A Letter from Fr. Paul - March 25, 2018

Ministry opportunity of the week: Holy Week services are inspiring and commemorate central events in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior. Invite others to come WITH YOU to the 7 pm services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, as well as the Easter Vigil at 8 pm on Saturday.

As space is being prepared for Kingdom Prep, the class pictures have been removed from the hallways near the cafeteria. But don’t worry: they are safe! Fr. Mike Hoffman, SDS will make digital copies of them this summer and we are discussing how/where they can be displayed for those who want to stroll down memory lane.

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. Mark. 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.

Then come the three days called the Sacred Triduum: 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. Joe and Michelle Phillips, who have been attending the 8 am Mass for a number of years, will be confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time at the Holy Saturday service, coming into full communion with us. Welcome!

Please join us for the special liturgical celebrations of the Sacred Triduum at 7 pm on Thursday (with the washing of feet) and Friday (with the veneration of the Cross) 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.