Holy Week is here! This is the most important week of the year in which we focus on the central mysteries of our faith, of reality itself! On Tuesday, most priests of the Diocese and a large gathering of religious and laity will gather to celebrate the Chrism Mass where the Bishop will consecrate all the oil that will be used throughout the diocese this year. They are the Oil of the Sick (Anointing), the Oil of Catechumens (For Baptism and the OCIA Journey), and Sacred Chrism (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. The Bishop likes to joke that it is the Church’s yearly oil change! On Holy Thursday, we remember and celebrate Christ’s institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood. On Good Friday, we solemnly remember Christ’s death. On Holy Saturday we acknowledge his descent into hell to redeem all who had died before his passion and resurrection (The Harrowing of Hell), Then at the vigil and on Easter Sunday we celebrate his glorious resurrection, which changed everything forever. It is the point in history around which everything revolves.

At the Easter vigil we have the exciting and beautiful opportunity to have a number of people being received into the Church. Lindsey Hamilton and Abby Tandina (7th grade HF School) will receive all three sacraments. Lindsey’s children, Jessica and Cameron will receive Baptism and Eucharist and her youngest, Michael, will be baptized. Then Ingrid Dimarino is baptized and will be Confirmed. Please keep them all in your prayers this week as they prepare to receive their Sacraments and undergo a great transformation in their lives.

In this Holy Week, let us increase our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let us create spaces of silence and inactivity… prayer, so that we can pay attention and listen more intentionally to God who speaks to us and desires to share himself with us.