By the grace of God, we begin Holy Week. The gospels remind us that on this day, Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, and He is received with joy by the people who cheered Him with leafy branches and palms. He enters riding a tiny colt as a sign of humility and to show that His kingdom is not of this world; the people shout with joy: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest! (Mk 11: 9-10). It is the procession of a king. Only this procession is preceded by a different king; there are no trumpets, fancy clothes, or signs of wealth. The attendees were poor, and their improvised red carpet was made of capes and palm branches. Jesus invites us to enter this Holy Week with humility, desires for conversion, and contrition for our sins. We all receive palms as a sign of peace and hope, a sign that we have chosen to follow Jesus on the path to the Father. The presence of the palms in our homes is a reminder that we have cheered Jesus, our King, and followed Him to the cross so that we may be consistent with our faith and follow and acclaim the Savior throughout our lives. Please remember if you take palms with you, since they are blessed, they should be cared for with reverence.
Like last year, we will have Eucharistic Adoration on Holy Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. when the Eucharist is exposed in our Church. I invite everyone to come and pray in silence and meditate on the passion of Our Lord.
The season of Lent concludes with the beginning of the Triduum on Holy Thursday evening. On this night, we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood – I ask you for a special prayer for all priests, especially for myself and priests who have celebrated your sacraments over the course of your life – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be at 7:00 p.m. We begin with the procession of the newly blessed and consecrated oils, celebrate the washing of the feet, and conclude as we remove the Blessed Sacrament from the Church in procession to a special Chapel of Repose created in Fr. Jim Hall. There we will remain in adoration until 11:00 p.m. that evening.
On Good Friday, a day of penance, fasting, and reflection, we pray the Stations of the Cross at 12:00 p.m. and the Liturgy of the Passion services begin at 3:00 p.m. The later service involves the proclamation of St. John’s Passion along with the showing and veneration of the cross.
Holy Saturday is a day of silence and meditation; let’s imagine the Virgin Mary with a broken heart for the loss of her son. I invite you to pray the rosary commending all those mothers who have lost their children. At night, we will celebrate the Easter Vigil beginning at 7:30 p.m. I hope that many will participate. The Easter Vigil is the most important celebration of the liturgical year; it is the heart of the church’s life. I invite you to celebrate this holy night of the resurrection as a family but be mindful this unique and beautiful liturgy will conclude closer to 10:00 p.m.
Finally, I would like to inform you that the parish office will be closed starting Thursday, and we will reopen Easter Tuesday. Our staff and our liturgical ministers obviously put a great deal of time and effort into this week, so they all deserve some time to rest and enjoy. I entrust myself to your prayers, and rest assured that I always carry you in my prayers. I hope we live this Holy Week with great intensity and that you can celebrate the Easter Triduum in grace.
God Bless,
