Peace and all Good! On this Palm Sunday, we hear the account of the Lord’s passion from the Gospel of St. Matthew. This account is very tough on the Jewish leaders. Matthew shows that even though the people had the New Moses right in front of them, they were unable to recognize him because he didn’t fit their expectations of the Messiah. Today, the crowd welcomes Jesus into Jerusalem like a rock star but by week’s end, the religious leaders manipulate the crowds to force Pilate to execute Jesus over Barabbas! The story of Passion Sunday is that manipulation of a crowd, even by legitimate authorities, can be the beginning of spiritual death. What we need is silence— quiet in order to sort out our priorities lest we be dragged into thoughts and actions unworthy of the name Christian! And taking the time to listen to the voice of God, we will not be led astray and manipulated into wrongdoing. Rather, we will speak the truth, declare what is wrong and stand up for what is right!

My brothers and sisters, we enter this Holy Week different from any in modern history! Due to the coronavirus, we are at home this week taking care of ourselves and those who surround us. This “social distancing” can make the lives especially of those who live alone very sad. Let us be true loving neighbors and check on others at this time. Just a simple phone call or email or card can make a tremendous difference to someone who feels forgotten at this difficult time. Among others, our parish Pastoral Council members and Ministers to the Sick are calling parishioners to simply find out how they are doing and to tell them that they are in our thoughts and prayers at this time. I thank all of our parishioners who are serving the community in this lovely and thoughtful way!

Even though we cannot gather for the Sacred Three Days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter, please know that we will continue to Livestream these most holy days. You may go to our parish website and click on Live Streaming. The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday will begin at 7:00 p.m. The Good Friday Solemn Liturgy begins at 3:00 p.m. in English and at 7:00 p.m. in Spanish. The Easter Vigil begins at 8:00 p.m. on Holy Saturday night. The Festive Masses of Easter Sunday will be celebrated at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. (English) and Noon in Spanish. Let us continue to pray for one another in this difficult time and prepare our hearts to celebrate the greatest act of God’s love for us: The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! May God bless our Holy Week!

Love, Fr. Vince