Category: Reflections

Weekly pastor’s post (April 21 – 27)

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Phew! Between being gone on vacation to see the eclipse and spending last week with my brother priests in preparation for the next stage of Partners in the Gospel, I am ready to be back to a normal(ish) routine at the parish…. though I’m dreading the inevitable onslaught of deferred messages and tasks. Ah well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On top of the regular routine of life, preparations for the upcoming transitions at my current and future parish assignments are taking up a LOT of my time. Though I have been able to touch base with my successor here at Saint Mark parish (Father Cody Ross) and my predecessors at the Catholic communities of the Olympic National Parks region (Father Randy Guarino and Father Peter Adoko-Enchill), details & questions abound! Decisions need to be discerned, discussed, and made about living arrangements & Mass schedules – decisions that must be sorted well before July 1st so that they can be communicated and prepared for in advance.

Yesterday I wrote up a brief reflection on priorities and mission in the process of discerning change. I’m reminded of what I call “The Three ‘M’s’ of Madness: Music, Money, and Mass times”. Any priest – heck, any regular Catholic – can testify to how a community will go mad at the prospect of changing (or even discussing, often) one of these parts of parish life! Let us be sure to pray for each other as we discern these and other important changes, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide our deliberations and open our hearts to what the Lord has in store for us.

A photo of three oil stocks on display behind glass
The three holy oils on display – image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

April 21 – Congratulations to our three parishioners who were confirmed this Sunday at the 8:30 am Mass. These parishioners were part of our adult faith formation program but couldn’t join in the celebration at the Easter vigil Mass. Let us pray and praise God for all of those who received the sacraments of initiation over the last few weeks!

A painting of Saint George in the background on a horse attacking a dragon on a hillside by the water, with a woman fleeing in the foreground. From the heavens, the Lord looks down with rays emanating outward

April 23 – Today is the optional memorial of not one but two saints: Saint George & Saint Adalbert. Saint George is perhaps most famous as having confronted a dragon, recounted in The Golden Legend (a collection of hagiographical saints stories). Saint Adalbert was a bishop of Prague who faced great opposition in ministry. Read about both of them at Catholic Culture.

April 24 – Born in Sigmaringen, Germany, Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen – whose feast day is today – was a lawyer who joined the Capuchin Order. He was such a powerful preacher that after his death, he was proclaimed the patron of the propagation of the faith. Read about him at the Capuchin Franciscan’s website.

A print of a winged lion with a scroll unfurled in front of and around its legs, representing the apostle Mark

April 25 – Today is the feast of Saint Mark, the patron of our parish and author of the Gospel of Mark. The symbol of the lion is taken from the imagery of the prophet Ezekiel, especially because of how the Gospel starts (the voice of John the Baptist – crying out in the wilderness like a lion’s roar. Read more about him at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Microsoft Office PowerPoint logo from 2000 to 2003

April 26 – From 6:30 to 9 pm, the Young Adults group is hosting a PowerPoint party in Sullivan Hall. If I remember right, the only rules are that presenters limit themselves to 10 minutes or less and offer a presentation on something they’re passionate about! Read about PowerPoint parties at Microsoft’s tech community.

A color line art picture of people gathered around an altar as incense rises above them to heaven before the three Persons of the Trinity, Mary & Joseph, and all the saints & angels.

Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week

Remembering our deceased priests

  • Father Joseph Conway (April 21, 1948)
  • Father Thomas McEnnis (April 21, 2012)
  • Father John McMahon (April 25, 1984)
  • Monsignor Henry Boltz (April 27, 1970)
  • Father Williams Fisser (April 27, 1938)
A black and white line art drawing of Christ the judge enthroned within an arch with angels seated on pillars to His right and left with stars behind him.

Mission-oriented – planning the beginning with our end in mind

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Image courtesy Archdiocese of Seattle (used with permission)

As concrete preparations begin for the next phase of Partners in the Gospel, the question of mission takes center stage in discernment and discussion. What I am coming to realize that what appears to be a singular question is in fact multifaceted. To my count, there are actually three questions of mission:

  • What is the mission of a parish?
  • What is the mission of a parish priest?
  • What is the mission of parishioners?
A black and white illustration of two anchors sitting upright, with a chain leading off of one into a coil on the ground
Anchors: good for preventing movement! What are ours?

Anyone who is active in the life of a parish has experienced the implicit answer to these questions: that the mission is to keep what we have. The parish needs to hold fast to its position and practices, as it has always done. Father needs to stretch a little further so that parishioners doesn’t suffer any changes. Parishioners need to give and volunteer more so that the parish stays afloat. Rinse & repeat, ad nauseam. With maintaining the status quo as the highest priority, entire communities get caught in an ever-tightening cycle centered on what is known, familiar, or preferred.

The cost of this inward-looking focus is high: difficulty finding new volunteers, diminishing finances, shaky or even in-crisis ministries, and – most importantly – decreasing numbers of practicing Catholics (laity and clergy) in our archdiocese…. to say nothing of evangelization! We can see for ourselves the truth of Archbishop Etienne’s statement in his July 2023 pastoral letter, “The status quo is no longer an option. The realities of our situation call for a new response — indeed, for a re-envisioning of parish life.”

We know – at least in our minds, if not our hearts – that preaching and reaching heaven is our goal. Saint Paul’s words to the Corinthians remind us that “the world in its present form is passing away1“! But while we are here on earth, our lives are ordered – each according to their proper vocation – towards eternal life with Christ. And this is where the rubber really hits the road. Because if our end is heaven, then we have a starting place to consider what our mission should be here on earth. We’re not looking back at what was or even at what is; we’re looking forward to that which has yet to come!

Christ sits atop a cloud next to Mary, with the sun behind Him. Saints and angels are reclining all around Him, seated on clouds themselves

In my next post – later this week – I am going to talk about changes coming to my new parish family (Parish Family 49) and the decisions needing made before July 1. These decisions are bound to touch on aspects of parish life that are near and dear to everyone. Let us prepare for good discernment by keeping our eyes focused on heaven and our hearts open to the movement of the Holy Spirit as we re-commit ourselves to the mission Jesus lays before us.

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:31 ↩︎

(re)Introducing the weekly pastor’s post!

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Almost a year ago, I started a series at the parish website – a weekly pastor’s post. I quickly found that I enjoy the opportunity to research saints I wouldn’t otherwise celebrate or know, muse a bit on topics that didn’t quite fit the bulletin or in a homily, highlight current events in-parish and out, or learn about odd trivia for a given date.

With the announcement of the upcoming priest transitions in Partners in the Gospel, it occurred to me that this was a good time to move over to my personal blog for this kind of thing – that way I can continue doing these while not necessarily obligating my successor to do so when he arrives in July. I usually post them on Mondays or Tuesdays – I hope these offer a pleasant way to start the week!

P.S. I’ve added a new feature to these posts – the week’s priestly anniversaries and necrology. Please spare a moment to pray for these priests this week!

Drawing of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine meeting with The Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

April 16 – 779 years ago today (1245), two Franciscan envoys left Lyon as missionaries to Mongolia. Giovanni da Pian del Carpine and Benedict to Pole were the first Catholics to make this trip. Upon his return, Carpine was the first European to give an account of a Mongolian court! Read about them at the Central Minnesota Catholic website.

Image courtesy Archdiocese of Seattle (used with permission)

April 17 – Please pray for all of the pastors the archdiocese today through Friday as we gather together in preparation for the next phase of Partners in the Gospel. As you might imagine, we share in the anxieties and hopes of every Catholic in the archdiocese! Know of our prayers for you, too, during this time.

A volume of the Liturgy of the Hours in Belarusian, open to one of the offices

April 19 – Though I am away, our parish school will nonetheless gather at the normal time in the church for prayer. Since the pastor is away (that’s me 😬), the school will be praying Lauds or Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Though clergy and religious are required to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, all Catholics are encouraged to enter into this liturgical practice regularly. If you’re intimated by the books, consider using an app! I highly recommend iBreviary and Divine Office – both of which have browser versions and apps for iPhone and Android devices.

April 20 – This Saturday (and Sunday) kicks off the Saint Mark parish ministry fair! Organized by one of our pastoral council members (thank you, Paul!) and staffed by representatives from our parish ministries, programs, and groups, this is an opportunity for every parishioner to see, celebrate, and support the good work that is done year-round in our community. Especially as we prepare for the new pastor & vicar of our parish family, we need folks to help ensure that these efforts may continue to thrive and grow! Read about it in the parish bulletin (page four).

A color line art picture of people gathered around an altar as incense rises above them to heaven before the three Persons of the Trinity, Mary & Joseph, and all the saints & angels.

Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week

Remembering our deceased priests

  • Monsignor Gustave Achtergael (April 14, 1943)
  • Father Hervey Vanasse (April 14, 2001)
  • Father Joseph Doran (April 15, 1964)
  • Father August Banasky (April 15, 1985)
  • Father John Koehler (April 15, 2013)
  • Archbishop Thomas Connolly (April 18, 1991)
  • Father Patrick Donnelly (April 19, 1968)
  • Father Francis Jones (April 19, 1936)
  • Father Joseph Simon (April 19, 1959)
A black and white line art drawing of Christ the judge enthroned within an arch with angels seated on pillars to His right and left with stars behind him.

Light shining in the darkness – an eclipse on the Annunciation

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Image courtesy Margaret Maurer (used with permission)

The day after Easter, I left for Austin, Texas with my family to see the eclipse along the path of totality. My parents, having witnessed this in 2017, invited me shortly thereafter and have been pretty enthusiastic evangelists for the event since then. Having only seen partial eclipses, I admit that I wasn’t entirely convinced that this was all that it was cracked up to be. Added to that was the forecast here in Texas: thunderstorms all day on April 8, with thick cloud cover anticipated well before the eclipse was to take place (~1:30 pm CST).

But having come all this way from Washington after all, we decided to give it the old college try. We made our way to the small town of Dripping Springs and – after enjoying a hour or so of the eclipse fair the town was putting on! – found a nice set of bleachers to witness whatever we could see as the moment drew near. And the Lord did not disappoint!

Though the predicted clouds did indeed turn up, they cleared up for a total of probably 10 minutes – the perfect 10 minutes, starting with an unobstructed view of the final moments of the moon’s movement into place. And with my special eclipse glasses still on, my first impression seemed to be accurate – I literally couldn’t see what the big deal was! Thankfully, my mom snapped me out of it as, between her own delighted exclamations, she called out “take off your glasses – take off your glasses!”. Rather sheepishly, I did.

And just like that, the splendor of the moment was laid bare. The moon, for that oh-so-brief period of three minutes – blocked out the majority of the sun’s light. We sat in a strange, almost mystical twilight – not exactly dark, but an odd dimness that was everywhere I looked. But of course, the real beauty was found in looking up at the sun.

A silhouette against the sun, the moon enabled us to look directly at it without fear of damage to our eyes – and because the sun’s brightness was mostly blocked, we could see more details rather than less. Apparently this eclipse was special due to increased thermal activity – and those flares were visible around the bottom edges of the moon, giving the appearance of a ruby gem1 at the 5 o’clock position of the wavering ring of sunlight around the moon. That ring of sunlight was distinct and sharp – we all marveled at how clearly we could make out both the moon’s shape and the shifting rays from the son. For three brief minutes, we could gaze directly at the sun and wonder at its glory. And so we did.

By virtue of having landed during Holy Week this year, the solemnity of the Annunciation was transferred to this same day. One of the words of the archangel Gabriel rings out as especially appropriate: “overshadow”. Despite the miracle Gabriel is describing with this concept, we often see it as a negative. Being overshadowed calls to mind a zero-sum game – one person shines while another is diminished. Whether it is at work, in our family, or among our friends, being overshadowed by someone else is not something to be sought after. But Mary, not suffering from pride or ego, simply says ‘yes’ – and light entered into the darkness of our world.

The light of Christ is intimidating. For us sinners, drawing close to Him – just looking at Him – is painful. But by Christ’s gift from the cross itself, we have Mary. And in a manner of speaking, she now overshadows Christ – placed by His divine providence between ourselves and Him as intercessor & guide. Thanks to her intercession, we find ourselves able to look more directly and see more clearly the glory & splendor of God. In contrast to the Lord, she is but a silhouette – we barely see her at all! – but because of her position & role as Jesus’ mother, we can make Him out more clearly and in greater detail while we are yet still sinners.

What a strange contradiction, that the Lord would go to such lengths to both enlighten the world and at the same time voluntarily allow Himself to be diminished! But in doing so He both offers salvation from darkness while also easing us into the brightness of eternal life.

As my parents were several years ago, I find myself continuing to marvel at what I saw this Monday, April 8 on the Solemnity of the Annunciation. I suspect I will be recounting the experience for a long time to come. I am particularly grateful for the way this celestial event points to a supernatural reality: that the Lord continues to provide for our sin & weakness – allowing us to turn toward Him and see His glory while we are yet in the valley of the shadow of death. By His grace, we will one day be able to see Him face to face – but even now we see glimpses of the glory to come, if we have the courage to look to the Lord.

  1. Just before totality, these diamond-looking visuals are called Bailey’s Beads. The red lights are prominences – which is a fancy word for solar flares! ↩︎

The next step of Partners in the Gospel – priest transitions

Across the archdiocese, announcements are being made at every parish about priest transitions. On one hand – and I’m surely not alone in this! – it is good to finally have priest (re)assignments known publicly. On the other hand, this is another benchmark where things get real: major changes are coming and we can’t pretend otherwise.

Adding to my own mixed feelings is the fact that I am on away with my family in Austin, Texas this week and next – we’re here to see the total solar eclipse, a trip we’ve been planning since my folks saw the last one in 2017. Even two thousand miles away, our hearts & minds (and conversations!) are enmeshed in all that is happening and to come with Partners in the Gospel. Who will our priest(s) be? What will our parish(es) look like? How will our communities change? Even with some of those questions answered this weekend, there is a lot that has yet to be discerned and revealed by the Lord.

It may be providential that we are reflecting on these questions at the tail end of the octave of Easter. Surely the Apostles were wondering these things at Christ’s death, but all the moreso at His resurrection. Though a wholly joyful event, His return must have raised new worries and anxieties. What will happen next? If Jesus is willing to suffer and die for His Father, what might He ask of us? Surely things won’t be the same as before…. but what does that mean going forward?

With the advantage of time & hindsight, we know that everything did change – with great fruitfulness even where sacrifice & suffering was required. But before that was demanded of the Apostles, Jesus made sure to spend personal time with them, to repeatedly console them – “peace be with you” – even when that meant walking through locked doors to find them where they were huddled in fear.

Jesus I trust in you…. mostly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Despite any unease about what the future might hold, there is great peace to be found, if only we will spend time with the Lord. I know that I have spent – and will spend many more! – hours before the Lord in prayer, sometimes with great serenity, other times with great restlessness. But His message remains the same: “peace be with you”. Though it is hard to accept the ambiguities the future holds, the Holy Spirit is here with us now. As best we can, may we entrust ourselves to the providential care of God, confident that regardless of what comes next, He is actively caring for and guiding us.

Click below to read the letter from Archbishop Etienne as well as my own letter, both shared with my parish at all the weekend Masses:
– Archbishop Etienne’s letter announcing the new priests of Parish Family 12
– Father Maurer’s parish letter regarding priest transitions
– Archdiocesan appointments for Partners in the Gospel

Easter Vigil in the Holy Night & Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

Happy Easter! We have, at long last, reached the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord. And what a series of celebrations we have had, between the Easter vigil and the two Sunday morning Masses!

As I told the servers before Mass, the Easter vigil is the most solemn, the most important Mass of the entire liturgical year. It is our great privilege to be ministers of the mysteries we celebrate this night – and we do our best to do so with reverence, care, and attention to detail.

And there are a LOT of details. The first half of the day, in the morning, was spent in rehearsals. The servers and I spent and hour & a half going over the Mass, from top to bottom. After a brief break – fueled by several pizzas from Dominos – those to receive sacraments of initiation ran through their own rehearsal of the rites of baptism & confirmation.

When the night finally came, things fell together wonderfully. I won’t say that it was without a few hitches – not the least being my voice beginning to give out! But the Mass was beautiful. I have many favorite moments, but the most mystical one was during the Exsultet. Inside the church, illuminated only by the candles held by the congregation and the altar servers, with the smoke of the incense floating above us, the history of God’s plan for salvation was sung. This is one of the great highlights of the liturgy for me, and one I look forward to throughout the year.

We continued on with the Old Testament readings – proclaimed in the darkness. When we finally reached the seventh and final reading, the gloria was proclaimed and the lights came up. Servers lit all the candles in the church while bells rang out. At last, the light of Christ has dispelled the long dark night of Lent! I was struck by the contrast of extinguishing the candles at Tenebrae (the Service of Shadows) and lighting them anew at Easter: death & darkness do not prevail.

For the first time in a long time, we had baptisms and confirmations at the Easter vigil. I think my face is sore from how much smiling I did throughout – these folks were ready! They were so excited to be baptized and confirmed, and their joy was contagious. As I look through the photos of the night (thank you, Hope, for taking them!), I find myself smiling all over again.

All in all, the Mass was nearly three hours long – but it felt like it moved far quicker than that. And at the end, no one rushed out to leave! Thanks to the generosity of many parishioners, we had a wonderful reception afterwards – home made coconut macaroons (so good!), cake, fruit, sandwiches, sweets and more.

While I can’t pretend I wasn’t dragging a bit on Sunday, both of the Easter Masses were lovely – and packed! Special kudos, by the way, to the many volunteers who came back to serve on Sunday mere hours after the Easter vigil! There were a lot of naps being taken Sunday afternoon, I’m sure 🙂

Of course, Easter is not ended but rather, just beginning – we have a whole octave of celebrations, each day of which is a solemnity! And the entire Easter season – running until Pentecost – is fifty days. May we use it well, rejoicing in the graciousness of our Saviour, praying for all of those who received the sacraments of initiation, and proclaiming the Good News: He is risen, He is risen indeed!

Procession to the Easter fire
The Easter fire
Sharing the light of Christ
Preaching
Celebrating baptism & confirmation
Sprinkling the community
Incensing the altar
Take this all of you and eat of it
We made it!
Altar servers after Mass with Father
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Of all of the days of the Triduum, Good Friday is the most intense, both figuratively and practically. Practically speaking, I find it to be the most physically taxing of days. In addition to the normal routine at the parish school (drop-off & prayer), we have morning prayer in place of Mass, the school Passion play, the Tre Ore service with confessions between the Seven Last Words & the accompanying brief homilies, Stations of the Cross, and (at last) the Good Friday service of the Passion of the Lord. It is fitting that the day weighs so heavily, though it can not compare with the weight of the cross or that of our sins.

Between the various services and prayers, I was struck by how many people not only came to the church but how many of them stayed. Good Friday is not a holy day of obligation, yet the church was never empty – and for the three hours of largely silent prayer and confessions, the crowd of people only grew. When the Stations of the Cross at 3pm concluded, I had to (gently!) chase people out of the church so that we could close up and prepare for the evening.

But the most affecting moments – from where I sat, at least – were in the Good Friday service of the Passion of the Lord. During communion, the choir sang a haunting arrangement of “O Come and Mourn“1, and I know I wasn’t alone in responding in kind. But the height of mourning came while the congregation came forward and the choir sang the Reproaches. I found myself joining in the refrain: “My people, what have I done to you? Or how have I grieved you? Answer me!”

The only answer we have is the one of the Good Thief – begging Christ’s mercy even while accepting that it is our own sins that merit the cross. And so we enter into the long night of His death, awaiting His reply.

2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – the trial of Jesus
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – the trial of Jesus
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus carries His cross
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Mary and Simon of Cyrene meet Jesus
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus is crucified
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus is mocked on the cross
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus is mocked on the cross
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus is taken down from the cross
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – the body of Jesus is taken for burial by Joseph of Arimathea
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – the body of Jesus is wrapped and buried
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Mary prays at the tomb
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – departing in silence
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – departing in silence
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – departing in silence
2024 Passion play, Saint Mark – Jesus entombed
  1. I’ve been told that the arrangement sung by our choir was put together by our music director, Greg Teeter! ↩︎

Holy Thursday Mass of Lord’s Supper

Tonight we enter into the three-fold celebration of passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord: the Triduum has begun.

Our Mass tonight had it all: the presentation of the oils, a homily on the three-fold mystery of the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the call to service, the washing of feet, the procession of the Eucharist to the altar of repose, and the stripping of the altar. I was especially touched and grateful to the twelve guys – some of them children (and one baby!) – who said ‘yes’ to my at-the-door-of-the-church request to be among those whose feet were washed. I know that it is no small thing to allow someone else to wash you – especially your feet! – and I was humbled by vulnerability that was entrusted to me at this Mass.

Tonight’s Mass is not without sorrows. This is one of many ‘lasts’ here at Saint Mark and I especially feel that weight as we begin the Triduum together. I can’t help but wonder if this, too, is part of growing close to the Lord and feeling what must He have felt as He looked at His Apostles. He knew each of them intimately, their joys & sorrows, their struggles & triumphs, their virtues & vices. The Last Supper wasn’t just about sacraments and commissioning – it was a kind of goodbye. And this is reflected in our celebration – not just in the context of Partners in the Gospel, with all the changes it brings, but in liturgy itself. Jesus goes forth to die for us and we must let Him, if we are to be made whole.

In the meantime, the tabernacle of our church is empty, the sanctuary cleared of all ornamentations, and the altar laid bare – an icon of the invitation for us to do likewise. May we allow the sacrifice of Christ to work in us, that we may be cleansed and made ready to be filled with the gifts to come.

Tenebrae (Service of Shadows) at Saint Mark

The lone candle remaining lit at the conclusion of Tenebrae

As part of preparing to enter into the Triduum, we gathered tonight at Saint Mark parish for Tenebrae or the Service of Shadows. Over the course of an hour and a half, we chanted fifteen psalms – split into groups of three called nocturnes – with readings from the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, the writings of Saint Augustine, and Paul’s letter to the Hebrews between each nocturne.

As each psalm concluded, an altar server extinguished one of the fifteen candles set before the altar. Though the church was lit from without and within when we started, the shadows deepened as the service drew on and twilight fell.

At the conclusion of the Canticle of Zechariah, the fifteenth and final candle was removed from the sanctuary. Standing together in the darkness, the Christus Factus Est was chanted and the Our Father prayed. In the silence that followed, a loud noise – the strepitus 1– rang out in the church, signifying the closing of the tomb of Christ. The lone candle was returned to the front of the sanctuary and by its light, we left the darkened church.

I was introduced to Tenebrae in 2015, when my friend Thom Ryng (along with some interested parishioners) introduced me to the tradition. A sort of liturgical portmanteau of Matins & Lauds (Office of Readings and Morning Prayer, respectively), this used to be a staple of the Triduum – offered on Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. With the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, Tenebrae fell out of practice – though it has been experiencing a resurgence in many parishes.

Personally, Tenebrae is one of my favorite para-liturgical celebrations of Holy Week. As a pastor, I have been rather blown away by how well received it has been by parishioners – I would never have guessed that a mid-week hour-plus service of chanted psalms would inflame the hearts of so many! And yet, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised: who among us doesn’t long for a mystical experience of the Lord’s work among us?! Happily, this is not the last but rather the first of such opportunities to enter into the mysteries of Christ’s saving work.

May we continue together in prayer as we contemplate the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord.

  1. The strepitus, it should be noted, is produced at Saint Mark by an altar server slamming the sacristy door (a solid-core wooden door framed in steel) shut hard. This role is much-sought-after among the servers – and they relish the gasps of those caught off-guard at the noise! Though I was not among those gasping, close observers may have caught sight of the priest flinching ever-so-slightly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ↩︎

Preparing for the Triduum

As I write this, it is Tuesday evening of Holy Week – my day off landing smack dab in the quiet lull before the many liturgies to come. Here at Saint Mark parish, we had three Masses for Palm Sunday – the procession was at our principal Mass (10:30 am Sunday), but we also had simple processions at the Saturday vigil and 8:30 am Sunday Masses. Thanks to the many hands that go into our liturgical celebrations, our celebrations went without a hitch. The choir even had a lovely meditative piece at the conclusion of communion that captured well the joy and sorrow of the Passion we had heard earlier in the Mass – it was as beautiful as it was haunting.

Christ's entry into Jerusalem by Wenceslas Hollar
Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, Wenceslaus Hollar

As familiar as this week is, I nonetheless find myself at least a little (if not a lot!) overwhelmed both in the minutiae of each liturgy and the emotions they elicit. The gospels for Palm Sunday (from Mark, since we’re in Cycle B) had a couple of particular moments that stood out for me – I found myself unexpectedly empathizing with the owner of the colt Christ used to enter Jerusalem. While my irritation might (probably?) would have transformed to a sense of honor eventually, I couldn’t help but think of how frustrated I would be in his shoes! Similarly, I wondered about the owner of the upper room where the Last Supper was celebrated – what must have he thought when the disciples came and passed on Jesus’ words! Elizabeth Scalia, in a fictional imagining of that man & his family, paints a lovely picture of a loving family ready to share it for the Passover. I’m not certain I would be so welcoming of His request.

And this is the realization that has been coming to me as the Triduum approaches: how begrudgingly I allow the Lord to enter into my life, to re-take possession of the gifts He has entrusted to me. I know that He all-loving & good, yet I distrust and fear Him even as I desire to draw closer in relationship with Him. Despite my faith – and my priestly vocation – my heart is all-too-often afraid of what He might ask – or take, without asking! – of my life, of what I might lose from among all that I treasure.

Crucifixion by Eugène Delacroix
Crucifixion, Eugène Delacroix

Simcha Fisher wrote a reflection (“The temple Jesus purifies is the human heart“) and the last paragraph drives the whole thing home: Jesus’ work of purification can be summarized by the crucifixion. We are made whole by the wounds He takes on for us. He sees our suffering – suffering brought on by our sinful self-reliance – and takes it on Himself, so that we may suffer no more.

All that is left is to entrust our hearts – and their healing to Him. May we use these days well, taking time to walk the familiar way of the cross, renewing our invitation to Him to accomplish His work in us, that we make make a gift of our very selves.