Dear Parishioners:
During his visit to Israel in March 2000, St. Pope John Paul II went to the Western Wall and left his message between the stones. The “Note” was subsequently placed for safekeeping in Yad Vashem’s Artifacts Collection in accordance with the wishes of the Pope. In keeping with the sentiments expressed at the ceremony in Yad Vashem, the Note appeals to God with a prayer for forgiveness for the Holocaust and a wish for reconciliation.
This week is Holy Week and also the Jewish Passover Holiday. Let us take a moment to remember our Jewish brothers and sisters. I was shocked and saddened to see the incidents of antisemitic graffiti found at three East Greenwich public schools. We must reject antisemitism, racism, and hatred wherever they raise their ugly head.
Speaking to the Jewish community in Rome, Pope Saint John Paul II made crystal clear the teaching of the Catholic Church on the brotherhood of Jews and Christians, the sinfulness of anti-Jewish hatred and prejudice, and the irrevocability of God's covenant with the Jewish people. He stated: "The Church rejects every form of discrimination and anti-Semitism. She condemns them as contrary to the very spirit of Christianity. She deplores all hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at any time and by anyone.”
We must also be mindful of the Christians and Jews living in the Holy Land this week. Public Holy Week Services there have been postponed, and Passover celebrations may be held in bomb shelters. After praying the Angelus last Sunday, Pope Leo called for an end to violence around the world, urging everyone to persevere in prayer because “we cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts.”
Hatred and violence call for prayer and love on our part. This is the week to take up prayer more intently. It is a week of great reverence and reflection that spans the final eight days of Jesus’ life—from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It is astounding how much wisdom, insight, and inspiration are available to us during this one week.
Ecce homo (Behold the Man) by Antonio Ciseri C1860
Palm Sunday, Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem. Monday of Holy Week, Jesus is anointed with oil at Bethany. Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus is troubled by his looming betrayal. On Spy Wednesday, Jesus is betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrates the Last Supper, prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, and is arrested. Good Friday, Jesus is sentenced to death, scourged, beaten, crucified, and dies on the Cross. Holy Saturday, Jesus is buried in the tomb and descends into hell. Easter Sunday, Jesus rises from the dead.
The history of Holy Week shows that Christians have always gathered to pray, reflect, and act out the heart of our faith. Jesus’ death and rising invite us to enter fully and faithfully into the story of Jesus’ last days. Holy Week draws us to feel with Christ as he endures his Passion, to be humbled when we see him wash our feet and feed us in the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, to stay with him as he hangs on the Cross on Good Friday, and to share his joy and life as he rises from darkness to light on Easter Sunday.
St. Josemaria Escriva said: “Holy Week cannot be a kind of ‘religious interlude’; time taken out from a life that is completely caught up in human affairs. It must be an opportunity to understand more profoundly the love of God, so that we’ll be able to show that love to other people through what we do and say.”
Join us for the sacred celebrations of Holy Week. Come to Mass on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Come to Confession on Spy Wednesday and be reconciled with God. Six priests will be available for two hours beginning at 6:00 pm. On Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, join us for Solemn Morning Prayer at 8:00 am.
Attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm as we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist and Sacred Priesthood. Feet will be washed, the Eucharist carried in procession, and Adoration at the Altar of Repose will take place until Midnight. On Good Friday, join us for Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm and the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at 7:00 pm. The cross will be venerated on the very day our Lord died upon it for us.
Join us for the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at 8:00 pm as we begin the celebration of Easter in total darkness and rejoice in the Light of Christ. We celebrate the Resurrection and new life in the Church with great joy. On Easter Sunday, join us at Mass as we celebrate the glory of the Risen Lord.
A blessed Holy Week!