From palms to passion

Dear friends, we have begun the celebrations of the Lord's Paschal Mystery.  The liturgies of Holy Week are among the most beautiful and most meaningful occasions for us to enter once again into the passion and the resurrection of Jesus.  This Palm Sunday liturgy is unfolding in a way that is very different from the liturgy that we are used to experiencing.  Life has changed for many of us over these past few weeks and months.  The continual presence of this new coronavirus has necessitated some dramatic changes in all our lives, and the constant threat of illness and death which has struck so many of our brothers and sisters has made this year's experience of Holy Week all the more significant.

The liturgy of Palm Sunday began with Matthew's account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Seated on a donkey and a colt, Jesus made his way into the city while a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road (Mt 21: 7-8).  Like them, we want to celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry.  We want to greet him with words of rejoicing.  We want to call out: Hosanna to the Son of David! (Mt 21: 9), but while we are so enthusiastic, we must also admit that we sometimes have doubts.  Jesus wants to enter into our hearts, especially during this week, so that he can reassure us whenever we must face difficult moments.

While we are limited in the number of people who can be physically present for this particular celebration, we have blessed palm branches today, and these branches will be available for our parishioners to collect and to keep in their homes as is the tradition in all Christian homes as witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ our Messiah and King and in his Paschal victory.  Those who wish to receive palms from this celebration are asked to come to the church on Sunday morning from 9:00am until noon.  Please respect all rules of social distancing as you come up the stairs of the church.

On Holy Thursday evening, we will live stream the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper.  We invite you to join us on Facebook beginning at 7:00pm as we commemorate that moment in time when Jesus gathered with his disciples to celebrate the Last Supper.  The social distancing that has been imposed at this time will not allow us to gather physically for the celebration of the Easter Triduum, but we will still be able to listen once again to the story of that day when Jesus washed his disciples' feet and commanded us to wash one another's feet.

On Good Friday, we will install a large cross outside the church.  We invite you to come and to spend a few moments in prayer before the cross.  You can recite the Stations of the Cross or you can pray the rosary or you can simply spend some time in silent prayer.  The cross will be in place from 10:00am until after the afternoon liturgy is complete.  Beginning at 3:00pm, we will be together again via social media in order to commemorate together the moment when Jesus died on the cross.  This liturgy too will be live streamed on Facebook, allowing us all to partake once again in that ultimate moment of self sacrifice when Jesus gave his life for us.

On Holy Saturday, we do not gather during the day.  It is as though the whole world is sleeping with Jesus in the tomb: as we wait in anticipation for the fulfillment of Jesus' assurance that he would rise from the dead. There is a surreal character to the day, but as darkness descends, we will gather again to keep vigil, to watch and to wait.  The Easter Vigil will be live streamed beginning at 8:00pm.  Please join us if you can for this beautiful liturgy.

In the early hours of the first Easter morning, the great miracle of the Lord's resurrection was made known to the women.  Like them, we too will gather to celebrate the great joy of Jesus' triumph over death.  The Mass for Easter Sunday will be live streamed beginning at 10:00am.

The liturgies that we will celebrate this week mirror the truths of the lives we lead here on earth.  We are constantly moving between experiences of doubt and darkness into encounters that fill us with faith and hope.  In the midst of the darkness of these days, let us boldly celebrate and give thanks for the gift of our faith in Jesus Christ who suffered, died and rose to new life.