Podcast | Holy Week Starts In Your Heart (Episode 72)

Holy Week stops being a story we remember and becomes a love we receive when we let the Passion get personal. We wrestle with the Palm Sunday crowd, our own mixed hearts, and practical ways to walk with Jesus all week long. 
• Palm Sunday crowds and the “Catholic memory” that draws people back 
• The Passion as the cornerstone of faith and an emotional mirror 
• Jesus walking toward Calvary with full knowledge of our sin 
• Moving from “Jesus saves the world” to “Jesus saves me” 
• The Hosanna-to-crucify tension inside every disciple 
• Peter, the martyrs, and the fear of failing under pressure 
• Holy Week as God’s love first, not our performance 
• Practical ways to participate: daily Mass, Tenebrae, Holy Thursday, adoration, seven churches 
• Good Friday opportunities: confession, Stations, veneration, Seven Last Words 
• Easter as transformation and mission, not just a celebration 
Please pray also, everyone, for the people who are in the OCIA that will be receiving sacraments this weekend.

Thank you for listening! Visit us at www.saintaugustinechurch.org

Transcript

Welcome And Holy Week Begins

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and welcome to Heart of the Homily Podcast. My name is Michelle Lopez, and I'm here with Father Bigoer. And we're your host for today and always for Heart of the Homily.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

How are you doing, Michelle?

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Doing good. Happy Holy Week.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to Holy Week.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

We are here, which is Monday of Holy Week. Yes. And um, this past weekend, celebrating Palm Sunday was very beautiful, very powerful. It's always like a wake-up call.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Like so beautiful, and something that um large crowds. And I hope it there's something when I'm celebrating Mass, I said, wow, if there's a way to get all of these people here every Sunday. I mean, we can't, right? So there's we don't have enough room or parking spaces. Um, but it's just so beautiful that I I don't know. I and it's more than just because we're giving out something for free on Sunday. I think there's something in us as Catholics that say, it's Palm Sunday, it's a beginning of Holy Week, we should go to Mass. I think that that's at the core of it.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Yeah, absolutely. I I think people are, even if they're not really practicing their faith, right? There's like a I think a longing that kind of stirs up and a remembrance of like this is something important, even if they don't know why.

Palm Sunday And The Passion Hits

SPEAKER_01 1:17

And I love that it's almost like I'm a Catholic and this is who I am and this is what we do.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Yeah, it's true.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Great crowds.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, and I think your homily was short and sweet. Short and sweet.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

And I do it on purpose because the passion is so long. It was very especially Matthew's gospel version. It's it's kind of long.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

It is long, but I thought it was so profound because it really gave it a great invitation to personalize Holy Week. And that's kind of something that you started with talking about that it's not symbolic, but it has to become become something personal. Um, that it's not just watching Jesus and the passion from a distance, but like bringing it into your life, into your heart.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

And um yeah, well, it's so easy, I think, to because we know the story, because we've heard it many times, I think that there's an uh there's an easiness to allow the mind to shift or to daydream or go somewhere else. But if you really stay with the words or you are able to meditate, it's brutal.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

It is. I feel I feel like there's so many emotions that happen when that gospel is read, like inside me. And and I feel like you kind of called it out in your homily, which um but you can't listen to that and not and just be stoic. Like you can't, like a response naturally happens inside.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Um, what I was thinking to myself was this is who we are, this is what we believe, this is the center of our faith. Of I don't know, I it just I think for the first time ever in any holy week that I've ever celebrated was this deep realization of that the passion is the cornerstone. I know this, I studied this, I I breathe this, right? But it wasn't made concrete to me. I don't know why, until this Sunday. And then it there was something inside of said, Well, I can't wait till Friday's version of the passion, because that's my favorite from John's gospel. Um I don't know. There's just something about the passion that should awaken in us this real desire to see Jesus for who he is, all that he did, all that he gives up, this pouring out of his love freely from the cross. And something that I mentioned at the at the in the homily is he knows what he's getting into and he walks towards it.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

I think that was a powerful part of your homily, Father, was like thinking about Jesus being so like triumphantly welcomed, but him knowing that those who are waving the palms in praise might will turn their back on him later. But he still received them as they as they were. And I think so much like that's uh that's his heart for us. He received it.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

It's hard. And and one thing that I I tried to communicate, I don't know if it it translated well, but it was this idea that think about it. And it's something that you have to walk to and surrender to and accept it. How would you or could you? What does that look like? And Jesus knows, and it's all about I will do the will of the Father. And and and another aspect that I was talking about, he knows us, he sees everything, and he still shows up, he still says, I want to walk to Calvary, I want to face this, I will do this for you, not in an abstract way, not in this, oh, I want to save humanity. No, no, no. You personally understand that this is something that Jesus looks in your eyes and says, I'm doing it for you. Because it's very easy for says, Oh, Jesus came to save the world, to save everyone from their sins. Yes. But bring it down to you, bring it down to a very personal level. Because when you understand and you can see that Jesus is looking into your eyes and says, No, it's you. After everything that I know, I still want to save you. I still want to walk to the to Calvary.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Yeah, and to think of like he's not afraid of our junk. Right. And that he even sees it, loves us, and still chooses us. And that's the most amazing part of God's love for us in that.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Well, you said it, you said it a little minute, you said it a minute ago. Those same people that are shouting Hosanna in the highest on on Palm Sunday um are not there on Friday.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Yeah. Or if they're there, they're saying crucify him.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

And I think that's I mean, that's within us. Even when you're, you know, practicing the faith for 20 years, like it's still within us. There's that dichotomy.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

There's a I think that there's I think that there's poor both parts of in us every single day.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

And I think that's why in the passion reading, when you hear like even Peter being like, There's no way I'll go, you know, like that stuck out to me this time because you know, in my journey this year, like hearing that, I was just like, that's what I want to say. But then also I know like Peter, Peter fails. And I'm like, oh my gosh, Lord, like, you know, give me the grace, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

I don't want to betray you, you know, and like I have always thought about that. Well, you just said I've thought not this year. I this is the first time I've thought about it this year, because you bring up something super important, something that I've thought about before. Like, you read about these martyrs, like in Japan and all of even in the 20th century, where there's been the most martyrs in our church than any time in history. I think about this all the time. I my pain tolerance is so low. I wonder if it came to that, would I say yes? Right? And so it's again, it's that back to it's it you have to face your death. Will you be able to walk through it and face it and and do it and trust in the will of the Father?

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Yeah, and Jesus shows us how.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Jesus shows us how, and in in this incredible love that it it he is faithful, not because we're faithful, he's faithful. And his not because we're strong, but because his love is strong, right? Yeah, um, and so I just I don't know. I I think that this holy week has been there this holy uh this holy Lent has been an incredible experience. I think a lot of people that are here in the parish and that in our Bible studies and the different small groups that we did for Lent, I think that they'll say the same thing that there's been something this year a little bit different. Um I don't know. I'm looking forward to uh Holy Week.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Absolutely. And Father, one thing that you said in your helmet that I think shifts it shifts our prayer this week, where you said it's not a this week is not about how much you love God, but it's about how much God loves you. And that change, Father, because you can get stuck sometimes in like, okay, I'm gonna do all these things because I love you, Lord, which is a beautiful thing. But this week we need to shift our gaze to like at the end of the day, it's about seeing what Jesus is doing is for you because you're worth it, because he calls you.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

100% because I do think that we do things, oh, because I love you, Jesus, or I love you, God. I will go to mass because I love you, I will do this because I love you, or or whatever it is. But if we look at Holy Week as is is that and in that way, then you're missing the point. Holy week should be seen in the context that God loves you, and this is why God does what he does, and this is why he he sends his son to be tortured and killed and mocked and and spat upon and plucking his beard and uh hanging up on a cross. That's why God allows this for love of you on a personal level.

How To Live Holy Week Actively

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Looking at this week coming up, what would be some recommendations of helping us make it personal and walking with Jesus and not just sitting on the sidelines like you mentioned?

SPEAKER_01 9:18

Yeah. I love today, I the daily mass increase. I don't know if you saw this, but just a lot of people. I don't know if it's something that they say, well, you know, I'll do daily mass for holy week, but a lot more people are at mass um today at the 8 a.m. and the noon. Um but something I mentioned today in today's gospel is that there's this quiet sense that something's about to happen, right? Like Monday comes and it's quiet, but you know that the passion is coming. And so all the readings kind of point us to that. One of the things that I would say is really prepare your heart. Don't be on the sidelines, plan ahead, look at all the different activities that are happening, not just at St. Augustine's, maybe some at another parish or somewhere closer to you, but be active. You holy week has to be active participation. And and so it's almost almost like this idea that it's a prayerful time where it's it just evolves from one day to the next. And I continue to pray with the liturgies of the church. Uh, even the trade woman, where it's just like almost this one continuous celebration, the mindset has to be the same way. Well, let me continue to pray with the liturgies of this week. Even Wednesday. Wednesday is a powerful, um, beautiful night where we gather as a parish family and we eat soup and bread, share a meal, and then go and listen to the scriptures and the powerful music for Tenebrae, the service of light. Thursday night is incredible, and there's only one mass, so it makes it very hard because it's a jam-packed church. I wish we had a larger church, but we don't. It is what it is. Um but Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet, but most importantly, is that Jesus that Jesus gives himself to us in in the Eucharist. The institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, we relive that, we see that in the flesh. Be part of that. Then that night, everything is stripped. We we do a procession to the altar of repose where we'll sit there till midnight and and adore the Lord. And something that is a really cool tradition. A lot of people do this, they go to different churches. They do go to seven altars, and we're part of it here in the court in the gables. And um, so look that up if you'd like to go maybe form your own little group and do that part of Holy Week celebration. Go around the different parishes around the archdiocese or even around here, around us, and visit their altar of repose. Do some prayers at the different altars of repose. That is a great, great way to live the liturgies. Of course, Friday, we're gonna have a lot of different activities. Go to your parish, spend some time with the Lord. Our church is gonna be open, a lot of quiet time, a lot of confessions, stations of the cross, uh, the veneration of the cross with Holy Communion. That communion service is gonna be at 3 p.m., the hour when Jesus dies. And then I'm excited because for the first time, we're gonna have uh Jesus' seven last words Friday night. And it's gonna be a teaching on those seven last words, and there'll be music, uh, very heavy, beautiful music that accompanies those seven last words. Um, and so I hope that a nice crowd comes out again. Why living through all of these moments of Holy Week, be having uh an active participation? Why? Because when Saturday comes, Easter Vigil or Sunday, Easter Sunday, there's a true resurrection. Hopefully a transformative change, the desire to live differently, to understand the gift that has been given, um, and then want to share it with everyone else to go out on mission, right?

Living Stations And Seven Last Words

SPEAKER_00 13:08

So good. What a beautiful week ahead and a packed week.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Tell me a little bit about um what the because we haven't really been able to talk, it's been so crazy, but and do you Catholic kids, the the University of Miami college students, put on the live stations of the cross? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 13:26

They do, they do it on campus at noon on Friday, and then they do it here at St. Augustine Church at 6 p.m. And so it's different college students who take on different roles in the passion. And um basically it's the stations of the cross, but it they reenact it in between each station. So there's prayer for reflection that goes on. So they kind of like freeze in time while the reflection is read, and then it comes to life in between each station. So it's just a different way to experience the stations in a way that's um kind of makes it more real and um you know, feeling like you are in the crowd because there's a good job last year.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Is it different people every year?

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Different people every year. So it's really um and it's an incredible way that the students encounter Jesus' passion when they're in the stations. Yeah, especially when they do it on campus because they're in the middle, on like everyone can see them. And so it kind of feels like they go back to Jerusalem for themselves being able to. I mean, they are stepping into being a living witness on their own campus in that way of saying, like, Jesus matters, and this happened, and today means something to me.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

And Good Friday. On Good Friday. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

That's powerful.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Love it. Well, this is an exciting week. I think it's a beautiful week, but it's also a week to center yourself, be in the moment, be in prayer, accompany Jesus. Don't sit on the sidelines, be there walking right next to him. He's on his way to Calvary. We got to be there, shoulder to shoulder, um, taking some of this weight and uh accompanying him all the way up.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Yeah, and I think that invitation to even ask the Lord, Lord, how do I make this more personal this year? Like let him do that heavy lifting of revealing his heart for you through all these services in a particular way.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Amen. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for all that you do, Michelle.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Oh, thanks, Father. Thanks for all your hard work. You're gonna have, I mean, it's a beautiful weekend, but it's also like your busiest weekend.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

It is kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

That provides you holy energy on a whole nother level.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

That would be the best gift, some holy energy. I was uh starting to work last night on some of the homilies. I've been working on the the seven last words for the last two weeks. I've been just doing a little bit at a time. Um, sometimes in prayer, oh, this would be a great insert here. Oh, I just thought of this. And so I've been working on that. I want to I want it to be good, only because it's our first year doing it. Uh, Archbishop Fulton Sheen was very famous in always preaching the seven last words on Good Friday. They say that St. Patrick's Cathedral would be packed to the gill, people standing outside trying to listen uh to his powerful talk on the seven last words of Jesus. So we'll see how it goes. Maybe come to the living stations at six and then stay for uh the seven last words at seven. So lots going on, lots to do, a very busy, busy week, but it's all done with a love, a love for the church, a love for the Lord, and trying to assimilate and try to incorporate that it's it's all about how much God loves you personally, and he did all of this for you. How do you know this? How do you recognize this? How do you reconcile this in your heart in the way that you live? Um, because he's calling you to more. And we need you. We need you to be reconciled to the idea and convicted to his love so that you can come on with us on mission.

OCIA Prayers And Easter Hope

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Beautiful. So good. And I'll just mention the please pray also, everyone, for the people who are in the OCIA that will be receiving sacraments um this weekend. So that is going to be incredible. So your prayers for them will be tremendous, everyone that's listening.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

I can't tell you how many people I see at Mass that are in the OCIA program or even their sponsors that are I can't wait. Just a couple more weeks or just one more week. I I father, I can't wait to the Easter visual.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

That's so great.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

So they're excited. You've done a really great job with uh that class. So thanks.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

They're on fire. It's beautiful. So, well, thank you, everyone. We'll be praying for you, and we look forward to next week when we talk about the joy of Easter.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

Have a great, blessed holy week. We'll see you next week. God bless.