Holy Week

Holy Saturday (C) – April 16, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Today, a man can do nothing for God when he sees the empty cross and the stone at the tomb. Today man can only wait. It is true that this is a different expectation from that experienced by Mary, the Mother of Jesus or the Apostles. She waited with hope, believing in the miracle of her Divine Son. They waited without faith that anything else would happen in their lives that would help them overcome their fear and uncertainty for the future.

Today, after so many centuries, we already know what we are waiting for. Holy Saturday, this day of silence and reflection at the Lord’s tomb, is for us a time, if not blessed, then a very necessary time to look into ourselves, into our humanity, in our faith. Hence we have the variety of readings in today’s liturgy – God wants to remind us of everything from the beginning, once more. And we are to, by listening to all these biblical stories, give God another proof of who we are and where is our place. God wants us to re-declare our belonging to Him, initiated by baptism and the profession of faith, by the action of His Son and the saints in our lives, supported by the renunciation of what is bad and what distances us from Him. This Saturday liturgy is to confirm that we are His – Gods’ children and we want to remain with Him through our entire life. And after this Holy Saturday’s liturgy, tomorrow morning, we will stand before the empty tomb of God’s Son and find out that everything what God has promised us – had happened and that the empty tomb is the beginning of our eternity with God.

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Good Friday (C) – April 15, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

On Good Friday, the world stumbles once again over the dead body of the Convict of Golgotha. Stretched on the cross 2000 years ago, and yet almost a billion people stand by Him every day – celebrating the holy drama. The cross shows that Jesus’ agony, His suffering and death cannot be removed, talked about and forgotten. Jesus is crucified! He sees TOMORROW from the cross, although this tomorrow is stripped of Him today. God is in helplessness and suffering. He cannot be separated from the cross.

“The paradox of the cross consists in this – as the Polish priest, Father Janusz Pasierb writes – that what was supposed to kill, gives life. The Middle Ages created a mystical cross – a green tree full of leaves, bearing the fruit of life – the body of Jesus. It is not only a universal lesson in understanding of the human fate, constantly passing through death to life, but also a practical teaching that a man is not doomed to crawl, but that he can do something even out of the dark layers of his suffering. Mahatma Ghandi, not elsewhere but from the Gospel took his basic idea that the suffering accepted voluntarily can be a method of liberation. The cross teaches us not to suffer, but to WIN”.

Jesus immersed in fear, darkness and uncertainty „throws himself into the embrace of God. He is afraid of death, but also expects a new birth from it.” At the bottom of the fear, He sees the future. He sees eternity as an extensive green landscape.

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Holy Thursday (C) – April 14, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper is the great with the greatness of the Gift – the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, the mysterious presence of Jesus Christ under the forms of consecrated bread and wine transformed into the real Body and Blood of Christ – the Food and Drink of Eternal Life. 

This Thursday is the great greatness of the Gift, which is the sacramental participation in the One Priesthood of the New Covenant by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders – the great dignity and ministry of priests in preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. Especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, making present the Death, Resurrection and Glory of Jesus Christ present for our and the world’s salvation.

Finally, this Thursday is Great with the greatness of the unsurpassed Love that Christ loved us, giving His life for us through His Death on the Cross, and a great illustration of the Commandment of Love that we love as we are loved: “If I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. For I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done for you ”(John 13:14-15).

If we believe that God is Love, then we must also believe that the more we love, the more we are like God, the more we are of God’s. We may ask ourselves, are we capable of such love? It is the Gift of the Eucharist and the Gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us capable: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). “Do you understand what I have done to you?” (John 13:12)

God knows that we are threatened primarily by ourselves. By our own weakness, naivety, ignorance, and sometimes just our own thoughtlessness. That is why, when the fullness of time is accomplished, God decides to come to us personally. He knows that we really need to experience His presence and His love close. We need the visible love of the invisible God. Christianity is no doctrine, no ideology, no philosophy. Christianity is the story of the most extraordinary love of a God who lives, loves and teaches us to love.

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Holy Saturday – March 31, 2018

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Lighting the paschal candle from the Easter fire is always a tricky business. It might rain. A strong wind may blow it out. The wick may burn quickly but not melt the wax. The heat of the fire will make it difficult. There is always relief when the lighted candle is carried into the safety and protection of the church.

This most wonderful night celebrates newness, transformation and the growth of the Church. From the setting of the sun in the Pacific Islands, across Australia, to China, Korea and then the Indian subcontinent, through Africa and Europe towards the Americas, this light has spread and the hope of Christ’s resurrection has dispelled fear. Christians persecuted in many countries are renewed and strengthened by the victory of Christ over suffering, death and evil. The light of each candle offers God’s holy people the hope that good will triumph over evil, hope over despair, justice over oppression and peace over division. As we celebrate the baptism of new Christians into the Church and receive other Christians into full communion, we are reminded of the adventure of being follower of Jesus Christ and the promise that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son so that those who believe in Him will inherit the promise of eternal life. Jesus as the fragile light is carried into the Church, so it is a reminder that we are called to nurture those people whose faith is faltering and reach out to those who have wandered away from the practice of the faith. We are called to reach out to those in need.

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Good Friday – March 30, 2018

Frackville, From the Pastor /

During Lent the Stations of the Cross are a favorite devotion in which we ponder on the mysteries of Christ’s passion, suffering and death. We reflect on the 5th station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross. The German artist Sieger Koeder presents a fascinating image of this scene. He places Simon next to Jesus. They stand shoulder to shoulder and both look out of the picture towards us. The yoke of the cross sits across their shoulders so that equally they bear its load. In fact, it is difficult to know which is Jesus and which is Simon. This image reminds us of two things: Jesus helps each one of us to carry the cross; and we are each invited to help others to carry their crosses. He helps me carry my cross; I am called to help others carry theirs. These acts, however small, however great, are generous acts of love.

“We adore you, o Christ, and we praise You, because…” These familiar words sum up the meaning of Christ’s passion, suffering and death. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. Through Christ’s death and resurrection we become the adopted children of God. Christ stretches His arms outwards from the cross so that God’s mercy can embrace each one of us in love. The weight of His body stretched His arms to their limits and made breathing heavy and difficult. When He breathes His last breath and dies, Mary and John experience the deep pain of grief, but at the same time the hope of His words, which promise eternal life, resonates in their hearts. Christ is lifted up as the high priest who offers His life out of love for His people. This is the promise of the reconciliation and adoption that Christ has gained for us.

As we come with reverence to venerate the cross, with a kiss or a loving touch, we carry with us our own aches and pains as well as hidden tears in the heart. Like Simon of Cyrene, we bear the crosses of others whom we love. We offer these lives to Christ who alone can satisfy the longings of the heart and who offers His prayer to the merciful Father. We can carry with us those Christians who are suffering for their faith and enduring persecution even to death. We bear the names of our loved ones and family who are sick. May Mary, the Mother of Mercies, intercede for them so that they may receive the gift of health.

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Holy Thursday – March 29, 2018

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Tonight there is no usual end to the Mass. The priest and those serving will process to a side chapel or altar and leave the Blessed Sacrament instead returning it to the tabernacle. The liturgy will end in silence, without the priest giving a blessing. Tomorrow he will come in in silence and prostrate himself in the sanctuary and then he will begin the liturgy without the usual… At the end, without the priest giving a blessing, we will leave in silence. On Saturday, again, the Mass is not celebrated anywhere in the world. Over the next 3 days we are called to walk the whole awfulness of the story with Jesus, reacting in similar ways to the disciples and Mary. On this holy night the Church invites us to be present and close to Jesus for this one service that will last three days.

The liturgy this evening is full of symbols. The Lord has many messages for us, His disciples, as Jesus gets up from the table and washes the feet of those He calls friends. Jesus is trying to teach us, how to truly be Christian. He has given us an example so that we may copy what He has done for us.

As Jesus gave us this command to wash feet, how we are nowadays to interpret this? We are called to build the God’s kingdom through acts of generosity, kindness, simplicity. As we go to the altar of repose this evening, let us spend some time in prayer considering how we can best serve our neighbor, how can we show our love and concern, not only for our family members and friends, but more widely as Jesus.

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Palm Sunday (“B”) – March 25, 2018

Frackville, From the Pastor /

The Gospel story, told by St. Mark, tells us the story of Jesus, the just man, of His life journey and its culmination in arrest, unjust condemnation and death on a cross. Today we hear that story told again and we witness the injustice of it, the unfairness of it and the cruelty of it. The man who lived in the daylight is arrested in the dark. The man who spoke openly sees His words twisted and used against Him. The man who honored every person He met is brutally treated and taken out to die.

We tell this story and continue to tell is because it is the story of every person in this world. It is the story of the just person who seeks to live an honorable life, who meets with suffering and with cruelty, with injustice and with flawed societies. It is the story of how the just person perseveres in goodness despite all setbacks and opposition, and seeks the face of God. This is how life is in a fallen world. The forces of darkness are very real. The darkened sky over Calvary, where Jesus died, tells us to prepare ourselves for

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Holy Saturday – March 26, 2016

From the Pastor /

Actions, they say, speak louder than words. Today is full of unique actions and symbols that even in silence may touch our hearts. The dancing flames of the new fire were in honor of our Savior. The Paschal Candle leading us into church symbolized our Easter Lord leading us towards heaven. The sweet sounds of Exsultet were the song of the Church rejoicing.

Soon we shall rejoice with those being welcomed into the Church today, and renew our baptismal vows and be sprinkled with holy water, itself a symbol of baptism. We have gathered together, like the women in the Gospel. But our task is not to anoint a dead body: it is to meet our risen Lord in this first Easter Eucharist.

We know that the resurrection is a reality that makes us what we are – an Easter people, a people who amidst the darkness and difficulties of life carry in our hearts a secret joy that nothing can take away. And, please God, we also carry a humble determination to proclaim through our daily living the fascinating, glorious news of the resurrection.

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Maundy Thursday – March 24, 2016

From the Pastor /

As Jesus approaches His death He is concerned with what His disciples will make of His legacy. In St. John’s Gospel we are given a long “farewell” discourse. In it Jesus prepares His disciples for what is about to happen to Him, and promises that after He has left them His Father will send the Spirit to help them. This evening we are given the account of how before the feast of the Passover Jesus washes the feet of His disciples and tells them to do the same for each other. The washing of feet that takes place today is not a sacrament but a symbolic act by which we make present the commandment of love.

Those things we inherit from those we love can make them present to us. The scriptures and the sacraments of the Church are the inheritance that Jesus Christ has left for us. Do we hold them with the love and respect that speak of our love for Him? This question can be asked of us individually, but it can also be asked of us as a community. What role does the word of God play in our life? Do we as communities of Christians make God’s word central to all we do? Do we treat the sacraments with reverence and place them at the heart of our Christian communities? Scripture and sacraments are the words and acts of Jesus Christ. Through them He calls each one of us to share in the love that brings us healing and unites us to God. There are times in our life when we fail to place His legacy at the center of our lives, but at such times He calls us to place ourselves in His hands and allow Him to wash our feet. In this way we learn to love as He has loved us, and become living signs of His love.

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