Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

It’s called “Holy Week” because it’s different from the rest of the year. It’s not like the rest of the year is not holy, but this week concentrates especially on the suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord. We are involved with the most intense aspect of salvation history. There’s the proclamation of the Passion, a story we’ve heard over and over again and yet we hear it anew, as it speaks to the circumstances and situations in which we currently find ourselves. We can almost feel the pain of the crown of thorns, the flogging and the nails driven into our Lord. For all of us, the action we commemorate during Holy Week is the fulfillment of the promise as Jesus offers Himself as sacrifice so that the gates of heaven are now opened.

There was a wonderful medieval morality play that depicted Jesus after His death going into the Netherworld (“and He descended into hell…”) and He emerges leading a procession followed by Adam and Eve and all the figures of the Old Testament toward heaven. What was once lost is now found through the action of our Savior. I like that image because we often forget the significance of the suffering and death of Jesus. In a world that doesn’t acknowledge sin, it’s difficult to understand the need for forgiveness. Yet, sin is a reality and it is only the Lord that can make us whole and prepare us for heaven.

Tonight is the Chrism Mass. It always represents for me the sense of unity. We will consecrate and bless the oils that will be used in the administration of the sacraments for the coming year in our parishes. It’s remarkable to think that we are all connected through the actions of our priests and deacons. The Lord makes us one through the sacraments that we celebrate in His name as Church.

I encourage you to participate in the Holy Week ceremonies. Many of our parishes do a wonderful job in preparing meaningful celebrations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. It seems there are various challenges from the Gospel for all of us. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord asks, “Could you not stay awake and pray with me for an hour?” or, “Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.” Or, “What shall we do with Him? Let Him be Crucified.” Then there’s that favorite hymn which brings out my Catholic guilt, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Stand with the Lord and attend the Holy Week services, which remind us of His Love and our need to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the April 21, 2014 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.