Dear friends,
Lent is almost over! The next time we gather as Church for Sunday
worship, it will be for the great feast of Easter. But, between now and then, there’s a lot to
happen. On Monday evening, many of us
will gather at St. Matthew’s Cathedral (at 7:30pm) for the Chrism Mass, where
Bishop Rhoades will bless new oils for us to use throughout the year. Through those oils, God’s healing action will
be made present through sacramental anointing with the oil of the sick;
God’s welcome of children and adults wanting to receive His baptismal embrace
will be extended through use of the oil of catechumens; and the sacred chrism
will commission the newly baptized to serve God as priest, prophet and king,
will strengthen the gift of the Spirit in those being confirmed, and will
anoint the hands of new priests for service.
This is a moving service to which all are welcomed, but is especially
intended for priests to renew their closeness with their bishop before celebrating
the Sacred Triduum.
Triduum begins with the Celebration of the
Lord’s Supper (Holy Cross Church, 7:30pm). After receiving the new oils, we
will hear the gospel in which Jesus takes on the role of servant, bending to
wash his disciples’ feet and inviting us to enter into humble loving service of
another. Fr. Bob will present this
action bodily, washing the feet of twelve parishioners. At this time, all are invited to marvel at
God’s loving action in our lives and to discern how we might extend such care
to our neighbors. Even after receiving
this tender washing, we will hear how the disciples could not stay with their
Friend and Master as he was taken to his death, but scattered. The love and service received and invited by
Jesus are not for a heroic few, they are for those who can’t stay awake but one
hour, who run, who need to be washed, who need to seek the face of Christ in
those we need to wash.
The next day, the Good Friday liturgy (St.
Stanislaus, 1pm) presents the face of Christ to us, crucified. As I struggle to carry in a heavy wooden
cross, we are all invited to acknowledge the crosses we bear, that press upon the
pilgrimage we walk with Christ. We
marvel that Christ would offer us a share of his own cross, that he picked up
out of love for us. We embrace the
cross, because we know that by clinging to that cross we will rise with
Christ. Mere nails could not keep the
one who raised Lazarus from the dead on a cross: his love for us did keep him
there until it was accomplished, the same love that sustains us as we carry our
cross and allows us to stand with Mary by the crosses of others. That evening (Holy Cross, 7pm), we will
continue to meditate on this saving mystery through Taizé: song, silence and
prayer.
Then, we wait.
Suddenly, at the Easter Vigil (Holy Cross, 9pm), light will shatter the
darkness and the Easter Fire will illumine our lives. We will hear stories of God’s creative and
redemptive action. We will sing to the
Glory of God and rejoice in praise as our readings climax in the
resurrection. God loves us so much that
not even death can keep Jesus from being with us! We will remember and give thanks for our
baptism that joined our fate with his and celebrate Eucharist. The Church then gives us an octave: 8 days to
prolong that one shout of joy from the first fire of Easter till the last Mass of
Divine Mercy Sunday. If we needed
further reassurance of the extravagance of God’s mercy, I will enter that
octave a deacon and emerge a priest, to re-present that mystery daily. Come, join us to celebrate it powerfully
through these three days that we might all hold the death and rising of the
Lord deep in our hearts every day.
Happy feast!
Dcn. Adam.
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