This week welcome to the Catholic Olympics otherwise called Holy Week. In a sense, this is my first Holy Week here at Holy since last year we were on lockdown. It was the strangest Holy Week ever.
Obviously, Holy Week begins today with the celebration with the clumsy title of Palm Sun- day of the Lord’s Passion. The Church walks us through the entire narrative surrounding the circumstances of Jesus’s execution and death. It is drama of the highest order and it never fails to remind me how deep was the love that gave us new life.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we will have our regular morning Masses. I espe- cially like Wednesday’s title, SPY Wednesday focusing in on the betrayal of Jedas.
There will be no morning Mass here at Holy on Thursday. Instead I will be heading down to the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass. At the Chrism Mass, the Holy Oils are blessed (Oil of Catechumens, Oil of the Sick, and Chrism) as well as the priests gathered renew their priestly oaths. Last year, I had to watch on livestream. It was not the same. Then in the evening at 7 pm we will have the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Traditionally here at Holy the second graders who will be making their First Communions later next month will process with me as the Eucharist is reposed. It is one of my favorite celebrations. I espe- cially like the Washing of the Feet, which we will still do in a modified form. (no worries, I will have been fully vaccinated by then.)
On Good Friday we will have two services. First, we will have Stations of the Cross at 2 pm on Friday afternoon. Stations of the Cross are a wonderful devotion where one literally walks the way of the Cross around the church.
We have brilliant stations which are built into our glorious stained glass. It is best cele- brated when the sun it out. That evening at 7 pm we will celebrate the Lord’s Pas- sion with Good Friday services. My favor- ite part of this event is our General Interces- sions in which we pray for the entire world.
We will have a “socially distant” Veneration of the Cross because of the pandemic.
Finally on Holy Saturday night we will cele- brate our Easter Vigil. We have one individu- al getting baptized and another received into the church. That service will begin at 8 pm. (Don’t yell at me, we cannot start until after sundown.) My favorite part of that ser- vice is the Service of Light. If you have nev- er been to a Vigil, come on out. It will be great!!
Then the next morning we will have our regular schedule of Masses. At this point we will still be socially distant and masks will be re- quired. Come and join us for one or all of these celebrations and let’s complete the Lenten season in grand style.