Hi everyone, and welcome to Weekly Homilies with Father Mark Suslenko, Pastor of SS. Isidore and Maria Parish in Glastonbury, Connecticut. We are part of the Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. I'm Carol Vassar, parish director of communications, and this is Episode 15 of Season 5 for Palm Sunday: April 10, 2022. Our Gospel reading from Luke Chapter 22:14— Chapter 23:56 may be found in the link in the show notes for this episode. And now, Father Mark
“Holy Week Retreat” by Father Mark S. Suslenko, Pastor, SS. Isidore and Maria Parish, Glastonbury, Connecticut
I always like to look at Holy Week as a time to stop and have a mini parish retreat. It really affords all of us an opportunity liturgically, spiritually to really enter into the very profound and deep mysteries of our faith. Mysteries that unlock also a deeper understanding of ourselves and God working and acting in each of our lives.
And so this year I've decided to allow a master of retreats to come and guide us during our Holy Week experience. And we're going to be having that journey with Julian of Norwich. Julian of Norwich is someone I have referred to often and quite some time ago now, you may remember, I relayed her three-fold revelation about God's presence and its simplicity is so very profound.
"God made me, God loves me, God keeps me." And so each day of Holy Week, we're going to use one of those as a lens, through which to see the profound events facing Jesus' final days and resurrection. The lens for Holy Thursday would be "God made me," the lens for Good Friday will be "God loves me," and the lens for Holy Saturday will be "God keeps me" and then Easter will be an inclusion of all three. So I encourage you if you have the ability to do so to participate fully in the very beautiful liturgies of Holy Week. I promise you, you will be moved and you will also find yourself reflecting on the more deep realities of who you are and who God is.
Father Mark Suslenko is the pastor of SS. Isidore and Maria Parish in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Learn more about our parish community at www.isidoreandmaria.org. And follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our music comes free of charge from Blue Dot Sessions in Fall River, Massachusetts. I’m Carol Vassar. Thanks for joining us.