Dear Friends,
This week is the Super Bowl week for Christians.  The Holy Week Services are the “high holy days” for us Christians. Here at Saints Joseph and Paul, we put much time and effort into making them a truly spiritual experience that will help us contemplate the depth of love that has been given to us by the person of Jesus Christ. Take time this week consider the meaning of each day of this Holy Week. You are invited to Saints Joe and Paul to celebrate these days with your sisters and brothers.  Look over our schedule and plan now to be part of our worshipping community throughout the week.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. It is the day we remember the beginning of the end. The reading sets the stage for the events of Holy Week; Holy Thursday commemorating the Institution of the Eucharist; Good Friday commemorating the suffering and death of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins; Easter Vigil begins the celebration of Christ’s triumph over sin and death through His resurrection.  As a whole, Holy Week is meant to be a sobering reminder of the depth of Christ’s suffering for us. That depth of suffering represents the infinite love of God for us. Jesus willingly gave up His power as God to live with us, to completely identify with our struggles against temptation and evil. Because of the fullness of His humanity, Jesus takes upon Himself all of the sins of our human condition. Because of the fullness of His divinity, Jesus becomes the eternal high priest offering Himself for our salvation.

This week is our final opportunity this Lenten season to reflect on our lives and our response to Jesus’ offering for us. Do we really understand how much He suffered for us? Do we really understand how much He loves us? Jesus suffered and died so that each of us could be forgiven our sins and live in the Spirit as His witnesses in the world. Does our daily life reflect our picking up our cross and following Jesus? It is only through our participation in His cross that we can come to the power of the resurrection.

This week is central to everything we do, believe and live. Please make every effort to join us in prayer this week, either in person or in union, through your personal prayer/reflection.  May this Holy Week help us to appreciate Jesus’ love for each of us, and may it truly be holy for us ! And I ask you to make this week different from any other week of the year. For this is Holy Week, the remembrance of the salvation of world.

Peace in Christ,
Fr. Kalombo