Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Today, the Church recalls the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. As he rode into the city on the back of a colt, many people waved palm branches and hailed him as king. Within a few days, however, those voices were drowned out by those calling for Jesus to be crucified. We will read the Passion of our Lord, according to St. Matthew. Please visit the parish website for the celebration of the Palm Sunday from St. Mary of the Lake.
Distribution of Palms
I will distribute blessed palms in the parking lot of the church at these times only (palms will not be available at the parish office):
Sunday, April 5:
10:00 AM to Noon
Monday, April 6:
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday, April 7:
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
I will be wearing gloves and hand you the palms through the passenger side window. You do not leave your car.
DO NOT COME TO GET PALMS if you are sick, elderly, or have a compromised immune system. Palms are devotionals and not necessary for worship
.
Distribution of
The Word Among Us
Booklets
We have copies of the April edition of
The Word Among Us
, the monthly devotional. You can get a copy of this booklet when you come for palms. You can also stop at the parish office and get a copy, while they last. The booklets will be located in the entryway to the Parish Life Center (the entryway, not the office, which is locked). You can come to the Parish Life Center Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM–3:00 PM. Please take only one copy per household.
The Triduum
The Triduum is the shortest liturgical season – three days long. The Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, which closes the Season of Lent. During the Last Supper, Jesus prayed the great priestly prayer, in whic
h he prayed to God the Father:
“I pray not only for them [the apostles] but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me”
(
John 17:20-23).
We are those who believe in Jesus because of the efforts of the apostles; we are those with whom the Lord wants unity. We gain that unity by being in communion with Archbishop Hebda, who, as a bishop, is a successor of the apostles. He is our point of unity in this archdiocese. To emphasize and strengthen that unity with our bishop, I encourage you to celebrate the Triduum with Archbishop Hebda and Bishop Cozzens. I will be celebrating the Triduum privately or with other priests, so there will be no recording of these three liturgies from St. Mary of the Lake. Let us join with our bishops and pray for our local Church, that we may all be one.
Holy Thursday
In this Mass, we recall the Last Supper of the Lord and the institution of the Eucharist. He took bread and wine, blessed them and gave them to his friends, promising that these simple elements had now become his Body and Blood. He also washed the feet of his apostles, teaching that to be his follower means to be a servant to others. Celebrate this Mass with Archbishop Hebda from the Cathedral of St. Paul at 7:00 PM:
archspm.org/holyweek
.
Good Friday
In this liturgy, we recall the suffering and death of Jesus. We hear the Passion of the Lord according to St. John. We solemnly pray for all people of the world, venerate the cross on which hung our salvation, and receive Holy Communion. [Good Friday is the only day of the year that we do not celebrate Mass.] Celebrate this liturgy with Bishop Cozzens from the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis at 7:00 PM:
archspm.org/holyweek
.
Easter Vigil
This is the most solemn liturgy of the Church’s liturgical year. We begin in darkness, as we wait for the resurrection of the Lord. We hear the story of salvation history, from the beginning of creation, the exodus of the Israelite people, and finally the victory of the Lord over sin and death in his resurrection. The liturgy includes the renewal of our baptismal promises. Celebrate this Mass with Archbishop Hebda from the Cathedral at 7:00 PM:
archspm.org/holyweek
.
Easter
The celebration continues into Easter morning, as we hear the glorious news that Jesus has risen from the dead. I invite everyone to return to our website on Easter morning and rediscover with renewed hope the Good News of our faith—Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again. Invite your family and friends to join us in celebration at
stmarys-wbl.org
.
The celebration of this year’s Holy Week will be unlike any Holy Week we have ever celebrated. And yet, God, in his great love for us, allows us to be present for these celebrations, to be there in the upper room, to be there at the cross, to be there at the empty tomb. We are there as the Lord suffers, dies and rises from the dead. God will fill us with many graces as we faithfully celebrate these mysteries.
On Easter morning, remember the apostles. Like us, they were in the Upper Room behind locked doors. They were isolated from others for fear of being arrested; we are in our homes for fear of catching a virus. Despite the locked doors, Jesus appear to the apostles that Easter day. The Risen Lord will be with us in our homes as well and say to us as he said to the apostles: “Peace be with you.”
Virtual Holy Week Retreat
In addition to the Holy Week liturgies, please visit archspm.org/holyweek for other liturgies and spiritual conferences. The opening conference with Archbishop Hebda will be at 7:00 PM on Sunday, April 5.
**************************************************
Easter Letter
I will be mailing a letter to each registered household next week. The letter will be an update on parish life.
Financial Stewardship
I am grateful to those who have continued your financial stewardship, by mailing in your check or using electronic giving. As you might imagine, the parish has seen a drop in financial stewardship since public Masses were suspended. I am asking everyone to support the parish financially, so that we can meet our expenses. I will include a giving envelope with the Easter letter for those who want to contribute by check. I strongly encourage you to establish an electronic means of supporting the parish. Please call the office or visit
https://stmarys-wbl.org/donate
for more information on electronic financial giving through automatic payment, bill pay or credit card.
I pray for all of you in my daily prayers and at Mass and ask that you pray for me.
Peace, Fr. Talbot
