My sisters and brothers, grace and peace to each of you in our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lenten journey is nearing its conclusion. While 40 days may seem long and daunting when we started a few weeks ago, it does go quickly. And then suddenly, we're entering the Passion tide and Holy Week, the culmination of God's providence in providing for us.

As we make our way through Passion/Palm Sunday and into our Holy Week, what figure or figures stand out to you? Is it the crowd that hails Christ on Palm Sunday by waving their palms and olive branches, shouting, Hosanna to the son of David? Is it tension between Judas and Peter, the former who betrayed Jesus and the latter who denied ever knowing Christ? Is it the figure of Simon of Cyrene who was pressed into service to help Jesus carry the cross going up Golgotha? Is it the good thief on the cross next to Jesus who hears those beautiful words, “This day you'll be with Me in paradise”? Or will it be John and Mary under the cross hearing, “Behold your mother, behold your son”? Holy week is akin to an in-house retreat for us. There are moments of quiet celebration as we get our palms or as we sit down to a Passover dinner or as we fast and abstain on Good Friday. We are left alone with our thoughts, “You did this for me?”

May this Holy Week be filled with a beautiful experience of participating just a little bit more in the very drama of the Salvific events of Christ. And in so doing, we gain a greater appreciation of the immense love that God has not just for the world, but for each one of us.

Yes, God loved the world, but He also loved me, and He loved you. He wanted each to experience the salvation won by Christ. May our Holy Week truly be blessed this year. May God bless you all.