Palm Sunday
After Good Friday Mass of the Presanctified
Good Friday Tenebrae, during the Canticle of Zachary, just before the final light is hidden
Less the 24 Hours Later at the Bishop’s Blessing at the end of Holy Saturday Mass
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Bp. Dolan’s 2015 Lenten Retreat on The Joy of St. Francis
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Daily Sermons
March 23 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Throwing Off the Veils
March 24 – Bp. Dolan – God Provides Lunch
March 25 – Bp. Dolan – The Annunciation – Fiat
March 26 – Bp. Dolan – Tears of Repentance
March 27 – Bp. Dolan – The Seven Sorrows of the BVM
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
The Great Week has arrived, as the Church calls our Holy Week. It is ushered in by blessed palms and lots of people as well as a donkey, by a triumphant procession and the tragedy of the Passion, Christ’s betrayal by His own, and the redemption of all mankind. We begin this week with the best of intentions, to behave ourselves, to give of ourselves, to stay with Christ. Yet so did the apostles. Let us pray for fidelity, or at least humble contrition for our sins as we set on on this holiest week of the year. God grant you generosity and perseverance. Those who missed most of Lent should make up for it by making the best Holy Week ever. Ask St. Francis for true conversion before it is over.
Over fifty children came for their day of recollection, which included quiet time for reading and adoration, as well as the Solemn Mass and Vespers of the Annunciation, and a nice hot lunch with some time to socialize with their friends. I thank the school staff for their generous work and welcome, and the Fathers for their help. Most of the children were from our school or from our home schooling families. The children who need it most, those exposed to so many dangers in public or Protestant schools, were mostly absent. I thought sadly of those words of Our Lord: “To those who have, more shall be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” But still, we must never give up, but pray, rebuke, cajole and invite parents and grandparents to pass the Faith on to their children. In particular, let us make the most of the Sunday, missing neither Mass nor class without fail. It’s just so sad to see any of the next generation set up, before your eyes, to fail in the faith, make a mess of their lives, and perhaps even lose their souls. These are good thoughts for Holy Week, for reparation, for repairing harm done, for holy resolve. Without them Easter is just the outfit and the candy and the dinner, the dead pretending to celebrate the Resurrection. Work with me to reverse things! Let’s leave death behind.
Our holy pictures and statues are getting good repair this Lent. The Sermon on the Mount has been marvelously restored, as has The Assumption. Our Lady from the Calvary scene had her arm in a sling, as she suffered from the bad winter, as did St. John. But they’ve been stabilized with sand, and should now withstand. These figures not only mark us as a Catholic Church, but edify all around, as they are seen at a distance. May the Cross draw souls to this church, to Christ.
Let me thank in advance all of you who are working so hard this holiest of weeks to make it the wonder and gift it always is. May God reward you with choicest graces. Let me urge in advance our faithful to be faithful, and the lukewarm to show up, and everybody to be good this Great Week.
May St. Joseph bless you these last days of March, and lead you into the Triduum (the holy three days) rejoicing.
—Bishop Dolan