A Letter From Fr. Paul -- April 9, 2017

I trust most of us have successfully completed the One Percent Challenge. Congratulations! I hope it has begun a life-long habit! In The Invitation, which you should have received last week, I gave some suggestions for how to select scripture readings to continue this habit. The newsletter is also on our website. If you are not receiving e-mails from the parish (one of which contains the newsletter), please visit our webpage (www.stpiusparish.org) and sign up.

Today we begin the celebration of Holy Week with the remembrance of Jesus’ solemn entry into Jerusalem; the joy does not last long, though, as our Gospel reading is the Passion according to St. Matthew. Monday the Gospel presents Mary washing the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume, prefiguring His death and burial; Tuesday Jesus predicts that someone will betray Him and Peter will deny Him; Wednesday we are presented with Judas accepting 30 pieces of silver, as well as the beginning of the Last Supper, with Judas leaving to fulfill his obligation of betrayal. The entire Gospel on Holy Thursday focuses on the washing of feet, emphasizing something we so often forget: the Eucharist is given to us as food to enable us to give our lives in service to others. Good Friday we remember the death of Jesus, especially through the veneration of the Cross. Finally, on Holy Saturday evening, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, renewing our baptismal commitment to model our lives after the life of Jesus, bringing God’s love to others.

Please join us for the special liturgical celebrations at 7 pm on Thursday and Friday and at 8 pm on Saturday. It is a wonderful way to put an exclamation point at the end of our Lenten preparation for renewing our baptismal commitment, as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.

-- Paul James Portland, SDS