From the Pastor - Palm Sunday

Two very different responses to our Lord’s passion are highlighted during the Gospel reading from Luke today: the response of Simon of Cyrene and the response of Jesus’ acquaintances. Of Simon we are told, “They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.” Whether Simon entered willingly and compassionately into this service or whether he took up the Cross of Christ with a grudge, we don’t know. What we do know is this: Simon did his part faithfully. He stayed near to Christ, carrying the Cross until our Lord reached Golgotha, the site of His crucifixion. We also know that Simon’s family was among the first early Christians. Staying near to Christ, embracing the Cross (quite literally), transformed his life and the life of his family.

In contrast, near the end of this Gospel account, we are told of another reaction to Jesus’ passion and death, namely that “all His acquaintances stood at a distance.” They knew Jesus! They had heard him preaching and teaching, witnessed His signs and miracles, maybe even benefitted personally from them. Perhaps they did not participate in mocking Him or calling for His crucifixion. But they chose to stay a safe distance from Him when the going got tough. Unlike Simon, they refused to go too near to Christ.

Where will you place yourself this week? Keeping your distance from all the pain and suffering Christ endured? Or close by, staying near to Him as Simon did? It is when we go near to Christ that we can be transformed by Him. It is by embracing the crosses in our lives, stewarding them well rather than trying to run from them, that we become His true disciples. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022.

Pastoral Pondering – As we begin Holy Week, it is an excellent time to look back over the Lenten season and evaluate how our Lenten journey panned out. For many of us, it is probably a mixed bag. As with New Year’s resolutions, we often make Lenten plans with great enthusiasm and realize rather quickly that the path might be more complicated than expected. If this is a reflection of your own Lenten journey, let not your hearts be troubled. Thankfully, God’s willingness to work in our lives is not dependent on our own capacity to carry out plans once made. While being able to “stick to the plan” does indeed aid an individual in growing in virtue, the lack of the ability neither denies us God’s love nor impede us from reaching out to Him.

Whatever the case may be, Holy Week provides a final opportunity to live Lent well. We are called to immerse ourselves in the saving actions of Jesus Christ and allow the grace flowing from the Cross to truly prepare our hearts for the Easter mysteries. I pray that you give yourself over to the liturgies of this week. Take some time to simply be with the Lord. Allow the Lord to tend the soil of your soul and prepare it to receive the New Life that the Father offers to us through His Son. All of the pertinent information regarding the liturgical schedule for Holy Week, may be found elsewhere in this bulletin.

Stained Glass Windows – We are most appreciative of all of those who have supported our efforts to adorn the church with stained glass, both the rosary windows and the most recent additions, the saint windows. At this point, all of the stained-glass windows have been spoken for, but there are still windows that do not have complete funding. Nonetheless, we are well on our way to bringing this project to completion.

The organ – When the electronic organ was purchased prior to the dedication of the church in 2009, there was hope that it would last for many years to come. However, what we have discovered is that this particular organ has a tendency to fail at various levels. Both Laura and Michael and now Jacob have tried to do “work arounds” to continue using it, but the stops and some of the other elements are falling apart more quickly, and those who service these instruments do not have a great deal of hope in terms of having the repairs actually last for any length of time.

With that in mind, I asked Jacob to produce some suggestions and possibilities. The organ, according to the liturgical documents of the Church, has a unique place in the life of Church worship. With the significant number of churches closing up north, we have found some possibilities that would provide us with a worthy instrument for St. Mark. Most of these instruments are not expensive due to the sellers desire to be rid of them. The principal cost rests with the rebuilding and installation along with any reconfigurations of space that might be required. While at present we do not have a complete plan at present, we know that this will be a project that will be required sooner than later. I’ve asked the Finance Department to set up an online selection for the organ project for those who might like to assist with this project. As soon as I have a more concrete plan, it will be shared with the parish.

Other items – Our parish celebrates twenty-five years this year just as the Diocese celebrates fifty. The Kerin center has served us well, but the building is showing her age. Thanks to the efforts of the Pastoral Council working in cooperation with Scott Bruno and other staff members, we will be making various improvements over the coming months. The chairs in the main center need to be replaced and the area cleaned and improved. Bathrooms need upfitting and facelifting, and there are always areas that could use a good coat of paint. Just be aware that some of these things will be progressing over the weeks and months ahead.

Finally, please know how appreciative I am of the many ways that our parishioners manifest the hands and feet of Christ here in our parish and in the greater community. I pray that God will bless those who have been so generous and supportive. And as we approach the celebration of the Easter mysteries, may God bless and keep you all.