Enter Into Holy Week
Since leading several retreats around the country focused on encouraging people to ENTER into Holy Week, I have come to a much deeper appreciation of the role Palm Sunday plays in these most sacred upcoming days.
Jesus ENTERS into the holy city of Jerusalem. He ENTERS into the institution of the Eucharist, his suffering, death, and Resurrection. We call this drama The Paschal Mystery. This Sunday, we take palms and hear two Gospel readings that help us to ENTER into the drama that includes people’s expectations that he would triumph over earthly kings. The week then has him celebrating a familiar Passover meal that he breathes new life into by identifying himself with the main physical elements – bread and wine. Then he is betrayed by his closest disciples. Then comes interrogation, condemnation, scourging, suffering and death. We have all experienced most of those challenges ourselves, perhaps not as dramatically, and in some cases, even more dramatically.
ENTERING into them means trying to connect them with our life, with YOUR life experiences. In other words, really ENTER into Holy Week this Sunday. Make a commitment to be ALL in and attend, participate, and engage in the drama of the week.
• Take Monday to review the BEGINNING of your faith journey.
• Take Tuesday to review the next steps you have taken in your faith journey.
• Take Wednesday to reflect on what has LASTED in your faith journey and consider if it will last for the rest of your life.
• On Wednesday evening, when Lent ends, review your Lenten journey. What kind of kindness, charity, fasting and extra prayer did you do this Lent? How was this Lent for you?
• Actively engage in Holy Thursday when we recall Jesus instituting the Eucharist and giving us an example of servant leadership by washing each other’s feet.
• Open yourself up to the drama and tragedy of Christ’s suffering and death on Good Friday. Allow our teens to guide you with their Passion Play
• Name Your Tomb
We thank John Horan and others from Catholic Extension Society for joining us this past weekend. John challenged us to name our tomb. He used the image of Jesus’ friend Lazarus being called out of the tomb by Jesus. Naming what entombs us is a profound spiritual exercise. You still have time to do it this week.
• Take Saturday to sit quietly and take all of this in. Go to a silent place. Be like a living person in a tomb where no one else can enter and be alone with God. What touched your heart the most during the dramatic events of the past week? Quietly offer gratitude to God in solitude.
• Attend the Easter Vigil, particularly if you never have. We will have more people fully initiated into the Catholic Church through Holy Family than we have had in many years. Adults get baptized, receive Confirmation and First Communion in the most beautiful liturgy of the entire year. It is very long, usually 3 hours or so, but the uniqueness and beauty of the Easter Vigil is unmatched. Please attend if you have not yet done so.
• Finally, celebrate the triumph of these events by sharing the joy that they give to the world, in gratitude, by celebrating the Eucharist with us on Easter
God is With Us
ValLimar Jansen inspired us all with her reflection at all Masses two weeks ago and her amazing talent for storytelling in a very engaging way during the three nights of the Parish Mission.
Her song God is With Us and the accompanying gestures will continue to be a part of our liturgical prayer here at Holy Family. The song says:
God is with me, God is with you, God is with us in this place. Before and behind, below and within, above and around God is with us. REMEMBER, the Mission is available to view on our website.
Lenten Social Justice Project
You also still have time to donate to this year’s Lenten Social Justice Project supporting Immaculate Conception Community in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. The church and school buildings were severely damaged in both the 2017 hurricane and the 2020 earthquake. Sue Geegan and I visited the community in January and found a group of very determined and faith-filled people. The community gathers in a tent in the street between the church and school which is a daily reminder of the devastation that has shaken them.
They are living the Paschal Mystery because they continue to flourish despite the challenges of limited buildings and other facilities. Please help them to experience new life, recovery, and renewal with your donation.