We live in a post Christian world.  There was a time when Sunday morning was sacred time and no sports activity would begin, no stores or bars would open until after noon on Sunday.  In my youth no stores or amusements would be open at all on Sunday in Ocean City, N.J.  Families would stroll on the boardwalk on Sunday evenings in their church clothes.   There was a time when Holy Week was holy and there was no need to guilt people into participating in the most important liturgies of the year.
But we have competing priorities these days.  For example, today is the final day of the Masters Tournament in Augusta and you might guess why the good priests from B.C. are celebrating Mass on this Palm Sunday morning instead of your pastor.  If you guessed that I am at Augusta National celebrating Mass for some of the members and club workers you’d be correct.  Oh the hard choices we have to make when there are competing priorities. I love you all, but this is a priority that I’d like to keep for as long as it lasts.  But as I’ve observed, we live in a different world these days, and you can tell by the folks that flock to the beach or to breakfast on Sunday morning that even here in the Bible Belt worshiping the Lord is no longer a priority for most people.
So, I rejoice when I see a family who takes their relationship with God and his Church seriously.  On Easter day 2015 the Swayne family was faced with competing priorities. That day Alexandra Swayne from Maineville, Ohio, was a competitor in the Drive, Chip, & Putt Finals at Augusta National.   She had to get up extra early on Sunday to be at the course for a 7:30am starting time.  I know our Catholic faith is important to Alex and her family because even though they were away from home they attended our Good Friday Service at St. Mary on the Hill.
When I returned from my hospital rounds on Easter afternoon, I had to pick up something from the parish office.  I normally didn’t return to the office on a Sunday afternoon.  As I walked towards the office I was surprised to see a woman sitting on the ground with her back up against the parish hall.  I asked if I could help her.  She explained that she was Alex’s Mom and each of the four family members had found their own quiet place to meditate for a few minutes on the Resurrection of our Lord.  They had been hoping to find the Church open, but the doors were closed because of our special Easter schedule -- this was the only Sunday afternoon of the entire year that the Church didn’t have a 5:30pm Mass.  They were so disappointed that they could not be in Church on the most important day in the life of a Christian and they were trying to make the best of the situation.
The Swayne family, Mom and Dad, Alex and her sister came together, and I asked if they would like to receive Communion.  They were overjoyed and could not thank me enough for the opportunity to receive our Eucharistic Lord.  We had a simple little prayer service and they told me that as good as the experience of being at Augusta National had been, receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament had really made their Easter Sunday.
Oh by the way, Alexandra Swayne turned out to be an Augusta National champion.  She won in her age group, Girls 14 – 15 and appeared with Sir Nick Faldo on the CBS Morning News the next day.  That is an awesome thing.  But in my opinion Alex and her family will always be champions of faith, which to me anyway is even more awesome.
So, I am asking you to be champions of faith during this Holy week that we enter into today.
Lent ends on Holy Thursday with the start of the Solemn Pascal Triduum.  These liturgies besides being the most important of the year, are also the most interesting.  I hope you’ll make every effort to participate in them.

Fr. Jerry Ragan
   
 •     Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord – Holy Saturday at 8:00 pm