Notes from the Pastor

How quickly things can change! That seems particularly true in our current time as we respond on a daily basis to the changing threat of the Coronavirus, COVID-19. But as we reflect upon the events of Holy Week in Jesus’ day, we also recognize how quickly things changed at that time as well. The Mass for Palm Sunday (also known as "Passion Sunday”) begins with the Processional Gospel (Matthew 21:1-11) that recalls the joyous arrival of Jesus in the holy city of Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey with crowds of people waving palm branches and shouting: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The Scripture Readings for Mass later end with a reading of the Passion of the Lord, as Jesus is betrayed and tortured, denied, mocked and crucified. The very crowds who had welcomed him to shouts of “Hosanna!” later shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” as our Lord stood before Pontius Pilate.

Our Readings at Mass today go straight to the heart of our Catholic faith. They speak of death, and new life in Christ. In the First Reading, from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:12-14), we heard: “Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” In the Gospel (John 11:1-45), the stone has been rolled back from the tomb of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. Jesus commended that he come forth from the tomb and be released from all the wrappings that bound him up, and then set him free.

This Wednesday, March 25th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord - nine months to the day of his birth in Bethlehem. The Gospel for the day is Luke 1:26-38, and it describes the event of the Annunciation, and encourages us to follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary by placing our trust in God. The Archangel Gabriel greeted Mary with “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” These words brought confusion to Mary and troubled her. The angel spoke again telling her “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Then we hear the angel’s announcement that Mary has been chosen by God to bear His Son, Jesus.

The image of mercy flowing like water is present in today’s Gospel (John 4:5-42) where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. From the start, we know that this is no ordinary meeting: It is with a Samaritan with a mixed marital history, spurned by others to such a degree that she must come to the well at the hottest time of the day, when no one else is there. But there is someone there: Jesus! And despite her scandalous personal history and the social norms of the time which would have prohibited a man from speaking to a woman in public who was not his wife, Jesus speaks to her. And what a conversation it is!

Lent is a season of change; a season of transforming our spiritual lives. There seems a natural correlation since the very word “Lent” is rooted in a word that meant “spring” and we are all familiar with the changes that take place in springtime as the earth bursts forth with new life that has been dormant during the winter season. Unfortunately, while nature seems quite incapable of resisting the changes common to springtime, we human beings seem all too capable and willing to resist changes in our lives. Transformation requires energetic effort. It challenges and disturbs our comfortable patterns of behavior, even when those patterns may be harmful to us, either physically or spiritually.

Although fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, many people use fasting as a spiritual exercise during the Lenten season. The Scriptures are filled with examples of fasting where the rewards sought and attained were spiritual. Jesus fasted forty days in the desert before beginning his public ministry; Moses fasted before receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai; Elijah fasted before meeting the Lord on Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai); St. Paul’s ministry began after a period of prayer and fasting that followed his being blinded on the road to Damascus; and the disciples were encouraged by the Lord to fast when he was no longer with them.

Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. There are some people who seem to have a mistaken understanding of the reception of ashes and assign more importance to receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday than they do to attending Sunday Mass. Do not be misled. The ashes are NOT a Sacrament. They are what is called a “sacramental” and are no different than blessing yourself with Holy Water when you enter or leave the church. What is exceptional about the reception of ashes is that it normally occurs only one day a year (on Ash Wednesday), and that it is an outward sign – a public declaration, if you will – that one is a sinner and is in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. If we receive the ashes and then do not follow it up with a Sacramental Confession at some point during Lent, we have done nothing but condemn ourselves as hypocrites.

Today’s First Reading comes from the Book of Sirach in the Old Testament (Sirach 15:15-20), and it offers the Jewish people advice on how to live their lives in a manner worthy of God, and make the choice between good and evil. This same principal would later be stated multiple times by Saint Paul when he would encourage the early Christian communities to live in a manner worthy of the call (Baptism) they have received.