Palm Sunday A Year Later - Still in Troubling Times

We looked back to last year's Palm Sunday post. Things had improved somewhat from the year before when we were locked out of our parish church (and every other church in our diocese). But they weren't "normal" by any means. 

Some reported palms distributed, although it wasn't a universal experience. Mask-wearing was still enforced. (No mask, No Mass!) For better or for worse, here's how I approached the subsequent liturgies of Holy Week:

I doubt I'll attend either of Holy Thursday or Good Friday's liturgies even if they're offered. Frankly, being in a closed space wearing a mask for the hour and a half these liturgies typically take is a bit much. Sunday Mass pretty much marks my mask limit. Breathing my own CO2 can't be all that healthy; plus, I typically feel like I need real air to breathe after a half hour or so.

This year, the mask requirement has dropped, although some significant percentage of people do still wear them (?). Maybe we'll attend Holy Thursday and/or Good Friday liturgies this year. 

One area that's not improved for us: Confession and Communion. Confession is only available before the Saturday "anticipated" Mass. It's located in the sanctuary, on the right. Two chairs face each other at a distance - one for the priest, one for the we the people. Until recently, you - and the priest - had to wear a mask. I've avoided confession as a result. Bad enough you're "out there" in front of everyone arriving for Mass. But with a mask, in order for the priest to actually make out what you're confessing, you have to "speak up." And the church's acoustics echo quite a bit. So even if your priest faithfully observes the sanctity of Confession, it's likely you'll be heard by one and all. Well, maybe you understand why I've avoided Confession lately.

As for Communion, it's still only distributed "in the hand." And, without going over all the reasons why on the tongue is the only way I'll receive Communion, bottom line: No Communion - at least in our parish church.  

So regarding the "Mess" created by the C-Virus, some things have changed somewhat for the better, but too much has not. 

But lest we allow ourselves too much of respite from our past, we remain in troubling times. The war in Ukraine has taken over the primary focus of the media. Our government was once the source of a constant barrage of virus related mandates, lock-downs, passports and all the rest that at best could be labeled nonsense, at worst tyranny. But as the truth about the whole vaccine debacle becomes more apparent and known, the pivot away from the C-Virus and toward war has - one could say predictably - been almost complete. We say "predictably" because war has always served the purposes of the state when they need to either distract attention either from a troubled economy and/or bad policy - basically anything that threatens to cause the citizenry to wake up and demand reform or, in extreme cases, revolution. Yes, war does the trick.

Ah, sorry, it's Holy Week so it's best to stop getting carried away here. Let's set all that aside - serious as it may be - and focus our attention where it should be for these next seven days. So let's just wrap our Palm Sunday in an updated version of last year's observations, to wit:

We must - turn our hearts and minds towards Our Savior. Recall that those days leading up to the glory of Easter He did what He had to do to assure the possibility of eternal happiness for each of us. And, of course, the what-He-had-to-do was to suffer and die on the Cross in the most horrendous manner imaginable. 

We've mentioned it before, but if you've never read bout what that suffering was like, read what's been researched and written about crucifixion. Even better, search for and read what's been written specifically about Our Lord's torture and death, including the sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, carrying of the cross - all of it.

Immersing your self in the Passion and Death of Our Lord and Savior will provide enough during this Holy Week to last a lifetime - although you may want to return from time to time to not only refresh your understanding, but also revivify its impact on your mind and heart and soul. To do so will help walk behind Our Lord as He journeys to Jerusalem on the donkey, the crowds' adoring calls and shouts ringing in our ears. We can witness His Passion with deep sorrow and compassion. And, of course, any of us can mark noontime on Good Friday and sequester ourselves in some fashion to stand beneath the Cross as Jesus' Sacred Body drains itself of its last drop of blood to His final breath, as His Soul is separated from His Body - as ours will be some day when we take our final breath.

Palm Sunday, the 2nd Sunday in Passiontide, begins Holy Week. Whether we can attend the special Holy Week Liturgies, we can keep our minds and hearts focused on and filled with Our Lord's Passion and Death. If we can do this, whatever residue of our C-Virus Mess will not deflect the graces of Holy Week. We will be fully prepared to sing "Alleluia!" as His Resurrection blazes forth from the tomb and shines its light on - with His grace - the eternal happiness He has made possible for each of us. 

We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee

Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.