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 16 of Season 6 for Palm Sunday: April 2, 2023. Our Gospel reading from Matthew Chapter 26, verse 14— Chapter 27, verse 66, which may be found in the link in the show notes for this episode. And now, Father Mark
“Creating Holy Space During Holy Week” by Father Mark S. Suslenko, Pastor, SS. Isidore and Maria Parish, Glastonbury, Connecticut
As with many things in our life, hindsight is 20/20, which is the primary reason for us to really take These days; we call ourselves holy and immerse ourselves into them as much and completely as possible. As we look back upon the course of our lives, as we put the pieces of the puzzle together, we begin to see things clearer. And such it is with these events of Holy Week.
If we take each one: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, they all form a mosaic of God's relationship with us in the course of salvation history. And so ideally, it is preferred that we come to each of the liturgies that we offer, the one on Holy Thursday, the one on Good Friday, the one on Holy Saturday, and then Easter Sunday, to absorb the fullness of this experience of Christ's salvation resurrection.
But if we cannot participate in the fullness of the liturgies, then to create the space in our lives to become more reflective, to change things up this week so that we can have that prayerful space to really ponder what Jesus is trying to tell us as he faces his Last Supper with his disciples, as he goes to the cross on Good Friday, the darkness and wonder of the tomb, the bright light of the shining of the resurrection, and the dawn of salvation on humankind.
As we look at our own lives, God wants to offer a message to each one of us: to use his example that has gone before us, to then lead us and guide us as our lives unfold here on Earth as we travel on that, same journey, that same road, to everlasting life, to risen life with him, that we truly find this week an opening experience for us and one that is sacred indeed.
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.