Palm Sunday recalls Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is known as such because the faithful will receive palm fronds which they use to participate in the reenactment of Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem with a procession. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to the praise of the townspeople who laid palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect.

Smells and Bells: at St. Michael, notice:

• palm fronds held by the faithful, inviting us into the reenactment of Christ's arrival in Jerusalem
• the story of Jesus' Passion read in its entirety with the faithful participating as accusatory crowdspeople

CYO will offer their annual Living Stations of the Cross in the evening at 7 PM in the Parish Hall.

Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, when Jesus consecrated bread and wine. The Mass recounts the establishment of the Jewish feast of Passover; and it commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and the footwashing. John’s placement of the footwashing where the other evangelists place the Last Supper conveys his belief that the real presence of Christ is found not only in the Eucharist but in service. Jesus gave us his mandatum or mandate:  “You ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example. As I have done, so you should also do” (Jn 13:14,15). Jesus is made present when disciples put aside their prideful aspirations, humble themselves, and serve one another, even to the point of doing a menial task joyfully.

Smells and Bells: at St. Michael, notice:

• the priest washing the feet of chosen parishioners with humility
• the Eucharist being removed from the sanctuary and taken to the "altar of repose" which resembles the Garden of Gethsemane
• The Night Watch: the faithful are encouraged to "keep watch and pray" with Jesus at the altar of repose until midnight

Good Friday is one of the darkest days of the year for Catholics and is one of the most fascinating dats in the liturgical calendar. It's a day that honors the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ and is a day of fasting. Church bells are silent. Altars are left bare, and the Eucharist has been removed from the tabernacle. The solemn, muted atmosphere is preserved until the Easter Vigil.

The events of Good Friday are commemorated in the Stations of the Cross, a 14-step devotion, traditionally prayed during Lent and especially on Good Friday. Stations of Cross will be prayed at 3 PM. 

On the day that honors the Passion and death of Jesus, the Church abstains from offering a Mass.

Instead, the Church instructs its believers to host a “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion,” which includes a special reading of the Gospel, the veneration of the cross and the distribution of Holy Communion from the reserved Sacrament.

Smells and Bells: at St. Michael, notice:

• the empty tabernacle and bare altar; since Christ is not present in the church, there is no need to genuflect or bow when entering the church
• The priests "prostrate" (humble posture of prayer laying down) in front of the altar and the faithful kneel, reminding us of the way we started our Lenten journey: remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return
• extended Intercessions for ten most important prayers of Holy Mother Church
• the procession of the Cross, in which the deacon sings "Behold the wood of the cross"
• veneration of the Cross, where the faithful are brought to the foot of the cross to kiss, touch, or bow to the Cross and feel the sorrow of Good Friday
• no liturgy of the Eucharist--this is not a Mass, where bread and wine is transubtantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus; Eucharist from Holy Thursday's Mass will be distrubted
• a silent departure

Holy Saturday remembers the day which Jesus spent in the grave resting. The Easter Vigil takes place at the end of the day at 8 PM because the new liturgical day begins at sunset. The Paschal candle will be used throughout the season of Easter, remaining in the sanctuary of the church and throughout the coming year at baptisms and funerals, reminding all that Christ is our life and light.

After the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, the water of the baptismal font is solemnly blessed and any catechumens and candidates for full communion are initiated into the church.

Here's a full step-by-step guide to the Easter Vigil.

Smells and Bells: at St. Michael, notice:

• a roaring Easter fire is set up outside of the church building, dispelling the darkness of the night, and everyone begins outside around the first
• the lighting and blessing of the Paschal candle, the pre-eminent symbol of the Light of Christ, prepared with the Alpha and the Omega (God is the beginning and the end) and the numbers of the calendar year (2023)
• the procession of the faithful into an entirely dark church, lit only by light from the Paschal Candle, the Light of Christ
• the Easter Proclamation, a poem marked by the phrase "this is the night" captures the whole Easter mystery within the context of the story of salvation
• the first time singing the Gloria since before Lent (lots of bell ringing!)
• multiple readings during the Liturgy of the Word, all recounting outstanding deeds in the history of Salvation
• the Liturgy of Baptism for those coming into full communion of the church
• initiation process for those seeking full communion with the Church
  • A Catechumen is an unbaptized person.
  • A Candidate for full communion is a person who was baptized in another Christian church but who has now been catechized in the Catholic faith.
  • A Confirmandi is a person in full communion with the Catholic Church and needs to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.

While it may appear counterintuitive to veil statues and images during the final weeks of Lent, the Catholic Church recommends this practice to heighten our senses and build within us a longing for Easter Sunday. It is a tradition that should not only be carried out in our local parish, but can also be a fruitful activity for the “domestic church” to practice.

The rubrics can guide us. In the Roman Missal we find the instruction, “In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from [the fifth] Sunday [of Lent] may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.”