Today begins the most dramatic week of the entire year. It starts out with such great joy and festivity; Our Lord enters into Jerusalem with such fanfare among the Hebrew people. Such high hopes, here is the Messiah who is to come at Passover time; He is riding not on a great stallion like a king or a general, rather on the back of a mule? From the heights of excitement “Hosanna Son of David! to the depths of calling for His death, “Crucify Him,” how fickle humanity is. God will not be mocked, He has the final word on things, “Alleluia!” we always need to remind ourselves that in the end, God wins and the good, the true and the beautiful will outlast evil, falsity and ugliness.

Unlike Holy Week 2020, we can come into Church and experience the beauty of the Liturgies of Holy Week
this year.

Tomorrow March 29th is Reconciliation Monday. Confessions will be heard from 4 PM-8 PM.
The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the Altar for private adoration and prayer during that time.

On Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM and Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM, we will also pray Tenebrae Service. There will be individual programs for each day. Tenebrae is similar to a wake service for the Lord.

Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper beginning at 7:00 PM
We will enshrine the Holy Oils for the year. Cardinal Dolan will bless the Oils on Tuesday of this week. There will be no ceremony of the Washing of Feet this year. Also, sadly, there will be no Eucharistic procession and no Repository this year.

Good Friday: Service of the Lord’s Passion beginning at 3:00 PM
The Adoration of the Cross will take place from the pews. The Cross will be held aloft longer for silent and general adoration. There will be no outdoor stations through the town this year. Stations of the Cross at 8:00 PM on Good Friday evening.

Holy Saturday Vigil beginning at 8:00 PM
The Easter Candle will be prepared and blessed at a private ceremony. There will be no bonfire or procession into the Church, the new Easter candle will be solemnly lit in the Sanctuary and the Exsultet will be chanted. No individual candles will be used for the Mass. We will read only three Old Testament readings this year instead of the usual seven.

Easter Sunday
The first Mass of Easter will be a Mass at Sunrise at 6:30 AM. It will be a quiet Mass with no music. The rest of the Schedule is 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM with Choir and 12 Noon. We will have an additional Mass at 1:00 PM.
There will be no 5:30 PM Mass on Easter Sunday.

The Easter Holy Water will be blessed at a private ceremony; individual holy water bottles will be available to take home.

We will try to have all the Masses and ceremonies conclude within the recommended 60 minutes. The main ceremonies will be livestreamed on YouTube and from our website: smparish.com

Our Easter faith, reminds us what our Lord said to us, “I am with you always,” He promised! St. Paul reminds us “all things work for the good, for those who believe.” So, we don’t dwell on our sadness, or our troubles, or our worries. We are an Easter people.

We are people of hope and trust.