Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we embark upon the most sacred days of the Church’s year. Over the course of this week, we will walk with Jesus as He accomplishes the mission for which He united Himself to our humanity. Palm Sunday invites us to begin this important reflection. Jesus in triumph enters Jerusalem, the holy city of God where in just a few days, the same jubilant crowds that rejoiced to see Him arrive will condemn Him to the ignominious death of the cross. We read the Passion Gospel today to set the tone for the week. This is the week in which we go with Jesus to Calvary, and it is the crucifixion which must be at the center of our thoughts.
As we consider the cross of Christ, we are reminded that Jesus endures the cross for our sins, and by His suffering, wins salvation for us. Jesus gives us the means to benefit from the Passion in a special way in the sacrament of confession. Monday of this week is Reconciliation Monday in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and the sacrament of confession will be available in various churches throughout Fairfield County from 3 PM – 9 PM. Here in Fairfield, confessions will be available at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Please take advantage of the opportunity to receive the Lord’s mercy this week! In addition to Monday, we have confessions here at St. Pius X on Wednesday from 7 – 8 PM, and on Saturday from 4 – 5 PM.
The Church’s observance of Holy Week enters a new stage on Holy Thursday with the beginning of the Paschal Triduum. On Thursday, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, in which the institution of the Eucharist and of the priesthood is commemorated. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper takes place at 7 PM. After Mass, the Eucharist is carried in solemn procession to an altar of repose, which symbolizes the Garden of Gethsemane. At the altar of repose, we keep a vigil watch, praying with Jesus as the Passion begins. A beautiful traditional practice on Holy Thursday evening is to visit various altars of repose at nearby churches. A complete list of those churches is included in this bulletin.
On Good Friday, no Mass is celebrated. We will begin the day with Morning Prayer in the church at 8:30 AM, and will pray the Stations of the Cross at noon. At 3 PM, the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion takes place. In this unique liturgy, we come face to face with the crucifixion, and venerate the Lord’s cross. In the evening, we will pray the traditional office of Tenebrae, a service in which the growing darkness invites us to meditate more deeply on the time Christ is laid in the tomb.
On Holy Saturday, we experience a strange stillness and quiet as we await the Resurrection. The day begins with Morning Prayer at 8:30 AM and continues to a blessing of Easter foods and baskets at 10 AM. We are preparing for the great celebration to come. That great celebration is the Easter Vigil, which begins after dark at 8 PM. During this solemn Mass, catechumens are baptized, and Christians are received into full communion with the Catholic Church. Please note that there is no 5:15 PM Mass on Holy Saturday.
These are the most important days of our liturgical calendar. I encourage you to participate in any and all of the liturgies, especially any that you have never been able to witness. I especially urge you to come to the Easter Vigil at 8 PM on Saturday. It is a long celebration (2 hours and change, if it’s done right!), it is true, but worth every minute. Just as the season of Lent has challenged us to take another step in our relationship with God, so Holy Week challenges us to accompany Jesus to Calvary, to meditate on the mysteries of our salvation, and to venerate these events with gratitude, perhaps in a way unlike any we have experienced before. May this week be for you and your families, an experience of God’s saving grace and the merciful love of our Savior.
Peace,
Fr. Sam
