Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest – Today we are reminded of the crowds gathered almost 2000 years ago in Jerusalem and, united in spirit with the faithful throughout the world, with palm branches we greet Jesus entering the City of David. Palm Sunday always recalls two important events: Jesus’ solemn entrance to Jerusalem and His Passion and Death. The same people who greeted Jesus as a King of Israel not much later cried out to Pontius Pilate: Crucify Him! Therefore, today in the liturgy we begin with the procession with palms and solemn, joyful hymns. Then we read the Passion of the Lord. With Palm Sunday we enter  Holy Week, the most important week in the entire liturgical year. This Monday Bishop Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton, along with Bishop Wayne Lobsinger, Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton, his priests, both diocesan and religious, will consecrate Holy Oils during the Chrism Mass. The Holy Oils will be distributed to all the parishes within the diocese and are to be used to administer the Sacraments of Baptism, of Confirmation, of the Sick and of Holy Orders. We are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at 2 pm in our Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King to show our unity with the Bishop. During the Chrism Mass the priests present in the Basilica will renew the promises they made on the day of Priestly Ordination.

This Thursday we begin, with the Lord’s Supper Mass, the period of the greatest importance of the whole liturgical year; The Easter (Paschal) Triduum. Since the very beginning of the Church, it has been one feast extended from Holy Thursday evening up to the Vespers (the evening prayer) of Easter Sunday. The faithful throughout the world are greatly encouraged to attend all the days of The Triduum so that they may experience all the mysteries the Church lives and be bestowed with all the graces and indulgences prescribed to those who attend the celebrations. During the Lord’s Supper Mass we thank the Lord for the precious gift of the Eucharist. This day we also thank the Lord for our priests who celebrate daily Masses. Our attendance at the Lord’s Supper Mass is a sign of our appreciation to our pastors. We extend our thanksgiving with the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament following the Mass. On Good Friday we are united with our suffering Lord and His Death on the cross. In the evening we pray the Stations of the Cross and we begin the Novena to Divine Mercy. Good Friday is, for the faithful throughout the entire Church, a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. On Holy Saturday we remain in silence in union with Jesus’ time in the Sepulchre. The Easter (Paschal) Vigil, which is to be celebrated at night, belongs to Easter Sunday. This Easter Vigil is the most important Mass in the whole liturgical year. By keeping vigil during this Holy Night of the Resurrection, we express our longing for the coming of the Morning Star who never sets, Jesus Christ who, coming back from death’s domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity and lives and reigns forever and ever. 

I would like to invite and encourage everyone to participate in all the celebrations of the Holy Week. Let us come together to pray, reflect on the most significant mysteries of our faith!

God bless,

Fr. Peter