters: Who are the characters in the reading? Circumstances: Events, when, how, where, & why? Teachings: What does the reading say?

2nD MovEMEnT is called Medi-tatio, which is to meditate the

Sacred Text: Using the heart, we find what the text is saying to us person-ally. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Next comes meditation (Medita-tio), which asks: What does the bibli-cal text say to us? Here, each person, individually but also as a member of the community, must let himself or herself be moved and challenged” (VD 87).Assimilation: What is the text telling me? Association: How does it affect my life? Correlation: What does it remind me of?

3rD MovEMEnT is called Oratio, which is to pray with the Sa-

cred text: Using our whole being, we knock by engaging in conversa-tion with God through prayer. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Fol-lowing this, comes prayer (Oratio), which asks the question: What do we say to the Lord in response to his word? Prayer, as petition, inter-cession, thanksgiving and praise, is the primary way by which the word transforms us” (VD 87).Petition: What is the text asking me to do or to change? Intercession: That God may give me the grace to do it. Thanksgiving: Thank the Lord before-hand for the gift. Praise in God’s providence to achieve the goal.

4Th MovEMEnT is called Contem-platio, which is a passive act of

contemplation: Using nothing, we let the Lord open to us and reveal to us whatsoever, however and whenever. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Next comes contemplation (Con-

templatio), during which we take up, as a gift from God, his own way of seeing and judging reality, and ask ourselves what conversion of mind, heart and life is the Lord asking of us? […] Contemplation aims at creating within us a truly wise and discerning vision of reality, as God sees it, and at forming within us “the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:16)” (VD 87).Contemplate God’s love through the message He has given. Comprehend that each of us is a part of His plan & that despite our faults He loves each of us individu-ally. Taste: Enjoy the beauty of His gifts and the healing power of His mercy.

5Th MovEMEnT is called Actio, which is an active resolution to

make the text come to life: Using the power of the will, we enter to cooperate (FIAT) with God’s grace to act upon the word. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “The process of Lectio Divina is not concluded until it arrives at action (Actio), which moves the believer to make his or her life a gift for others in charity. We find the supreme synthesis and fulfillment of this process in the Mother of God. For every member of the faithful, Mary is the model of docile accep-tance of God’s word, for she “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19; cf. 2:51)” (VD 87).recognize: What is it that I am sup-posed to do? Plan: How I am to do it? Evaluate: How am I progressing?

WE ConCLuDE our LECTIo by of-fering a prayer of thanksgiving

to God for all gifts received.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Sunday, April 19

Confessions in the church9am-noon

Online live-stream Eucharistic Adoration

3-4pmat stmkc.com

The Word of God

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8 Welcome to Saint thomaS more PariShSTM/STM affiliaTed dioceSan School oThercolor key:

Piña Colada

Ingredients for 2 blender glasses• Ice• 1 can of of condensed milk (Nestle 14 oz)• 1 can of of evaporarted milk (Nestle 12 oz)• 1 can of pineapple slices in syrup• 1 can of coconut milk or cream• 1 small can/bottle of pineapple juice• White Rum (Bacardi Blanco) • Blender

how to Make ItFill your blender glass with ice to the top.

Add half of can of condensed milk and half of evaporated milk.

Add 5 slices of pineapple in syrup and 3 oz. of their syrup.

Stir the coconut milk or cream and add half of it to the blender.

Add 4 oz. of pineapple juice, and crush!

Serve to the kids.

Then add rum for the adults at your discretion; re-crush in the blender and enjoy.

Activities for the Triduum

Holy Thursday1. Supper with Jesus - Organize a nice, family-style supper. On your table, use the symbols of bread and wine for decoration. For an added challenge try to include some foods

that Jesus and the disciples would have been familiar with and may have even had at the Last Supper. You can view what is on a traditional “Passover Seder plate” on YouTube.

2. Watch our STM live-streamed Holy Thursday Mass together as a family at 7pm.

3. During Communion, sing along with us the ancient hymn of the Church: Pange, Lingua, Gloriosi/Tan-tum Ergo.

4. Holy Thursday celebrates both the institution of the Eucharist and the institution of the ministerial Priest-hood. Discuss the priesthood with your family and pray for the priests serving you at Saint Thomas More: Father Justin, Father Kreidler, and Father Lopez. Foster vocations in your household to the religious life and priesthood.

5. If you had the custom of visiting multiple parishes on this evening, consider instead praying for their priests and their communities.

6. Consider having your own washing of the feet at home. Read the Gospel passage for today as a family and then take turns washing each other’s feet. All that is needed is a pitcher, a basin to catch the water (if you are doing it indoors), and a towel.

Foot Washing

Gospel: John 13:4-10 (excerpt)

Jesus rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel

and tied it around his waist.Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus answered and said to him,“What I am doing, you do not under-stand now, but you will understand later.”Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.”This is how all will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another. Antiphon/Prayer while Washing FeetI give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord.

After the last one gets his/her feet washed, finish with the Our Father.

Good FridayGood Friday is a day of abstinence (no meat!) and fasting (one meal and two “small meals” which don’t add up to the one meal). Children below the age of reason, seniors and the infirm or ill are exempt from fasting.

The Domestic Church Jesus rises from the dead!

rESurrECTIon SunDAy!

On this glorious Easter Sunday we want to celebrate Jesus, the conqueror over death and sin, with a sweet and bright drink: Pina Colada.

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Triduum Children's Activities

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Activity with ChildrenThe photos show the steps to making a stained glass cross with sidewalk chalk on your driveway. It can be spread out to take three days or done all in one day, depending on the weather!

Watch our STM live-stream service at 11am at stmkc.com.

Venerate the cross in your home, using the following antiphon:

Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the sal-vation of the world. Come, let us adore.

Pray the Stations of the Cross at home, appointing a cross bearer (crucifer) and a leader.Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.Begin the Divine Mercy Novena.Spend time learning about the corporal and spiri-tual works of mercy.Learn to sing a Good Friday song or two: Stabat Mater; Were You There; O Sacred Head, Surrounded; etc. You can find the music on the internet.

Activity with ChildrenGet a large bowl of water; a glass bowl works best, but any bowl will do. Have children drop in a few drops of different colors of food coloring. As they do this, talk about how the colors might look pretty at first, but then the water starts to look ugly. This is how it is with sin: We turn from God and do something we know is wrong, but we do it anyway. The sins are ugly, like the water.

Then pour in bleach and stir the water to see the color clear. That is how it is when we go to Confes-sion and turn back to God. God grants us the grace that cleans our souls.

Holy Saturday Observe silence in the home.

Reflect on a world without Jesus. This is especially meaningful this year when so many are deprived of the Sacraments during the virus.

Don’t indulge in any entertainment, like video games or social media.

Pray the second day of the Divine Mercy Novena.

Watch our STM Vigil Mass online at 8pm. The Vigil readings tell the story of God’s plan of Salvation. 1

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