The Holy of Holies

Mid-way through this Holy Week approaching the Paschal mystery, we pause to reflect on what it all means.

Yesterday, we attended the Chrism Mass for the Archdiocese of Boston with many other seminarians, a handful of bishops, and about 250 priests, including 4 Oblates and the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Methodius and an accompanying priest from that church. At the Chrism Mass, the oils of Catechumens and of the sick are blessed and the sacred chrism is consecrated. It is a special time when the priests present renew their vows and are commissioned for the next year to administer the sacraments with the oils blessed and consecrated by their bishop. I was able to attend the Chrism Mass here in Boston last year during my final Come-and-See visit, and was likewise moved by the number of priests who showed up and their exercising the power of Christ the High Priest in unison during the Consecration of the Eucharist, the pinnacle and source of the priestly life. I was also on the "other side" so to speak; we had a come-and-see visitor accompany us, as well, a position I was in last year. Cardinal Sean O'Malley's homilies have been encouraging for his priests to continue to give their lives for the Church, aware of the gravity of the work that they do and aware also of the great strength we all have in Christ to do this work.

Tomorrow night begins the holy Triduum of Easter with the Commemoration of the Last Supper. The Church slows to real-time in these days, reliving with precision the events of so many centuries ago. We step through the Last Supper and keep vigil as the apostles were asked to do in the Garden of Gethsemane. We enter Friday fasting as Our Lord is on trial, and commemorate His carrying the Cross at noon. At the 3pm hour of mercy, we will offer the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as the first day of a novena leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday, and at 7pm, when Our Lord is in the tomb, we will again read the Passion narrative and share in His body and blood in the consecrated species conserved from the night before. Saturday, as Our Lord is in the tomb, we continue our fast and make preparations for the celebration of Easter. Then, as we approach that glorious Easter morning, we commemorate all of salvation history and share in Our Lord's triumphant resurrection.

This is a time for much prayer and reflection, and it is a time of great mercy. It is in this time in which we commemorate Our Lord's salvific self-sacrifice that His abundant mercies flow forth the strongest. On Divine Mercy Sunday, our having repented of our sins and received the Sacrament of Confession during Lent along with having received Holy Communion and prayed for the intentions of the Holy Father grants us the remission of sins and all temporal punishment, restoring us to Baptismal purity. What a tremendous gift! God recognizes our weakness and also our ability to leverage His strength. He loved us into being and offers us His love at every moment of our lives, should we choose to accept it. Let us accept it with open arms and open hearts. Let us join with Mary and allow her to convey to us God's merciful forgiveness and grace, as He has chosen that she do.

Let us enter into silence as much as possible these next few days, keeping watch with the Lord, sharing in His sacrifice, made for each of us and for all of us. Let us then rise triumphant with Him on that glorious Easter morn!


Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca