With the celebration of the liturgies of Palm Sunday, the Church enters the week in which we will celebrate with the greatest solemnity and the greatest joy the Paschal Mystery. We will recall moments in history when the chasm between heaven and earth and that between time and eternity were bridged. Looking back through the rites we celebrate grants us strength and insight to understand the moment in which we live, and orients us to the future in time and eternity as we are called through Christ’s dying and rising.
A year ago we could not gather in St. Peter’s Church for these holiest of days. We adapted by accepting the invitation of St. Patrick’s Parish to participate in their liturgies which could be live-streamed for viewing via the internet. I remain ever grateful for that invitation and experience! This year we are able to gather in St. Peter’s Church for the Sacred Triduum, observing as we have been certain guidelines that remain in effect in this time of pandemic. You will note in the announced schedule of each day’s solemn celebrations this year will include a solemn celebration of the Stations of the Cross, beginning at 3pm on Good Friday.
Our intention is not to place ourselves effectively “back then” when these Mysteries were revealed, but to allow our senses to open and unleash our hearts, our imaginations, our souls to Him who has done all this and reveals them now!