APRIL 1, 2007

Budding thoughts in the Spring:

1. Holy Week begins today with Palm Sunday. I have on my desk about half a dozen liturgical books and memos from the diocese mandating all the rituals and rules for the performance of each ceremony. When Jesus got his parade into Jerusalem, everybody just spontaneously grabbed a branch to wave, threw their cloaks on the ground, sang and shouted, and in general had a great time enjoying themselves. I wish we could get away with that kind of off-the-cuff celebration. It would be more fun!

2. A number of years ago, there was a big international uproar about our non-Catholic president being caught receiving communion at a Mass in South Africa. Does anybody remember when the non-Christian mayor of Pittsburgh made her "First Holy Communion" at the hands of our Bishop at the a former mayor's funeral? That was caught by the TV cameras as well - albeit not as universally viewed. Most of the on-the-street type people seemed to have the attitude at the time "It was wrong, but cute." In the case of the president, it seems that reactions was "It was wrong, and an outrage!" I wonder if Jesus Himself reacted so differently to the two cases. Let's see, at the Last Supper there were Peter, and James, and John, and Judas, and.....

3. The last thought reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. At the Last Supper, Jesus looked around at Peter who would deny Him three times that night, Judas who would hand him over to the soldiers, James and John who constantly agitated about being His favorites, the rest who would scatter and be absent from the march to Cavalry. Jesus called the waiter over and whispered to him with a heavy sigh "Separate checks, please." Of course, the bill was settled for all of our sins - Judas, Peter, the mayor, the president, you and most of all, me - when Jesus hung and died on the Cross. That is what Holy Week is about, and it ain't no joke.

4. There are many extra services this Holy Week: the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday at 6:30 PM, with the Mandatum ceremony and the keeping vigil with the Lord in the altar of repose until midnight; the Good Friday Stations at Noon (Living Stations with our youth group at St. John of God, the traditional Three Hour one at St. Catherine); the Liturgical Commeration on Good Friday at 6:30 PM with the proclamation of the Passion, the adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion; the blessing of Easter food at noon on Saturday; and the high point of all litugies, the Easter Vigil (8:30 PM at St. Catherine, 9:30 PM at St. John of God). None of these things are an obligation (like Christmas or All Saints Day.) But it is funny how they are often more popular than some of our holydays. I hope we get huge turnouts at both parishes. These are the High Holy Days of our Catholic Christian Faith. Let us observe them with communal joy. See you in Church (lots) this week.