Today we hear the powerful account of Jesus’ last days and final moments. We use the word “passion” to describe the time between the Last Supper and his death, which is exactly the gospel that we will hear today, this year from Luke.
The word “passion,” which comes from the Latin word passio actually means suffering. But we also use the word “passion” in other ways as well, such as the intense drive we feel within us about something we believe with all our heart. Love, in the classical sense, is a passion. And love is directed outward.
And so, as we hear the Passion of the Christ proclaimed today, and again on Good Friday, we can’t help but think of the intensive love that Jesus has for human beings, which drove him forward, step by step, to the cross…for us. It was God’s will, but then God is love (1 John 4:8). What Jesus did was out of love for you, me and all those who discover that a relationship with God is a relationship that we simply want to have forever. Jesus opened the way.
The passion narrative will end with Jesus being laid in the tomb. But, as we know, it’s not the end of the story. To complete the story, we’re given…
…An Open Invitation
Easter Sunday: A Day to Finally Sing Alleluia!
Bring your family and friends to help us celebrate the joyful feast of Easter and the Lord’s Resurrection.
As in the past, we anticipate a large crowd for the 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM Masses. As such, we’ll have a second Mass at these times in the Parish Ministry Center. Please note that we will not have a 4:30 PM Mass on Saturday or a 6:00 PM Mass on Sunday.
Please welcome back our Pastor Emeritus, Fr. Bob Rizzo, who will celebrate the 10:45 AM and 12:15 PM Masses in the church!
Please join us as we celebrate Holy Week, and especially the Triduum: the three holiest days of our year that form one story, one celebration of Jesus’ love for us.
On
Holy Thursday (7:30 PM) we’ll enter into the evening of the Lord’s Supper to witness the institution of the Eucharist and the model Jesus gave us to serve one another. Following the Mass, we’ll have time up until midnight to visit Jesus in the garden as we adore his Eucharistic presence in the tabernacle.
On
Good Friday (3:00 PM) once again we’ll enter into the Passion of our Lord and will venerate the cross—the great icon of faith, hope and love. At 7:30 PM, we will pray the Stations of the Cross, reliving Christ’s journey to Calvary through the eyes of St. Paul.
At the
Easter Vigil (7:30 PM) we’ll experience the joy of the resurrection and the witness that Christ is alive, especially through the lives of those who will be baptized and those receiving the sacraments of initiation for the first time. It’s the holiest night of the year and the first opportunity to sing the song we’ve been longing to sing all through Lent.
If you’ve never experienced the Triduum—these three holy days—please consider it. It’s a remarkable Catholic experience that confirms Jesus’ greatest passion—a life with us that’s never meant to end!