Entering Into Holy Week

A religion teacher once shared her philosophy of education with me: “There is only one thing I need to teach: God loves you more than you know. If children leave my class knowing that, I have succeeded. If not, I have failed.”

God’s essence is love. God can do none other than love. If you have ever doubted that reality, we stand now at the beginning of a week that reminds us of its truth in powerful, stark, and beautiful terms. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

This week, we are invited to walk with God’s own Son through his passion, death, and resurrection. We take one step at a time, absorbing the many lessons in each day, culminating in the Sacred Triduum. We start the week with Palm Sunday, reflecting on the turn of things as Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem for the Passover, only to then be arrested and condemned as he heals on the Sabbath, overturns tables in the Temple, and challenges the Pharisees. All of these actions culminated in his betrayal by Judas, the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion, the burial, and finally the resurrection. We recall all of these events during this Holy Week. The principal liturgies for the Triduum are Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7 pm, Good Friday Veneration of the Cross at 3 pm, and the Easter Vigil at 8 pm.

On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper marks the institution of the priesthood,
commemorates the mandate of Jesus to serve others through the washing of the feet, and above all, celebrates the institution of the Eucharist: “Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said: 'Take, eat; this is my body'. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins' " (Mt 26:26-28).

As St. John Paul II noted of this moment, “God's new and eternal Covenant with man is thus written indelibly in the blood of Christ, the meek and mild lamb, freely sacrificed to atone for the sins of the world. At the end of the celebration, the Church will invite us to remain in prolonged adoration of the Eucharist, to meditate on this extraordinary and incomparable mystery of love.”

On Good Friday, we contemplate the Cross of Christ. A day of fasting and abstinence, this sacred day is meant to draw you into the heart of the one who suffered for you; it is on the cross where the Father's mercy and love are fully revealed. Mary, Queen of Peace invites you to the outdoor Stations of the Cross at 1:30 pm and then into the liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at 3 pm. The heart of this liturgy is veneration of the Cross, not as a symbol of death, as St. John Paul II said, “but as a source of authentic life. On this day, charged with spiritual emotion, the Cross of Christ is lifted up upon the world as a banner of hope for all who in faith welcome its mystery into their lives.”

Holy Saturday follows Good Friday as a day of quiet contemplation on the mysteries we have just encountered. It is a silent day at the tomb, a day when we are caught between discouragement and hope. When the sun sets on this day, the true Light of the world will break forth at the Easter Vigil, and once again we will sing of the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, and we will rejoice in meeting the Risen Lord. This year at Mary, Queen of Peace, we have 56 individuals who will be either Baptized, Received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church, and/or Confirmed/Receive First Communion at the Vigil. Please pray for them as they enter the last week of prayer and reflection before receiving the grace of the Sacraments. Each of them had their own reasons for joining the OCI (Order of Christian Initiation) journey and discerning the truth of Catholicism, but there is a common theme to their stories. A love for the Mass and our parish family at MQP is often what invites people to join the Church. Please join me in welcoming these new members to the practice of the faith at the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil begins at 8 pm with the blessing of the Easter Fire. 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.

I entrust myself to your prayers, and rest assured that I always carry you in mine. I hope we live this Holy Week with great intensity and celebrate the Easter Triduum in grace, more than ever aware of God’s abiding love.