Grace and peace – from him who is and who was and who is to come.

Many of us are good at balancing our schedules and duties. But even we can miss the significance of important moments when several things happen at once. So, here is a preview of the Holy Week offerings which are now upon us from a Catholic perspective and what we are celebrating, and why.

• Sunday, March 24 is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, the beginning of Holy Week, when the Church celebrates Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery – his suffering, death, and resurrection for the salvation of the whole world.
• Monday, March 25 is Reconciliation Monday. This is a perfect opportunity for Catholics within the dioceses of Long Island, Brooklyn, and New York to confess their sins. On this day, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m., a priest will be on duty in every parish to welcome you back to the Lord. No matter how long it has been for you, you will be guaranteed a warm and loving reception.
• Tuesday, March 26 at 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Cardinal Dolan will be surrounded by hundreds of priests at the Mass of the Chrism as he blesses the holy oils to be used in parishes this year. His priests will renew their commitment to clerical service. His Eminence always welcomes the laity.
• Thursday, March 28 is the last day of Lent and the start of the most important three days of our Church year. The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday night begins the Easter Triduum. This Mass recalls the washing of the apostles’ feet by Jesus, and his institution of the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. Many people come to church each day of the Triduum for the unique commemorations of definitive events in the life of the Lord.
• Good Friday is a solemn day of reflection and fasting, with the major church Service of the Passion of the Lord at 3 p.m., the hour of the death of Jesus on the cross. The Gospel account of his suffering and death is proclaimed, ancient prayers are offered, people come forward to adore the cross, and receive Holy Communion. Christians make this a quiet day, with fewer distractions and more thought about what Jesus did for us and how much he suffered to accomplish it.
• During the day, Holy Saturday has an anticipatory character as Catholic people get ready to celebrate the greatest night and most important observance of our liturgical year. Then, in the evening on Holy Saturday night, we gather in our churches to celebrate the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night – the solemn and joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. At this “Mass of Masses” we begin by extinguishing all lights and standing in darkness as a symbol of life without Christ. Then, a new fire is struck, and from that fire a very tall new candle is ignited, representing Christ, our Light. All baptized people hold candles, which are now lit from the one candle, and so we proclaim a hymn of exultation that Christ has conquered sin and darkness and death. Other parts of this most inspiring service, longer and more impressive than an ordinary Mass, include several lengthy scripture passages, and in many churches, the baptizing of adults and children. If you have never been to an Easter Vigil, this might be your year to come and be inspired.
• Sunday is Easter, our original feast, the day when Jesus rose from the dead. People overlay this feast with many brilliant symbols of new life, and so they show and grasp the truth that what was dead is now alive, what was sad is now joyful, that the cross was terrible to behold, but the empty tomb and the personal appearances of Jesus to individuals and groups that Easter and for the 40 days that followed means that Jesus is really alive. Thus, Christians want to be together and celebrate this awesome, life-changing event every Sunday of the year, but especially on this, Easter Sunday, the original feast.

When I was a pastor, I wanted to help my parishioners focus in advance on what was going to happen, so that they could prepare to enjoy the rich blessing of wonderful days with special contact with God. I hope this look-ahead helps you to have that, too. Life is more than work, and our present and future happiness is shaped by our acts of kindness and time with those we love.