Category: Lent

Catholic churches have a sanctuary lamp burning near the tabernacle to signify the presence of Christ.  That candle is extinguished on Good Friday and Holy Saturday as the tabernacle remains empty.  There is an eerie sense of sadness and isolation in my mind as I absorb the church environment with no decorations or flowers adorning the sanctuary.  The open tabernacle door reveals the absence of Christ.  We await the glorious celebration of the Easter Vigil.

In modern society Holy Saturday is a day like most other Saturdays.  That is very unfortunate.  There is a process during the Paschal Triduum as we move from Holy Thursday through Good Friday and onto the Easter Vigil which demands our attention.  We don’t simply commemorate Good Friday with an hour long service and then call it good.  We continue to watch and pray, keeping a fast proper for these hours until nightfall on Holy Saturday.  The daytime hours of Holy Saturday are not designed for Easter egg hunts and lavish banquets.  These hours are filled with anticipation and prayer awaiting the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.  We each have a responsibility to adequately prepare ourselves for this sacred celebration.  It cannot be done by engaging in secular activities at the expense of ignoring our spiritual pilgrimage.  The Church is called to be counter-cultural.  That requires us to stand apart from the secularism which has hi-jacked our religious holy days.

​The Light of Christ will fill our churches and cathedrals tonight.  May this Light penetrate deep within our hearts and fill us with sanctifying grace!

“Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world.”

“Come, let us adore.”

“My people, what have I done to you?  Or how have I grieved you?  Answer me!”

“I put in your hand a royal scepter, and you put on my head a crown of thorns.”

“I exalted you with great power, and you hung me on the scaffold of the cross.”

Good Friday has always been a powerful day for me.  Even in my earliest years as a child my parents marked this day with solemnity.  Getting to venerate the cross, even though I had not yet made my first communion, was a chance to be like the “adults” in the church.  I may not have grasped the significance at five years of age, but I knew there was something different about this day.  That sentiment has continued all these years.

It has been a wonderful Lenten season for me.  I truly sense that these days of penitence have borne fruit in my life.  I am grateful for God’s grace that my prayer life has been enhanced through a stricter discipline embraced during these days.  I was also touched by the goodness of people all across the state of Wyoming as I presented an RCIA retreat, a women’s retreat, and gave two parish missions.  Seeing the faith of God’s people during these events was a real boost to my spiritual quests.

Finally, as I get older, the reality of my mortality seems to be more prevalent. Losing my mom last October, a brother-in-law last September, another brother-in-law the year before, and a number of friends in recent months, has been a sobering experience.  Experiencing repeated health issues of my own reminds me that our time here on earth is limited.  We are simply on a pilgrimage.  We do not know the day nor the hour when we will be called home.  Today’s solemn service gives us the clear message to be prepared at all times. 

The Paschal Triduum is underway and the Holy Thursday celebration last night was magnificent.  It is a profound privilege to celebrate these liturgies as a deacon at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I completed my sixth year at the cathedral in November.  Thus, this is my seventh Holy Week serving as a deacon at the cathedral.

If you are praying the Divine Mercy Novena please remember that it begins today (Good Friday).  These nine days of prayer leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday can bring immense blessing to you as you focus on the abundant mercy of God.

Today we will hear the passion narrative according to St. John.  Veneration of the cross is also a significant part of today’s liturgy.  The solemn intercessions provide an opportunity to pray for a wide range of people.  I hope you are able to participate as we commemorate this day with fasting and abstinence.

Assisting Bishop Paul Etienne as he prepares for the washing of feet ritual.

The Holy Thursday tradition of Washing Feet.

Receiving the Holy Oils consecrated last week at the Chrism Mass.

The Eucharistic Procession is always a sacred time on Holy Thursday. 

We have entered into Holy Week once again.  This week becomes more meaningful to me with each passing year of my life.  The Holy Week services, especially the Triduum, bring to mind the richness of our faith.  The signs, the symbols, the gestures, and the rituals all point to the magnificent love of our God.  We are blessed indeed.

The season of Lent did not go exactly as planned in my own life.  Sickness and fatigue have consumed many of my days.  I regret the cancellations I had to make due to these circumstances.  I also regret not being able to participate in the 40 Days for Life campaign.  I am grateful for the many people who were able to participate and for the over 400 lives that were preserved from destruction by the faithful witness of these dedicated individuals.

The challenges in our world continue to grow.  We can look to the issues surrounding a nuclear deal with Iran, the escalating threat of ISIS, the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, and a whole laundry list of potential dangers to our civilization.  However, we can also look much closer to home and see the dangers as well.  The culture of death continues to loom large.  Religious intolerance seems to be escalating.  Look to the attacks on Archishop Salvatore  Cordileone in San Francisco as an example when Church leadership takes a stand on moral principles, or to the state of Indiana to see what happens when laws are passed safeguarding religious freedom.  It isn’t pretty.   

If anyone opposes the agendas of the liberal establishment they are labeled as intolerant, illiterate, and homophobic.  The only ones that seem to be acceptable targets of intolerance are Christians.  As we cling to our “guns and our Bibles” the society as a whole claims it is okay to denigrate our beliefs.  How sad is that for our society?  What will be the end result?

The passion of Christ reminds us that the Christian way of life will not always be accepted.  If Jesus was mocked, tortured, and crucified, why do we expect different treatment in our pilgrimage?  The question that we can pose to ourselves is a simple one.  Will I stand firm in my faith?  I can only imagine the devastation Peter felt when he heard the cock crow and he realized that the words of Jesus had come to pass.  Will we deny Jesus, run away, lock our faith up in the doors of our home and in our churches, or will we be faithful and run the race to the finish line?   

New life!  That is what spring means to me.  The snow melts, the grass begins to turn green, trees begin to bud, and the increasing hours of daylight bring a sense of joy.  This year I am hoping it also brings renewed health.

We are only a little over a week away from entering into Holy Week.  How will we experience “new life” in our journey with the Lord as we approach the Sacred Triduum?  Have we truly turned away from sin during these days of Lent?  Can you see personal growth in holiness since Ash Wednesday?  If so, congratulations!  Keep up the good work.  If not, why not?  What needs to happen now to jump-start that conversion experience?  Don’t let these final days of Lent pass by without growing in wisdom, grace, and holiness!

It has been two days since we received ashes on our foreheads and were reminded that we are dust and unto dust we shall return.  What has changed in our lives during these two days?  Are we committed to turning away from sin and uniting our hearts and minds to the will of Almighty God?An old riddle asks the question:  Five frogs were sitting on a log.  Four decided to jump off.  How many frogs are left on the log?  The quick answer would be a simple mathematical calculation of five minus four equals one. However, the answer is actually five.  Deciding to do something and actually doing it are two different things.  What have you decided to do for Lent?  Are you actually doing it?

The Season of Lent will help us focus our attention on repentance and baptism.  Are we turning away from sin in our lives?  Are we turning toward Christ?  Do we have a sincere desire to unite our will to the will of Christ?  These days are designed to assist us in our journey of conversion.  Will we embrace God’s grace in the process?

Whether an individual is preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil, or if one was baptized many years ago, do we understand our call to holiness?  God chose us in Christ before the world began to be holy and blameless in His sight.  We are called to be saints.  Let us live out our calling well each and every day of our lives! 

Lent starts tomorrow.  Please grasp this opportunity to encounter the living God.  Don’t let these days pass by without growing in holiness.
1. Pray
2. Study
3. Act

 Respond to God’s call!