Looking at One Week to Holy Week!

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent, which means that Lent is soon going to be over, and we will begin the great High Holy Days of Easter.  Palm Sunday (also called Passion Sunday) is next Sunday, April 13.   This is the day we have the first Gospel outside on the front porch of the Church, the Gospel about Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem with the people shouting Hosanna to the King and waving their palm branches.  During this Mass, we also read the Gospel of the Passion, Jesus’ suffering and death for us.   

The Sacred Triduum (3 Holy Days) begins on Thursday night of Holy Week (April 17) with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, washing of feet and Eucharistic procession beginning at 6:00 p.m.  We will then invite people to remain at the Altar of Repose to pray for some period of time, where the Holy Eucharist is enthroned until 10:00 p.m.  “Peter, could you not stay awake and watch with me for one hour in my time of need?”  

There is no Mass anywhere in the world on Good Friday, and we can “feel” that dearth as we go about our business!  Every other day of the year, at every moment, there is a Holy Mass being celebrated somewhere in the world…but not on Good Friday, the day Christ suffered and died for us.  We will have the Stations of the Cross at 12 noon, followed by Confessions being heard.   At 6:00 p.m. that evening, we will celebrate the Service of the Lord’s Passion, which includes the reading of the Lord’s Passion, the veneration of the cross and Holy Communion.  All people are instructed to depart in silence that night.   

Holy Saturday is supposed to be a quiet day of prayer and reflection, a day of “waiting” with great expectation for the Resurrection of Jesus!  As you may have read, Orange Crush will be happening that day on Tybee Island, so we may have to work harder to remain in silence and peace.   After consultation with our parish council, finance council and with Bp. Stephen Parkes, I have made the decision not to have an 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass Saturday night.  It will simply be too dangerous to be out on the roads at that time after Orange Crush, especially since the Easter Vigil begins outside with the blessing of the Holy Fire.  I am sorry that this decision had to be made, as the Easter Vigil is one of the most beautiful masses of the year.  

There will be three Sunday morning masses to accommodate the crowds wishing to attend Mass on Easter Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.  (Please note these times on your calendar)

It may be the fact that I am getting older, but passing through Lent seems to move faster and faster every year.  And the Good News of Easter gets better and better!  Remember that we will be celebrating Easter for fifty days, not just on Easter Sunday!  There is still time to double down, read the Sacred Scriptures, come to daily Mass, stop by the Church to pray…and just let Jesus know that you are grateful to Him…for all that He has done for us, all that He is doing and all that He will do one day.  

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again!

Fr. Brett Brannen

Pastor