April 14, 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this Palm Sunday we will hear the Passion of the Christ according to Saint Luke. In Luke’s passion account Our Lord encounters a number of people on the road to Calvary. Each encounter shows Jesus as a merciful and forgiving Savior. In the garden of Gethsemane, after Peter has struck with a sword the servant of the High Priest and severed the man’s ear, Jesus heals the man and bids the apostles to put away their words. Peter then follows Jesus to the house of the High Priest. In the courtyard, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times and as Jesus is being led out to Pilate He looks at Peter and Peter goes out and weeps bitterly. As Jesus is carrying the Cross He meets the women of Jerusalem who cry over him but He comforts them and tells them to weep for themselves and for their children. Finally, on the Cross, Our Lord responds to the Good Thief with the words, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” In each of these encounters Our Lord demonstrates that He is the Divine Physician who brings healing and mercy to our fallen humanity.

Let us spend this Holy Week in prayer and fasting. Let us enter into the Sacred Triduum; Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday to experience the Passover of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
Fr. Thomas