From the Pastor’s Desk

            Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, a week of immense suffering  culminating in Christ’s triumphant victory over death.  Once there was a stage play entitled ”The final Judgement”.   At the end of the world, all of humanity was gathered in a large plaza before an empty throne on which God was to sit in judgement.  Some humbly and others pensively waited in fear and tears for judgement.  Still others began to revolt saying , ”God has no right to judge our lives on earth, for He does not understand the sufferings and difficulties of earthly life.  He does not know what it means to be human, for he has always been God.  On earth we were forever obliged to live by the laws of the land and so according to them we ought to be judged.”  At that moment the heavenly trumpets sounded announcing the arrival of  the Supreme Judge for the Final Judgement.   What a susrprise it was for everyone, but particularly for those who felt that God had no right to judge them, when Jesus Christ,wearing a Crown of Thorns, sat upon the throne!  It was He, Whom God appointed to conduct the Final Judgement of mankind, He Who knew the toils of earthly life  and was Himself judged by men and sentenced to death.  At that moment, the entire crowd fell silent in testimony to God’s right to judge all mankind and to His power to redeem them.

Let us accompany Jesus during His time of suffering to accomplish our salvation by fully participating in the rituals of Holy Week.  It was for our sins that Christ suffered, so an excellent response to His sacrifice would be our own good Easter confession.  The final availability of Easter confession at St. Constance will be on Wednesday, April 17th, from 9:00 to 10:00am and from 6:00 to 9:00pm.

You are all invited to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday at 6:15pm.  This Mass is in memory of Christ’s establishing the Eucharist, the Priesthood and the Commandments of Love.  It is also a Mass which unites our entire parish family.  Good Friday is designated  ”good” because on this day our salvation was realized.  During your adoration of the Cross after the 6:15pm service, remember to thank Christ for the gift of redemption.  The Liturgy of Holy Saturday at 7:30pm is in thanksgiving for our gift of Baptism.  All are invited to the services on Easter Sunday which will follow the regular Sunday Mass schedule.

Happy Easter…..Fr. Richard Milek