Palm Sunday is one of the more solemn days of the year for us. It marks the entrance of Our Lord Jesus into Jerusalem where He will soon undergo His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Today is the beginning of the Holiest Week of the Year. We call this week “Holy” not because there are so many liturgies that we should all be attending, but because He went through everything we celebrate and makes us holy! “By His wounds we are healed.” His death and resurrection destroyed our eternal death and opened for us eternal life! He has sanctified us in all these events we celebrate and remember! We are reconciled to God and one another. We are made holy because of what He went through. We have life now – eternal life. We no longer have to fear death as death is not the end but a change of life for us who believe.
I invite you to join in the celebrations this week and walk with your brothers and sisters of St. James and with Our Lord in these liturgies! On Holy Thursday evening, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 6:30 PM with the washing of the feet and then we end with a Eucharistic Procession to the Altar of Repose where we spend time with Jesus in prayer. Good Friday, we begin the day with a Tenebrae Service at 8:30 AM and have Stations of the Cross at Noon. The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion is at 3:00 PM. Holy Saturday begins with Tenebrae Service at 8:30 AM and then culminates in the Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM.
These liturgies and services help us enter into the divine mysteries of our salvation, our faith, hope, and charity. They bring a richness to our life of faith and help us be a part of the life of our Lord Jesus. I hope you all can attend!
Easter Sunday masses will be at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM (in the church and the gym), and 11:30 AM. There will be many people here for mass on Easter Sunday, please be patient and welcome ALL who come to worship with us!
I wish each of you a Blessed Palm Sunday and Holy Week!
~ Fr. Dan Firmin
PS – Dear PGA, do you really have to play the Masters tournament during Holy Week? What is the harm of pushing it back one week? Is golf more important than God? (And this from a guy from Augusta!)