Palm Sunday/Domingo de Ramos

Greetings folks! Today we begin Holy Week, and yes it will be an interesting time for me during this week.  If you know anything about the rituals of Holy Week, they are pretty complicated because there are many ritual actions, prayers, and readings that we only do once a year in the Church.  So, because we only do these yearly, it requires a review of the rituals beforehand just to navigate through each day.  Now, add doing them in another language and culture and you know that this man is going to be working overtime this week!

Most of the community left early Saturday morning to go to lead a mission in Oaxaca.  I woke up early to see them off.  I was out of bed at 4:30am and helped them finish making sandwiches for the 12 hour journey.  As the vans were packed, I led them in prayer and gave them a blessing.  They were happy that I did that for them.  They departed around 5:15am after waiting for another person who was definitely on Mexican time! So, that left the rest of the day to do laundry, do some reading and prepare my homily and read through the Passion several times so that I did not mess up (mispronounce) the words of Jesus during the reading of the Passion- I still did make a few mistakes!

During the week, I attended classes again from Tues-Thursday.  On Monday we had a community Lenten retreat and on Friday, we all met all day for our educational program.  Since most of the Brothers were not going to be home on Saturday, we had to change the timing of our educational course.  Remember, normally we meet on Friday eve from 5-8pm and Saturday from 9am-2pm.  Well, on Friday, we met from 9am-7pm! We had the afternoon meal together from 2-3 and then rested for an hour before we continued our afternoon session of 4pm-7pm.  Needless to say, after 10 hours of class material in Spanish, I was definitely wiped out! I really could have used a drink just to relax, but I did not give in to the temptation!

So, this week I will be going to school from 9am-12:30 from Tues-Thursday.  Since most of the community is gone, I wanted to go to class earlier so that I had more of the day to do some other things.  I will be doing some of the services during the Triduum.  Still not sure which one's exactly.  Since we do staff two large chapels, it would be a help to Fr. Raymundo if I took one of the services.  So, I will be reviewing each of the rituals and preparing homilies during this week.  I definitely have the 11:15am Easter Mass at the Chapel where I celebrated Palm Sunday today. 

I hope this is a great week for all of you.  I will be praying for all of you and hope that you remember me in prayer too- I will need them!  In many ways, I still can't believe I am here and celebrating Holy Week in Spanish! If you asked me last year what I would be doing during Holy Week, celebrating this week in Mexico would never have been on my radar!  God does work in strange ways!  Here are some pictures of the beginning of the Palm Sunday Service....enjoy the week!

Procession through the street: Singing Hosanna to the Son of David

The children lead the procession followed by the Choir and other adults

Altar servers leading the procession

We processed about .50 mile through the streets to the Chapel.

Homily for Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

The Gospel reading today recounts for us Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.  We all know this story, and each year we participate in the actions of the people from long ago.  We too will process with palms.  We too will show all those in this neighborhood that Jesus is our King, Amen? As we process to the Church we will remember how Jesus entered into Jerusalem.  He did not enter Jerusalem as a royal person with a court and soldiers and flashy clothes.  He entered Jerusalem humble, on a donkey.  He entered Jerusalem knowing that he was going to die.  When I think about that fact, I wonder if I could do the same. Jesus entered Jerusalem to give his life for you and for me.  As we process to the Church, even though we acknowledge Jesus as our King and Lord, let us also remember of the great gift he gave each of us.  He gave his life for us, and that is why we sing our Hosanna’s today, Amen? So let us process to the Church, with grateful and heavy hearts for Jesus our King and Lord.  Let us wave our palm branches in the air so that all will know that Jesus Christ is Lord, from generation to generation…Amen?

Second Homily

Morning Church! Well here we are beginning one of the holiest weeks in our faith.  And we begin Holy Week with the blessing of the Palms and the reading of the Passion of our Lord.  This day prepares us to experience the rest of Holy Week: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.  For over two thousand years, people of faith have been celebrating these days and rituals as a way of entering into the incredible story of Jesus Christ.  I am a firm believer that on a day such as this, less words from the priest are important.  We should be reflecting upon the word that was just proclaimed to us in the story of the Passion.  This incredible story is a story of love with many twists and turns along the way.  When we hear the story of Jesus, it allows us to enter into our own story and see how we also have our own moments of death and resurrection in our own lives, Amen?

So, how is the story of Jesus our own story?  If you have ever been misunderstood, say, Amen.  If you have ever felt betrayed, say Amen.  If you have ever had a friend turn away from you, say Amen.  If you have ever been ridiculed or made fun of, say Amen.  If you have ever shared a special meal with friends, say Amen.  If you ever felt like God was not listening to your prayers, say Amen.  If you ever wanted God to take away your pain, say Amen.  If you ever loved someone so much that it hurt, say Amen.  Yes, the story of Jesus is our story.  In our daily lives, we share in the same passion that Jesus experienced.  In many ways, each day we have to die to our reality.  Each day we have to sacrifice.  Each day we have to forgive.  Each day we have to choose to love.  Each day we have to turn our will over to God’s will.  Each day we have to surrender to God.  This is the story of Jesus, and it is our story too. 

As we celebrate the holiest of weeks in our liturgical year let us rejoice in the love that God has for each of us in giving us his Son, Jesus.  Let us remember the gifts that Jesus gave to us so that we can live our lives.  Let us be grateful for the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus which is the food that nourishes us for our journey.  Let us remember that another way of celebrating the Eucharist is to wash one another’s feet- that we are called to serve one another in our lives.  Let us reverence the wood of the cross upon which hung our salvation and remember the sacrifices we all must make in our lives.  Let us remember that Jesus is the light of the world when we bless the Easter fire on Holy Saturday.  And finally, let us always remember that with the cross comes the resurrection, that as people of faith we must be people of hope and of joy.

 This next week is filled with so many beautiful images for us to grow in our faith.  As we celebrate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, let us remember our own times of passion, death, and resurrection in our lives.  We begin this week entering into the sadness of the passion and we end this week entering into the joy of the passion.  Death will bring new life.  God is not finished with us yet, Amen?  This week, we stand in solidarity with hundreds of millions of other Catholics who have celebrated these rituals for the past two thousand years.  Once again, we celebrate Palm Sunday and we give praise and thanks to Jesus, our King and our Lord, Amen?

Primera Homilia

La lectura del Evangelio relata hoy la entrada de Jesús en Jerusalén. Todos conocemos esta historia, y cada año participamos en las acciones de las personas desde hace mucho tiempo. Nosotros también procesaremos con las palmas. Nosotros también mostraremos todos los que en este barrio que Jesús es nuestro Rey, Amén? A medida que se procesa a la Iglesia vamos a recordar cómo Jesús entró en Jerusalén. No entró en Jerusalén como una persona real, con un corte y soldados y ropa llamativa. Él entró en Jerusalén humilde, montado en un burro. Entró en Jerusalén, sabiendo que iba a morir. Cuando pienso en ese hecho, me pregunto si podría hacer lo mismo. Jesús entró en Jerusalén para dar su vida para ustedes y para mí. A medida que se procesa a la Iglesia, a pesar de que reconocemos a Jesús como nuestro Rey y Señor, recordemos también del gran don que cada uno de nosotros. Él dio su vida por nosotros, y que es por eso que cantamos hoy nuestra de Hosanna, Amén? Así que vamos a procesar a la Iglesia, con corazones agradecidos y pesadas para Jesús, nuestro Rey y Señor. Vamos a agitamos nuestras palmas en el aire para que todos conocerán que Jesucristo es el Señor, de generación en generación... Amén?

 Segunda Homilia

Buenos días Iglesia! Bueno, aquí estamos iniciando una de las semanas más sagrados de nuestra fe. Y comenzamos la Semana Santa con la bendición de las palmas y la lectura de la Pasión de nuestro Señor. Este día nos prepara para experimentar el resto de la Semana Santa: Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo, Sábado Santo y Domingo de Pascua. Durante más de dos mil años, las personas de fe han estado celebrando en estos días y rituales como una manera de entrar en la increíble historia de Jesucristo. Soy una firme creyente de que en un día como este, menos palabras del sacerdote son importantes. Deberíamos reflexionar sobre la palabra que se acaba de proclamar a nosotros en la historia de la pasión. Esta increíble historia es una historia de amor con muchos giros y vueltas a lo largo del camino. Cuando oímos la historia de Jesús, que nos permite entrar en nuestra propia historia y ver cómo también tenemos nuestros propios momentos de la muerte y resurrección en nuestra propia vida, Amén?

Entonces, ¿cómo es la historia de Jesús nuestra propia historia? Si alguna vez se ha entendido mal, decir: Amén. Si alguna vez se ha sentido traicionado, decir Amén. Si alguna vez ha tenido un amigo se aparte de ti, decir Amén. Si alguna vez ha sido ridiculizado o burlado de, decir Amén. Si alguna vez ha compartido una comida especial con amigos, decir Amén. Si alguna vez se sentía como Dios no se escucha sus oraciones, decir Amén. Si alguna vez quiso Dios para quitar el dolor, decir Amén. Si alguna vez amó tanto a alguien que le dolía, decir Amén. Sí, la historia de Jesús es nuestra historia. En nuestra vida cotidiana, compartimos la misma pasión que Jesús experimentó. En muchos sentidos, cada día tenemos que morir a nuestra realidad. Cada día tenemos que sacrificar. Cada día tenemos que perdonar. Cada día tenemos que elegir amar. Cada día tenemos que poner nuestra voluntad a la voluntad de Dios. Cada día tenemos que entregarse a Dios. Esta es la historia de Jesús, y es nuestra historia también, Amen?

Al celebrar el santo de semanas en nuestro año litúrgico Gocémonos en el amor que Dios tiene para cada uno de nosotros al darnos a su Hijo, Jesús. Recordemos los dones que Jesús dio a nosotros para que podamos vivir nuestras vidas. Seamos agradecidos por la Eucaristía, el cuerpo y la sangre de Jesús, que es el alimento que nos nutre para nuestro viaje. Recordemos que otra forma de celebrar la Eucaristía es lavar el uno al otro de pies- que estamos llamados a servir unos a otros en nuestras vidas. Vamos a reverenciamos el madero de la cruz sobre la cual colgaba nuestra salvación y recordamos los sacrificios que todos debemos hacer en nuestras vidas. Recordemos que Jesús es la luz del mundo, cuando bendecimos el fuego Pascua el Sábado Santo. Y, por último, recordemos siempre que con la cruz viene la resurrección, que como personas de fe debemos ser personas de esperanza y de alegría, Amen?

Esta próxima semana está lleno de tantas imágenes bellas para que podamos crecer en nuestra fe. Al celebrar la pasión, muerte y resurrección de Jesús, recordemos nuestros propios tiempos de la pasión, muerte y resurrección en nuestras vidas. Comenzamos esta semana entrar en la tristeza de la pasión y terminamos esta semana que entra en el gozo de la pasión. La muerte traerá nueva vida. Dios no ha terminado con nosotros todavía, Amén? Esta semana, nos solidarizamos con cientos de millones de otros católicos que han celebrado estos rituales durante los últimos dos mil años. Una vez más, se celebra el Domingo de Ramos y alabamos y damos gracias a Jesús, nuestro Rey y nuestro Señor, Amén?