Read this week's message from Father Don
Dear Friends,
On April 10th, two weeks from now, we will celebrate Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday), the beginning of Holy Week, the heart of the Church’s liturgical year.
Through five celebrations, the Church will immerse itself in the great mystery of Christ Crucified and Risen:
On Palm Sunday we will walk in procession carrying palm branches in honour of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem a few days before his death. Also at the liturgy, we will read the account of the Passion of Jesus from St Luke’s gospel.
On Holy Thursday we will celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper, recalling Jesus’ institution of the eucharist. After the homily, we will re-enact Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet, an expression of his humble service, given as an example for us to follow.
On Good Friday at 3 pm we will recall the death of Jesus upon the cross, his voluntary sacrifice through which he took upon himself our sinfulness and mortality. Venerating the cross will lead us to face-to-face with this frightening awesome mystery: God in the flesh, dying for our salvation.
On Easter Saturday, after nightfall, we will celebrate the Easter Vigil, an ancient liturgy and the first mass of Easter. It will feature the blessing of the Easter candle, several Old Testament readings, the baptism of adult converts and the first eucharist of the Easter season.
On Easter Sunday we will rejoice with the whole Church at Christ’s rising from the dead. Alleluia will be sung and the faithful will renew their baptismal promises. It will be a time of great celebration in the parish.
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The parish will celebrate these unique liturgies as one united people, for Catholic worship is always communal. Our prayer may be private and personal but worship is a shared experience. It is through our close relationships with one another that we are enabled to unite ourselves most fully to our Risen Saviour.
By his death and resurrection, Jesus has gathered to himself a vast community of followers, his chosen people, the Body of Christ. Let us rejoice that as members of All Saints Parish we are united to Christ and each other, and let us celebrate gratefully the empowering liturgies of Holy Week.
Love,
Fr Don