A week of holiness
Podcast
Scripture references
Reflection
From the day of our baptism, we are all invited to experience the love of the Father. At different moments in our lives, God demonstrates his unfailing commitment and love through the people who are part of our lives: those who model for us the virtue of unselfish giving, and who in turn call us to give of ourselves so that others may know the power of love that is born of faith.
Throughout the past five weeks or so, Christians have been invited to deepen our understanding of God’s unfailing love. The Lenten season is an opportunity for us to listen anew to the voice of the One who first loved us, and who invites us to grow each day in our appreciation for this gift of love.
The events we commemorate during this coming week are reminders for us of the extent to which Jesus went to show us the love of the Father. He invites us to experience them, to allow them to change our hearts, and then to live them in our lives as we strive to be of service to others.
During these final days of Lent, let’s all try to listen again to the call echoed at the beginning of this holy season, ‘Change your hearts, not your garments’ (Joel 2:13). If we do, then perhaps we will be better able to appreciate the act of love that we live on Holy Thursday, as we witness the Lord’s great act of compassion, made visible for us in the washing of his disciples’ feet. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper will begin at 7:30 on Thursday night, and will conclude with a period of adoration which will conclude at 11:00 pm. If you are willing to commit one hour to praying before the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday evening, please sign up on the sheet at the main entrance to the Church.
Jesus gave us the Eucharist as a perpetual sign of his love for us, and as a tangible reminder that he never leaves us alone. The truth that we celebrate in the Eucharist is that He gave his life for us. On Friday of this week, we will commemorate his passion and death, his ultimate act of love. There will be two liturgies on Friday, one at 11:00 am and the other at 3:00 pm.
On Holy Saturday, the church remains liturgically silent, out of reverence for the Lord who lay in the tomb, but as the sun sets on Saturday evening, we begin a vigil of prayer as we wait for the celebration of the Resurrection. Saint Augustine referred to the Easter Vigil as the mother of all vigils. Beginning at 8:30 pm Saturday evening, we will bless a new fire, we will listen as the scriptures are recounted, telling the story of God’s great love for all his people, we will bless water which will be used to remind us of the day when the Lord called each of us to begin our journey of faith through baptism, and we will receive the Eucharist, God’s gift of love, given so that we might know the fullness of life.
In the morning hours of Easter Sunday, we will gather as the holy women of Jerusalem did, to look for the Lord. We will celebrate His Resurrection beginning next Sunday, and continuing for a period of six more weeks, ending with the Solemnity of Pentecost.
Each year, God issues an invitation for us to enter into his love as the liturgies of Holy Week unfold. Won’t you consider accepting this invitation?
