Transcript RCIA

RCIA
March 20 th , 2013
"Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord!“ (Lk 19:38)
On Palm Sunday the Church celebrates
Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to
accomplish the Paschal Mystery of his death
and resurrection.
On this joyful day He was surrounded by
throngs of people singing His praises
and marveling at all the miracles He
had performed.
The assembly gathers (9:00 and 11:30 am
will being outside the church) to
process into the sanctuary carrying
palm branches.
The Gospel reading of this day is the
Passion narrative.
"Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.“
(Ps 27:14)
Monday of Holy Week is a day of waiting.
As we have done during these past weeks
of Lent, we must also prepare our
hearts and minds for the sorrows of the
Triduum.
Find a quiet place to sit and pray with
Scripture or to read your favorite
spiritual book.
Gather your family to pray the Rosary.
Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
As we reflect on today's readings,
especially when Our Lord raises
Lazarus from the dead, ask Jesus to
raise us above any obstacles that
prevent us from drawing nearer to Him.
"I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the
ends of the earth.“ (Isa 49:6)
Today we continue our waiting and
preparation as we approach Good Friday.
Reserve quiet time to "Be still and know
that (He) is God" (Ps 46:10).
Make a Holy Hour to visit with Our Lord
in Adoration before the Blessed
Sacrament.
Attend the Chrism Mass.
If you don't have a lot of time, or if you find
an hour is too long to stay focused, try
praying for only 15-20 minutes. Even this
brief break in your day can refresh your
soul.
As we reflect on today's readings, especially
Judas' betrayal of Jesus, let us search our
own lives to identify weaknesses or
temptations that may cause us to betray
Our Lord if we are not careful.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts
revive!“ (Ps 69:33)
As we reach the middle of Holy Week, our
waiting turns to anticipation. Spending
time in prayer each day has helped us to
identify our weakness and times we need to
turn to Christ for help.
Pray the Liturgy of the Hours (also
called the Divine Office or Breviary).
The examination is a natural part of
Night Prayer.
Serve the homeless in a soup kitchen or
visit the elderly in a nursing home.
As we reflect on today's readings,
especially Isaiah's words foretelling
Our Lord's suffering, seek forgiveness
for times we have caused others to
suffer.
"Let us live Lent, then, as a 'Eucharistic'
time in which, welcoming the love of
Jesus, we learn to spread it around us
with every word and deed."
(Pope Benedict XVI's Message for Lent 2007)
The three day “Triduum” (Holy Thurday, Good Friday, and
Easter Vigil) begins at sunset on Holy Thursday, or with the
Last Supper meal.
On Holy Thursday we celebrate the institution of the "source
and summit" of our Catholic Faith –
The Holy Eucharist.
On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus
celebrated the Passover meal with His
disciples:
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said
the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his
disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it
to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for
this is my blood of the covenant, which will
be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness
of sins.'" (Mt 26:26-28)
On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus also
showed his disciples –and us -- how they
(we) were to serve each other:
“…he rose from supper and took off his outer
garments. He took a towel and tied it around
his waist. Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry
them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I
am doing, you do not understand now, but
you will understand later.” Peter said to
him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus
answered him, “Unless I wash you, you
will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not
only my feet, but my hands and head as
well.” (Jn 13:4-9)
In our parish, the Mass of the
Lord’s Supper begins at 7:00pm.
At the end of Mass, the altar will
be stripped bare.
Mass has not ended… we are
pausing until we gather together
again the next evening, on Good
Friday.
During His agony in the garden on Holy
Thursday, Jesus asked His disciples to
pray with Him.
Take time on this day to also pray with
him.
Participate in Morning Prayer (9:00am)
and Adoration Watch until midnight
(following Mass of the Lord’s Supper).
As we reflect on today's readings,
especially Paul's remembrance of the
Last Supper, ask for the Graces needed
to truly believe in Christ's presence in
the Eucharist and to approach the altar
with reverence and awe.
Remember also, our prayer after we
receive Holy Communion:
“O Sacrament, most Holy, O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
We believe that Jesus Christ is really, truly and
substantially present in Holy Communion,
Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
O Sacrament, most Holy, O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
“But He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for
our sins; upon him was the chastisement that
makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep, each
following his own way; but the Lord laid upon
Him the guilt of us all.“ (Isa 53:5-6)
On this day, Mass is not “celebrated.”
The Lord’s Passion is remembered in
three parts of the service:
1) Liturgy of the Word, 2) Adoration (or
veneration) of the Cross, and 3) Holy
Communion.
One of the most beautiful and moving
traditions of this day is the
Veneration of the Cross.
Veneration of the Cross…
“While we bend down in body
before the cross, we bend
down in spirit before God."
Since the altar was stripped bare
and the Eucharist removed from
the Tabernacle on Holy Thursday,
the church will seem empty.
And again, we feel a sense of
anxious waiting...
If possible, attend today’s Stations of
the Cross at 2:00 pm. When it ends,
the hour will be about 3:00pm … the
hour in which Our Lord died on the
cross.
Again, the service has not ended…
We are pausing until we gather together
again Saturday night for the Easter
Vigil.
As we reflect on today's readings,
especially John's account of
Christ's Passion, try to keep an
awareness of Our Lord's suffering
in your hearts throughout the day.
"We were indeed buried with him
through baptism into death, so that,
just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we
too might live in newness of life."
(Romans 6:4)
On Holy Saturday our sorrow and
emptiness begin to be replaced with
a growing joy and anticipation.
The night is dedicated to the
Candidates and Catechumen who
will become full members of the
Church.
The vigil starts in a dramatic way with
the blessing of the new fire, the
lighting candles and the paschal
candle.
The entire celebration of the Easter
Vigil must take place at night, so
that it begins after nightfall and
ends before daybreak on Sunday.
The vigil is arranged in four parts:
After a Service of Light and the Easter
Proclamation, the Liturgy of the
Word follows.
Beginning with Genesis and ending with
Christ’s Resurrection, the Church
listens to and meditates on God’s love
for his people and the wonderful things
He has done for us.
As the day of Resurrection approaches,
new members of the Church are
reborn in Baptism and the whole
Church is called to the table of the
Lord prepared for his people
through is Death and Resurrection.
This is the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
As we reflect on all of the readings and
responsorial psalms, we rejoice and
give thanks to God for our wondrous
Salvation History.
Today, to prepare for the evening’s
Vigil, continue to pray by attending
Morning Prayer at 9:00am and the
Blessing of the Easter Foods at
Noon.
"Do not be afraid! I know that you are
seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised
just as he said.“ (Mt 28:5-6)
Alleluia! He is risen! This is the most
joyous feast of the year.
Christ's death and resurrection is the
foundation of the Christian Faith.
The church is now filled with the spirit
of Jesus and with His Light.
It is no longer silent as we join our
songs of praise with the choirs in
heaven.
We are reminded of Christ's promise
"I will give you a joy which no one will
take from you." (Jn 16:22).
Easter is the beginning of our new life
with Christ. Although our Lenten
Journey is complete, remember to
create times of prayer in your daily
lives where you can spend time with
our Risen Lord.
As we reflect on today's readings,
especially the Gospel, ask the Risen
Christ for courage and strength we
need to take His Light into the
world, for as Jesus himself said…
(Then Jesus approached and said to
them…)
“All power in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until
the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20)