A Word from Your Pastor April 14 - Passion (Palm) Sunday

Dear Parishioners:

Lent has moved right along.  We are now in the midst of the most solemn celebrations of our Catholic Faith.  Easter is the most important event in the history of the world.  Please take time to appreciate that fact.  Thank the Lord Jesus for what He has done for us.  Give Him time this week.  He gave His life for us.  The suffering and death He endured was a powerful expression of His Love for God and for us.  We owe Him everything.

The schedule of events for Holy Week is full of wonderful moments.  As your Pastor, I invite you to let this year be the year you choose to experience as much as you can.  Bring members of your family to the different liturgies of Holy Week.  Individually, these liturgies open our eyes and hearts to important aspects of our Faith.  Experienced in succession, they offer us a way of interiorizing a more profound understanding of the full Paschal Mystery.  It is one thing to hear about what Christ did and to have a vague idea of the way the first Holy Week unfolded.  It is quite another to discover from the inside the depth of Christ’s Love by taking time to reflect and pray about it through the liturgies of the Church.

I want to highlight three opportunities:  The Chrism Mass on Tuesday at St. Joseph Cathedral is an impressive gathering of the Diocese of Columbus surrounding the Bishop.  Since this is Bishop Robert Brennan’s first Holy Week with us, it is an opportunity to get to know him and to learn something of his vision for our diocese.

The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper is followed by a procession and then about three hours of prayer in the Presence of the Eucharistic Lord.  Plan to spend some time with the Lord as He invited His disciples to do the night before He died.  Don’t miss an opportunity to let Him know you are willing to keep watch with Him for an hour.

The Solemn Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is the most impressive Mass of the year.  If you have been there before, you already know this.  If you have never come to the Easter Vigil, let this be your year.

Wherever you may be during these days, remind yourself of the Passion of the Lord and be ready to let out a true cry of joy on Easter.  The Resurrection of Jesus is the single most important gift of God.  It is worth our attention!