“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck him repeatedly. Once more Pilate went out and said to them, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.’ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, ‘Behold, the man!’”
Dear Parishioners:
We begin Holy Week today on Palm Sunday. This year, thanks be to God, we are able to gather in Church, receive palm branches and worship our Savior in Church, not from our living rooms. Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year, for it is now that we will commemorate and remember the last week of Jesus' life on this earth.
These are the days leading up to the great Easter Feast. The Lenten season of sacrifice, penance, fasting, and self-denial is about to come to an end, but this coming week is extremely important for all Christians. The greatest focus of the week is the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the events that led up to it.
The Church has celebrated Holy Week as early as the fourth century with profound solemnity and deep devotion. It begins with Palm Sunday, which marks Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Palm branches are blessed and we have a solemn entry into the Church. However, the central feature of Palm Sunday is the proclamation of the Gospel of the Passion of Our Lord. It is the only Sunday of the year the entire Passion is read. We listen devoutly and reflect prayerfully upon the account of our Savior’s suffering and crucifixion.
The Sacred Triduum begins on Holy Thursday, as we reenact the Lord's Last Supper, which He shared with His apostles on the night He was betrayed and arrested. This is one of the most beautiful and solemn liturgies of the entire liturgical year. On this night, our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Priesthood. Our Mass of the Lord’s Supper at OLM is at 7:00 pm and the Church remains open until Midnight for prayer before the Altar of Repose as we recall our Lord’s time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
On Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord, we have the veneration of the Cross. We reverence the Cross in order to show honor and respect for Christ's sacrifice for our sake. There is no consecration of the Eucharist on this day, and the Communion we receive is from the Holy Thursday Mass.
We will mark our Savior’s crucifixion with Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm, the very hour our Lord is thought to have died. And then at 7:00 pm, we celebrate the Solemn Service of Good Friday with the Veneration of the Cross.
Holy Saturday is a day of silent prayer and devotion as we recall our Savior in the tomb. We keep watch for the expectant rising of Our Savior. Only one Mass is permitted on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil. It is the Mother of all Vigil Masses and begins after sundown at 7:30 pm on Holy Saturday.
We begin in darkness and bless the new light as we rejoice in the Light of Christ Risen! Those who have been preparing are fully received through Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the glory of the Resurrection and rejoice the tomb is empty and the Lord is Risen!
We have scheduled Masses at 7:30 am, 9:00 am and 10:30 am for Easter Sunday. The OLM School Cafeteria is available for any overflow and a large screen will air Easter Mass live for those gathered there. This should accommodate everyone who wishes to come to Mass in person on Easter Sunday. Holy Communion will be brought to the school for those participating from the cafeteria.
It is hard to believe that just one year ago our Church was locked and we celebrated Holy Week with just the priests and sisters of OLM. The Sacred Triduum, standing at the heart of the Easter season, is an intense immersion in the fundamental mystery of what it is to be Christian.
During these holy days, we suffer with Christ so that we might rise with Him at His glorious Resurrection. Holy Week is a time to clear our schedules of unnecessary activities. Our minds and hearts should be fixed on Jesus and what He did for us. Let us bear the Cross so that may be worthy of wearing the crown He wore.
St. Bruno reminds us: “While the world changes, the Cross stands firm.” Holy Week 2021 our Churches are open! Come to the Triduum and have a Blessed and Prayerful Holy Week! Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless.