"Sucker Punch Sunday"

My husband joined the Church as an adult, so sometimes his perspective is different than my "cradle" perspective. A perfect example was the first year that he came to Palm Sunday Mass with me. The whole parish gathered in the parish hall and the priest read the Gospel story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We all waved our palm branches and began the procession into the Church. There was joy, there was praise.

I imagine my poor husband's heart was exactly in the same place as those people in Jerusalem two millennia ago. Sure, Matt knew that Good Friday was coming, but he was able to set that aside and enjoy the beauty of this moment.

Then things escalated quickly. The reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday during the regular gospel time was a shock to him in a way I had not experienced as a Catholic who grew up with this rhythm. In a way, the shock of the city turning against its Messiah was lost on me. My husband was quite shaken up, though. He said it felt like he was punched in the gut. The betrayal, coming so close to the elated welcome, took his breath away. Really, it should do the same to everyone.

The crucifix that stands at the front of all of our churches runs the risk of becoming ordinary and commonplace if we don't allow that "sucker punch" to shock us into awareness of what really happened. Easter is coming, it is true, but Good Friday comes first. I hope we will all live these days fully so as to truly experience what resurrection means.

What a Holy Week!

I was moved by a few emails/posts from parishioners & catechists who shared about their families' experience with the Holy Week liturgies last week. It is always the aim of our work in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to assist the child to fuller participation in the mass. These two stories warmed my heart so much I wanted to share them with you!

The first is from a catechist with two boys in our Level I program (3 and 5 years old). She attended Holy Thursday mass with her children and they were so moved by the part where the altar was stripped that they came home and emptied their own little prayer table that they had set up. Usually the prayer table has a cloth (the color had been purple), a bible, a statue, maybe a few prayer cards, and a candle. The mom told me that they took turns taking things off and even folded (!) the prayer cloth. When they were done it looked like this:

Also, on Easter morning I woke up to this jewel in my notifications on Facebook. It was from a catechist with 3 boys between 7 and 12 years old. 

"My family went to Easter Vigil mass last night. I haven't been in a long time, probably talked myself out of it since last time I went when my boys were little, one threw up right in the middle of it! Anyways, my niece was receiving her sacraments last night so we went. 

During mass I was in awe of our CGS program! How the last few years of being involved in CGS had been preparing me and my boys to fully understand and participate not only in Mass each week, but for this Vigil Mass. Every moment gave me a flash of a work from the atrium! I can't explain the feeling I had while I was sitting there - grateful-peaceful-awe-love! 

And it was made even greater when I looked over at my boys and saw their participation. Most of the way home from Ft. Dodge I sat in the car thinking of how awesome our CGS program is!! Not sure why, but this morning I just had to get on here and share with you all how thankful I am that my boys and I are a part of this program!! Happy Easter!! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!"

Easter Blessings on you and your families!