Bulletin for April 14

Dear friends in Christ,

Our celebration today on Passion (Palm) Sunday leads us into the most sacred and special season of the Church’s liturgical calendar, Holy Week. The palm braches we bless and carry today remind us of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. He comes not as a victorious king as some had hoped for, but rather as a willing servant that lays down His life for all. Truly He is a new type of king, one that the world had never seen. May these palms remind us of that entrance and, most importantly, what follows. Are we willing to go to the cross with Christ and die to the sin in our lives? If so, then this will indeed be a triumphant journey that ends not in death but victory and life-everlasting. But we must be willing to embrace the one and same cross of our Lord.

I urge you to make this entire week different than normal. Don’t simply go on with all the other tasks of the week and then rush to Mass on Easter morning. Enter into the beauty and rhythm of the week and I guarantee it will make a difference in your spiritual life. Let’s take a look at each day in Holy Week and the schedule of services here at CtR:

Monday, April 15, Tuesday, April 16, Wednesday, April 17:
These are the final days of the season of Lent. How has your 40-day journey been? Have you kept to your Lenten promises and sacrifices? Have you wavered or maybe even failed at times? Has it been, to use common language, a “good Lent”? If so, great. Stay the course these final days. But if not, fear not! There is still time to turn it around. Use these final three days to recommit yourself to the Lenten journey. Remember the three hallmarks of the season: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Work a little bit on all three. It’s never too late to have a “good Lent.”

Holy Thursday, April 18, Mass at 7 p.m.:
Lent ends quietly on Thursday morning and we begin the season of the Triduum with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper that evening. On this night we recall the Last Supper Jesus had with His disciples, and the Church celebrates both the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood. We do so in service to others represented by the washing of feet and the Eucharistic Procession and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass. We will process from the main church into the chapel to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight. As the Eucharist is at the heart of Catholic faith and the priesthood is forever tied to that sacrifice, this is a most special Mass for the life of the Church community. It’s a beautiful, prayerful service.

Good Friday, April 19, Service at 3 p.m.:
Darkness comes over the land as we remember the death on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our service begins at 3 p.m. with the reading of the Passion and the veneration of the cross that frames this day. I know that not all of you are able to come at the traditional time of 3 p.m., but if your schedule allows it I certainly hope you will make every effort to join us.

I would especially call your attention to our Good Friday service of tre ore (Italian for “three hours”) from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It’s a perfect time for prayer and contemplation. The church will be open for you to make the Stations of the Cross individually if you wish and there will be periodic Scripture readings, hymns and reflections. It’s a beautiful way to set the scene for Good Friday. Come early for the service and spend time at the cross. Remember that it is a day of both fast and abstinence.

Holy Saturday, April 20, Easter Vigil at 8:30 p.m.:
The morning is quiet as we contemplate and meditate on the death of Jesus Christ. There is a small prayer service for our Elect who are in the final hours of their preparation for entrance into the Church. If you do nothing else this Holy Week, please remember to keep in prayer these 16 brothers and sisters of ours, who will be baptized, and the 15 others who will make their full entry into the Church with a Profession of Faith. It is most vital that we as a community support them as they are initiated into the life of the Church. At 9:30 a.m. we will conduct our blessing of Easter baskets and Easter foods in the chapel. This is a nice little tradition we’ve had for a few years. It’s a good way to keep holy the commercial aspect of Easter. If your kids have Easter baskets, bring them for a blessing and bring your food items for your Easter table that you would like blessed.

The Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 p.m. is the highest, most holiest celebration of the entire Church year and I hope you will participate in it fully. It is a longer Mass, but I truly hope you will clear your night and celebrate with us. This is the night when time doesn’t matter. Come this year and give yourself over to the beauty and power of the Easter Vigil and experience the lighting of the new fire, the story of salvation history in the readings from Scripture, the baptisms of newest members, the oil of Chrism that confirms them, and finally the grace of Holy Eucharist of the Risen Christ! The empty tomb reminds us that He is risen from the dead. What greater gift could God give us? This is the night to shout to the heavens the triumphant cry of “Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Easter Sunday, April 21, Masses at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., with additional Masses at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11 a.m. in the Parish Hall:
This day of days dawns to find the crucified Christ risen in glory. It stands to reason that this is a day we must join together to praise God in the highest. Please note our Mass schedule is slightly different than the regular Sunday schedule: the last Mass of the day will begin at 1 p.m., not the usual 5 p.m. Please plan your schedule accordingly. The three Masses in the Parish Hall will not use incense, so if your allergies are troublesome, you might keep that in mind. As always we expect very large crowds. Let’s practice hospitality and be especially welcoming to visitors and newcomers. Give yourself plenty of time to get to Mass early (expect traffic), follow the direction of the police officers, and obey the parking signs (additional parking will be available next door at Cypress Gymnastics). It’s a great opportunity to show God’s love to everyone. The impression we leave may just be the thing someone needs to get back into a regular practice of the faith.

All of these great services and events of Holy Week and Easter do not happen without committed volunteers, staff and ministers. My special thanks to all who give so much of their time and talent in service to the community, especially our Liturgy, Music and Art & Environment departments. May God bless you. If you are an usher, greeter, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar server or lector, please double-check this week with the sacristans and your liturgical coordinators to assure that everything is covered. We will need multiple ministers at every Mass so please volunteer to help when and where possible. Above all let’s make this a prayerful week so that our “good Lent” will culminate in an even more glorious Easter!

Peace,
Fr. Sean