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April 1, 2023There are only two times in the entire liturgical calendar that the rubrics give specific instructions on a homily, and they are both this week. On Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Missal tells us that “a brief homily should be given, if appropriate. A period of silence may also be observed.” Obviously, there is something to be said for brevity in the homily after the entire account of the Passion of the Lord is read. Additionally, there is only so much to say after meditating on such great sorrow and pain. Having had the blessing of being in many hospital rooms as people prepare to pass from this life to the next, I know very well that there is only so much one can find to say when people are right in the thick of suffering and loss. There is no witticism or kind word that will completely take away the pain that people are feeling in those moments. One might lessen it, or help them understand that they are not alone, but grief is grief, and in the moment, it cannot be ignored. As we stand at the foot of the Cross, both in the readings and in the Eucharist we celebrate, we must not forget that simple, profound fact.
Since you might not hear it in what are supposed to be rather brief homilies this weekend, I offer you this to meditate on in the week ahead as you prepare for Easter: Jesus knows your burdens. Christianity is set apart from other philosophies, religions, and worldviews by the infinitely beautiful fact that it is not primarily a system by which we can lift ourselves up to God in a predetermined number of easy steps. It is, at its core, the belief that God made us to be loved and to love, in freedom we fell from that love, and now God has sent His Son into the world to restore us to the Glory for which we were created. As St. Paul tells us, the beauty of our Faith is that it is not us who loved God first, but rather God loved us when we were still unlovable and sent His Son into the world to reclaim us as His own. We see that more dramatically when it comes time to read the Passion, but it’s always equally true. This Holy Week, I invite you to throw yourself unreservedly into the beautiful (and sometimes sorrowful) liturgies that we celebrate as we prepare for the Resurrection. It is the story of who we are, and of God’s love for us.
Prayers always,
Fr. McC
