Holy Week is One of Greatest Blessings of the Catholic Faith

Welcome to this celebration of the great love of God! Today we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. We begin warmly welcoming Jesus our Messiah into the Jerusalem of our hearts, singing “Hosanna to the Highest!” and waving our palm fronds about. Then, a few short minutes later, we join the crowds as we participate in His passion and death for our salvation.

Of all the celebrations of the Church, this is one of the most profound. It mirrors the story of our lives. One minute we profess our undying love and devotion for the Lord and the following minute, contribute to His passion through our sins and failings. How fickle we can be!

Thankfully our God is merciful and loving and is ever ready to forgive us and to restore us to the promise of eternal life. We simply need to open our hearts to His grace and to walk in His footsteps.

Holy Week is one of the great blessings of our rich Catholic faith. Use it well. If you have done nothing at all this Lent, use this week to become a faithful Disciple of Christ. Prayerfully reflect upon the passion narratives in the Gospels, join us for our Holy Thursday celebration of the Lord’s Supper at 7pm. Afterwards, wait in prayer with the Lord in our Garden of Gethsemane. On Friday, you are invited to join the Lord as he carries the cross up the Via Dolorosa at 3 and 7pm. On Saturday, we wait with the women at the tomb. According to ancient liturgical tradition, there will not be a 4 or a 6pm vigil Mass. Instead, the great Easter Vigil will begin at 8pm. Easter Sunday Masses will take place at the normal scheduled times. Attend the complete Triduum; you will be blessed beyond your imaginings!

Please be sure to invite family and friends, neighbors and coworkers, classmates and teammates to join you for our Easter celebration. We welcome all to come home for Easter!

May God bless you and your loved ones!