Dear Friends and Parishioners,
It is Holy Week! We all enjoyed – together, in person, or virtually – a beautiful Palm Sunday. The start of the holiest week of the Christian year has begun. Much preparation has gone into this week, from liturgy to planning to music and so much more, and now we are about to journey through the Triduum of Easter! We are to focus, not on things earthy that fail, but instead, we will seek the things that eternally last. We will dive deeply within ourselves to find the true meaning of this year’s Holy Week. Therefore, if I may as a pastor and priest, give some guidance that may help us bring the depth, richness and the beauty of these days to life.
On Holy Thursday we will focus on the symbolic foot washing, the Mandatum. We will gaze intently at a simple basin, a pitcher of unassuming water, and a banal towel set before a man, woman, and a child. And, as always, all are welcome – gay, straight, white, transgender, divorced, married, addicted, recovering, rich, poor, lost, alone, afraid, bewildered, happy and content, and the exhausted. God will be there in our humble simplicity and intent. There will be a time offered to sit in a Chapel of Reservation after we process to Pange Lingua. Then, the assembly will depart in silence into the darkness and reflect and pray. We will welcome everyone back again the next afternoon for Good Friday.
The following afternoon, upon the shadows of the afternoon sun of Good Friday at 3:00pm sharp, we will center our attention on a simple, bright red cloth, dripping from the Altar Crucifix to the slender surface of the main Altar’s embedded relic stone, down her frail edge to the ground, where the blood will puddle for our sin; then, down the center aisle the blood shall flow as we listen to a dramatic reading and watch images of our Lord’s journey to the hardwood of the Cross, for us, the wicked and undeserving. There will be no kissing of the Cross at The Veneration. Only deep bows and kneeling to again keep everyone safe. We will depart, as we did the night before, in silence and darkness to pray that we will return the next evening for Holy Saturday for the Great Vigil of Easter.
Holy Saturday evening will find us gathered outdoors for The Great Vigil of Easter at 8:00pm. Holy Saturday will return to her greatness as in year’s past, as we proclaim God’s word and trust as we inspire 6 new souls to baptism and confirmation! So, perhaps even more moving and saving and yes, just as splendid to see others in the faith come to our faith!
We will sit in darkness after we bless the New Fire. We will dwell on our Salvific History surrounded by darkness pierced by the single light of the Paschal Candle, “Pax Vobiscum”, that is, ‘Peace be with You!”, and wonder how a God could save the likes of you and me. We will raise the lights at The Gloria and then march triumphantly as a people into the New Testament and Gospel proclaiming what we knew would come: Jesus lives! We will renew our Baptismal Covenant, but this tie in unison with the newly welcomed! This year we will remain dedicated to staying on point to honor life and faith by remaining vigilant.
Then, Easter Sunday is here! On Sunday we will gather for one of two Masses at 7:30am and 10:00am (Please note the time change!) and we will sing and revel in the Word and what God has brought anew! We will proclaim the alleluias and we will find strength and hope again in a world gone so dark and weary.
St. Francis once said, “Great and glorious God, and Thou Lord Jesus, I pray you shed abroad your light in the darkness of my mind. Be found of me, Lord, so that in all things I may act only in accordance with Thy holy will.”
May it be so as we gather simply into the Presence of God this Holy Week. This year will be intentionally different.
God’s peace is coming to you and yours and my family, too.
Monsignor +Jim
PS A Note on the collage I created! I am grateful, as always, to ICONART in Ukraine, whom we support each year with our prayers and financial gift for their art and artists. This collage is created from their Easter Exhibition and includes ANNA MAKAĆ “THE LAST SUPPER”, OKSANA ANDRUSHCHENKO “CRUCIFIXION”, ULYANA TOMKEVYCH “RESURRECTION. THE DESCENT INTO HELL”, ANNA MAKAĆ “LEMKO CRUCIFIXION”. Please support them at https://iconart-gallery.com/en/