My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we approach Holy Week this year, it might be good to consider how we will participate in our prayer and liturgies, as well as other events taking place during this most holy time of our liturgical season. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday with the blessing of palm. Many parishes have processions outside the Church with the blessed palms reminding us of the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Perhaps this event took place not on that particular Sunday before Easter, but rather sometime before, however, we commemorate the triumphal day during Holy Week. This is so that we can be part of that crowd who cheers Jesus on, reminding ourselves that by Friday we also are part of the crowd who jeers at Jesus as He makes His way to Calvary.
The symbol of palm is one of victory. We are reminded that the early martyrs of the Church are pictured with palm branches in their hands, recognizing that they have overcome death and are experiencing a new life. Many people have the custom of bringing blessed palm to the cemetery reminding us that the dead who are there truly are experiencing eternal life.
On Monday of Holy Week, it has been the tradition of the three local dioceses, New York, Brooklyn and Rockville Centre, to celebrate Reconciliation Monday. From 3 to 9 p.m. at any Church in these three dioceses one should be able find a priest ready and willing to hear your confession. This custom gives people the opportunity to go to a different parish if they do not feel comfortable going to their own. This creates an opportunity to confess in complete anonymity and enables them to confess their sins with confidence and completeness. This custom of Reconciliation Monday has taken root and is used by many of the faithful in our local dioceses.
On Tuesday of Holy Week, here in the Diocese of Brooklyn, we celebrate the Mass of Chrism at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. This is the time when the priests and deacons of Brooklyn and Queens are asked to renew their promises of ministry made at their Ordination. It is also when the oils used in the sacraments during the coming year are blessed. The laity and religious who are involved with the clergy in administration of these sacraments are invited to the Co-Cathedral for this Mass. There is always enough room at St. Joseph’s for everyone who wishes to attend and witness the Mass of Chrism at 7:30 p.m.
On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is the celebration of the institution of the Eucharist, which has several special features. The washing of the feet reminds us of the humility of Jesus when He washed the feet of His Apostles. As our Holy Father has shown us, those whose feet are washed do not necessarily have to be men because it is not an exact representation but one that gives us the ability, as Pope Francis has, to show humility towards all who are members of the Body of Christ. The procession with the Eucharist to the repository is one of the special features on this day in most Churches. The decoration of the repository with flowers reminds us of the love that we have for Christ present in the Eucharist, which deepens our personal relationship with Him. So many people today do wish for a personal relationship with Jesus and tend to find that relationship outside of the Church. As Catholics, we have the great gift of the Eucharist, which is the most personal relationship one can have with Jesus in this life.
On Good Friday, there are many opportunities for joining in processions. For several years now, the annual procession of the Communion and Liberation movement begins at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James at 9 a.m. Cardinal Dolan and myself will be present to bless and speak with the pilgrims. The Basilica is overflowing with young people who, after meditating on the first Station of the Cross, march over the Brooklyn Bridge and end the pilgrimage at the World Trade Center site. Later in the day, there are other pilgrimages organized by different parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens, in which people carry the image of the crucified Lord, and at times the Sorrowful Mother who follows her Son.
One of the largest pilgrimages in the Diocese is organized by the Italian Apostolate in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. This year, the pilgrims will gather at 7:30 p.m. at St. Dominic Church and process through the neighborhood ending at St. Athanasius Church. Some years we have been blessed to have upwards of 10,000 faithful following this procession. There is another similar procession in Queens beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the school parking lot of St. Pancras Church in Glendale, processing in the neighborhood and returning to the Church.
Usually the Liturgy begins at 3 p.m. where the faithful may receive the Eucharist, consecrated the evening before, at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Some parishes have a three-hour service from 12 to 3 p.m. where they meditate on the “7 Last Words of Christ.” Some of the various services, which may be found at https://thetablet.org/holyweek/, have a long-standing tradition and give us insight into the physical and psychological suffering that Jesus endured for our salvation.
On Holy Saturday, the day when we observe the time Jesus spent in the tomb, we begin the Easter Vigil liturgy after dark in all of the Churches of the diocese in Brooklyn and Queens. Some Churches, to accommodate the faithful, have more than one service in various languages. Usually on Holy Saturday, I, myself, go to the parish which has the most baptisms and confirmations.
This year, that parish is St. Michael’s in Flushing where there are 73 candidates, most of them of Chinese and Hispanic descent, who will receive the Sacraments of Initiation. Sixty candidates will receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion and 13 will receive Confirmation and Communion.
One unique observance of the Easter Vigil is celebrated by the Neocatecumenal Way communities in various areas in the diocese. The service begins about 11 p.m. and ends at 6 a.m. In the past, I have participated in several of these all-night vigils. It is truly a moving experience to witness the proclamation of all of the vigil greetings and celebration of baptism and confirmation.
Easter Sunday in the Diocese of Brooklyn is a very special day, with Mass celebrated at dawn at several of our beaches. The Masses during the day are usually well attended, recognizing that now the faithful, and those not so faithful, realize the importance of the Easter celebration.
During Holy Week, we put out into the deep mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By our participation in the liturgies and other events of Holy Week, we move ourselves closer to identifying with the Lord who suffered and died for us. I encourage you to make an opportunity to find some way that you can share in the great events of this Holy Week.
