Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;

 

Next week, we celebrate Passion Sunday and enter into Holy Week and the three holiest days in our liturgical year:  The Triduum.  Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Celebration of the Lord’s Passion and the Easter Vigil constitutes the Triduum.  I want to invite you to participate in these sacred days and rituals because within them lies the heart of our faith and our tradition.  On Holy Thursday when we assemble for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we enter into the Triduum.  This is our opportunity for remembering the Last Supper and origin of the Eucharist.  On this evening we will listen to the proclamation of the Gospel where Jesus washes the feet of his Apostles and we will continue to honor this moment by washing the feet of our Saint Joseph’s Community.   After the consecration we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to our parish hall which will have been transformed into a chapel you may visit and pray in throughout the night.

 

On Good Friday our liturgy continues at 1:00 P.M. in the church where we will gather in silence.  We will listen to the proclamation of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and venerate the cross.  The intention here is to embrace the symbol of the cross and all it means for us as a Church and as individuals.  Feel free to approach the cross and venerate it in whatever way you feel comfortable or appropriate.  You may decide to genuflect before the cross or to kiss the surface.  You could bow before the symbol or lay your hand or your forehead upon its surface as a sign of sharing in the mystery and power of its meaning for us all.  In accordance with the guidelines of the Roman Missal, the sacraments are not celebrated on this one day of the year; rather, we will distribute the Eucharist, consecrated the night before.

 

At nightfall on Saturday, the Easter Vigil begins.  On this night we remember Christ’s rising from the dead and by keeping watch the Church awaits Christ’s resurrection and celebrates it in the sacraments.  We remember that on this night – death was vanquished and life became victorious.  This night is therefore called, “the Lord’s Vigil,” because it is celebrated most devoutly throughout the whole world in honor of his resurrection.  Within the context of this celebration there is an Easter fire, flowing water and holy oils poured over the new members of our faith community receiving the Sacraments of Initiation.  It is for us as Catholics the greatest night of the year.

 

Every day in which we gather as God’s people we explore, celebrate and reverence the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, however never with the quality, attention to detail and artistry of expression that we bring to these three holy days.  I hope that you will make every effort to join us during this extraordinary time.  As we prepare to enter Holy Week together, may we find the God of mercy who transforms us from all we have been, into people of light, courage, wisdom and holiness.

 

 

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor