Pastor's Pen - March 13, 2016

At all three of our Eucharistic Liturgies next weekend (3/19-20) you will receive an unblessed palm as you enter the Gathering Place. Please remain in the Gathering Place for the blessing of the palms’ ceremony. At the conclusion of that blessing everyone will process into the church remembering how Jesus processed into Jerusalem to face His passion and death. (If you have old, blessed palms that you wish to dispose of, you may bring them to church and place them in a collection receptacle in the Gathering Place.)

Start to calendar the Holy Week celebrations so that you take the time to join in all or some of these sacred experiences.

Tuesday of Holy Week (3/22): 7:30pm Mass of Chrism held at St. John’s Cathedral when the three Holy Oils are blessed and distributed to the parishes.

Holy Thursday – The Mass of the Last Supper, when the Eucharist was given to us and when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, leaving us two powerful messages for a meaningful life. We are to eat this “bread from heaven,” Jesus’ glorified Body and Blood, and serve one another. This Mass begins at 7:00pm.

Good Friday – The celebration of the Passion and Death of Jesus on the cross destroys the power of sin for those who are sorry. The service begins at 1:30pm and includes the reading of the Passion, Holy Communion and Veneration of the Cross.

Holy Saturday – The greatest liturgy of the entire year. The Easter Fire is lit and blessed outside. From that fire the Easter Candle is lit and processed in the darkness into the church. The Exsultet (the magnificent Resurrection Song) is sung. Our salvation history is proclaimed in a number of biblical stories. Then the waters for baptism are blessed and our baptismal promises renewed. Alleluias are abundantly sung. Mass begins at 8:00pm.

(Earlier on Saturday, at 12:00 p.m., the Blessing of Easter Foods takes place at St. Bruno Church. There is a tradition of bringing food to church to be blessed, food which a family will share on Easter, or food which will be shared with the less fortunate.)

NOTE: The Catholic Church does not allow a Mass of anticipation for Easter, so there can be NO Mass before dark on Holy Saturday. Therefore we are NOT permitted to have a 5:00 Mass of Anticipation.

Easter Sunday – The continuation of the Alleluias of Holy Saturday’s Easter Vigil. Masses are at 8:00 and 10:00am.

Please come and be part of these significant days. These are more than days of remembrance. They are the events of salvation and redemption that are still happening for us. Enter into the mystery of it all and experience the saving power of Christ.

Fr. Ralph