“…we are too weak to lift up our hearts to the heights of God. We cannot do it. The very pride of thinking that we are able to do it on our own drags us down and estranges us from God. God himself must draw us up, and this is what Christ began to do on the cross. He descended to the depths of our human existence in order to draw us up to himself, to the living God. He humbled himself... Only in this way could our pride be vanquished: God’s humility is the extreme form of his love, and this humble love draws us upwards.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, April 2011)

Please make every effort to join your parish community as it solemnly reflects upon and remembers during this “Holy Week” and the events of the “Easter Triduum” the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord. This is not just any week. This is a time that regular routine should cease, when possible, for the opportunity to stop and consider the redemption paid for the sins of each one of us.

Penance Services will be held here this Monday evening (April 2) and at St. Bede on Tuesday (April 3) both beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday’s service is the final scheduled opportunity for reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There will be no scheduled confessions on Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday. Please consider well whether your reception of the Eucharist at Easter will first require sacramental reconciliation.

The Church calls us to be attentive to the “Easter Duty” that requires all Catholics who are able to receive the Holy Eucharist to do so at least once a year particularly during the span of time that began with the First Sunday of Lent and continues through to “Trinity Sunday” (June 3). Please note that the reception of the Holy Eucharist might require a prior reception of the Sacrament of Penance (which is required if mortal sin is present).