Keep Lent’s disciplines even after it ends

Due to the later date this year for our greatest Solemnity, the Resurrection of the Lord, you will receive this issue of our Diocesan newspaper while we continue to observe the discipline of Lent. One among many of the blessings of the Lenten season is that what we do in our lives of prayer, our lives of good works and our lives of sacrifices and penances, only heightens our desire to celebrate well the Paschal Triduum which begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and ends with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.
 
However, I would like to review these last few weeks of Lent and then speak briefly about the Paschal Triduum and the Easter Season. When I was a bit younger, the Fifth Sunday of Lent began what the Church used to call “Passion Week.” The Mass prayers and readings for each Mass during the week were very focused on the days in the life of Jesus leading up to Palm Sunday. The older personal Missals we all used for Mass are a good reference for what I mean. In the Gospels, we read that the objections to Jesus from the Pharisees and Scribes increased and they were openly conspiring against Jesus in order to put Him to death. “Passion Week’s” tone was very somber, sobering and in a way foreboding; all pointed to His betrayal and what followed from that.
 
Then, Holy Week began with Palm Sunday and what we had experienced during “Passion Week” was not forgotten but again, intensified as Jesus approached His Passion and death. As it was then so it is now, Lent came to an end with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening and at the same time, the shortest liturgical season in our year began. This is the Paschal Triduum of Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday, Holy Saturday through the evening of Easter Sunday. 
 
Holy Week focuses all our attention on the eternal love and mercy of God Our Father for us, His sinful children. He sent His Only Son, Jesus, to redeem us from what we had done to ourselves. We could not do this for ourselves, only God could and He did. Jesus took every sin of every person, past, present and future, on Himself and His obedience undid the disobedience of Adam and Eve and all their children. It is no wonder that the Church has called this week “Holy Week.” It is sanctified not by us, but by the Lord Jesus for us.  “Passion Week” and “Holy Week” are the culmination of Lent, but do not end what we have been doing in Lent. They help us understand that all of this is to attach us even more closely to Our Lord and Savior as His disciples, and as the beloved sons and daughters of Our Father.
 
As we approach the end of Lent, let us continue to keep its discipline of devout prayer, truly generous alms giving and selfless sacrifices all for the honor and glory and love of God and of our neighbor. Let us not forget that the Way of the Cross of Jesus is our way to heaven, to the Father through Jesus.
 
May all of you have a most Blessed Easter and Easter Season!