Praised be Jesus Christ!  Happy Easter!
 
Have you ever been to the Easter Vigil Mass before?  If your answer to this question is “no,” and it’s already Easter Sunday morning, make plans for next year!  Don’t let the fact that this Mass is longer and later at night scare you away.  It is perhaps the most beautiful and joy-filled liturgy of the year.
 
One of the key symbols that makes the celebration of the Easter Vigil so dramatic is light… i.e., candlelight.  We all know that the greatest celebrations of the year for us as Christians are Christmas and Easter.  Both of them are about the coming of the Light – Jesus Christ, the Son of God – into the world.  Both of their celebrations begin at night, in the darkness, at the Christmas and Easter Vigils.  On both the eves of Christmas and Easter, we have this symbolism of night that is taken over by the dawning light.  Interestingly, in both cases, the Light of God comes into the world not without some resistance from us.  But Christ can’t be prevented.  He comes in victoriously anyway.
 
At Christmas, we recall the story of the Nativity in which Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem and were turned away, for the inn was full.  But the Christ child comes and breaks into the darkness of night anyway, in the humility of a stable.  Now, at Easter, the darkness of evil takes on its most intimidating form: death.  Humanity rejects the light of Christ’s message of truth and love, and nails it to a cross.  But Christ rises from the dead, and the darkness is defeated definitively.  Of course, even though we know who the victor is, and that the daylight will last forever in eternity, Satan is still permitted to cast his shadow of darkness on the world until the end of time.
 
The difficulty we face while still in this world is that we can still lose ourselves in Satan’s shadow of darkness.  It’s funny.  Even with all our scientific knowledge and social achievements, we still find ourselves in darkness.  Many feel that our own time seems darker than ever.  It can seem that we’re confronted by darkness everywhere, not only out there in the world, but even in our own families.  This is why, at the very beginning of the Easter Vigil Mass, the priest or deacon processes down the main aisle of the darkened church and holds up the lighted Easter Candle three times and proclaims, “The Light of Christ!,” to which everyone responds, “Thanks be to God!”  There’s something about being in the dark that helps us to be that much more grateful to see the light.  The light of Christ, who has come into the world, and who is risen from the dead, helps us to see (spiritually).  He gives us true direction.  And, he helps us to know others better by helping us to know ourselves better.
 
The Easter Candle is Christ, and when we were baptized, we received his light with our own baptismal candle.  I’m reminded of that song that probably most of us were taught to sing when we were small children: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!”  As good and true as the message of this song might be, I’m afraid that it has become a bit of a cliché in which we no longer think about what it really means.  Certainly, the light of Christ that we have received means more for us than just trying to be superficially happy or nice to our neighbor.  I think this light of Christ that we have received means the most when we feel surrounded by darkness – in our personal lives, in our families, our community, and in the world around us.  What is Christ’s truth and love saying to us, and to what is he calling us?  Are you stepping up to the plate?  As a pastor, there are many who say to me, “Father, the Church should do this, or the Church should do that, or the Church should fix this problem.”  I look at them and think, “God has given you a candle and the means to light it.  Maybe the Lord is calling YOU to do something.”  It might seem like a daunting task because the darkness can seem overwhelming.  But I’m greatly comforted by the fact that even the light of a single small candle scatters the darkness.  A blessed and happy Easter to you and your family!

Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Holy Week is such a beautiful time of year in which all the mysteries of our faith reach their culmination.  Don’t let this week pass you by as just another ordinary and busy week before Easter.  Please attend our Holy Week liturgies if your schedule permits.  This year they will be celebrated at St. Michael’s in Hewitt: Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 6:30pm; Good Friday Service at 1pm; and the Easter Vigil on Saturday at 8:30pm.  In addition to attending the Holy Week liturgies, here are just a few thoughts and suggestions for more fully entering into these days:
 
Tuesday: If your day is open, consider driving down to the Cathedral in La Crosse for the Chrism Mass with Bishop Callahan at 10:30am.  Traditionally, this Mass is celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday, but Bishop Callahan celebrates it on Tuesday of Holy Week so that more priests from around the diocese are able to concelebrate and not feel rushed to return to their parishes for the evening Mass.  The Chrism Mass is a truly unique experience.  The Mass focuses on two main things: the consecration of the holy oil (the oil of the infirm used for the anointing of the sick, the oil of catechumens used before baptism, and the sacred chrism oil used for baptism, confirmation, and the ordination of priests), and the priests present for the Mass renew the promises of ordination.  There are not many other places in which you’ll find more priests gathered together in one location.  It’s such a beautiful liturgy and I recommend going sometime in the future if not this year, as it is open to the public.
 
Thursday: At the conclusion of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is a procession with the Holy Eucharist to a tabernacle set up in another place in the church.  This action calls to mind Jesus’ departure from the Last Supper with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane.  At the garden, Jesus prays to the Father before he is arrested by a group of armed men directed by Judas, his betrayer.  Many churches remain open for a while for a period of adoration and silent prayer before Jesus in the tabernacle, during which one is able to keep vigil with the Lord in the “garden.”  Many churches decorate this temporary place of reservation with flowers.  I remember when I was studying in the seminary in Rome.  Following the Mass of the Lord’s supper at the seminary, my classmates and I would walk to visit several of the churches around the city to pray at their beautifully decorated places of reservation.
 
Friday:  “Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of both fast and abstinence from meat. Fast binds all over the age of 21 and under the age of 59. On days of fast, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals sufficient to maintain strength may be taken according to each one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating in between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and juices, are allowed. When health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige.”  Remember fasting is to remind us that earthly food and material things will not ultimately satisfy the deepest needs of our souls.  Offer your fast for a special intention, and remember, you are taking part in it with the whole Church throughout the world.  Prayer and fasting done together is spiritually very effective!
Also, today there is a special Divine Mercy novena that begins, leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday.  You can find all the information to participate in this Novena by going to https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/novena.htm.  Finally, Good Friday is also a great day to watch Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.  Few movies are done so artfully and inspire devotion such as this one.
 
Saturday: Holy Saturday is a day of holy waiting.  It is the day of Jesus in the tomb in which we anticipate the Resurrection.  When we say in the Creed at Mass that Christ “descended into hell,” this is the time we are referring to.  Jesus descends into the underworld to free those holy persons (such as the Old Testament patriarchs) for salvation in heaven.  Here is an excerpt from the Church’s Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours for this day:
“Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear…  He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ Christ answered him: ‘And with your spirit.’ He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”
While this day is technically no longer in the season of Lent, it is still a day of austerity in which we want to maintain our Lenten observances.
 

This Sunday’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.  After her accusers walk away, leaving Jesus and the woman alone, Jesus asks the woman, “Has no one condemned you?”  After she replies, “No one, sir,” Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you.”  This passage and Jesus’ command to “judge not, that you be not judged” in Matthew chapter 7 often confuse us when it comes to deciding if (or how) we should confront friends or loved ones in immoral or sinful behavior.  While I attempt to address this topic of what Jesus really means when he says that we should not judge others, there is an excellent article online that I would recommend.  The article on the Catholic Answers website is called “Judge Not?” by Jim Blackburn.  It can be found at http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/judge-not.
 
In other news, you may recall last year during Lent I included in the bulletin an explanation of the Church’s directive in the Holy Thursday liturgy that men only be selected for the washing of the feet.  I also stated that I would be following this directive unless of course the Pope changed the rule.  You may recall that Pope Francis himself has not always followed this liturgical directive in the various unique places that he has celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
 
Well, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that at the end of January, Pope Francis made an adjustment to the rule, permitting women as well to participate in the washing of feet.  See an excerpt from the article from Vatican Information Service below:
 
Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) – The Holy Father has written a letter, dated 20 December and published today, to Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in which he decrees that from now on, the people chosen for the washing of the feet in the liturgy of Holy Thursday may be selected from all the People of God, and not only men and boys.
 
The Pope writes to the cardinal that he has for some time reflected on the "rite of the washing of the feet contained in the Liturgy of the Mass in Coena Domini, with the intention of improving the way in which it is performed so that it might express more fully the meaning of Jesus' gesture in the Cenacle, His giving of Himself unto the end for the salvation of the world, His limitless charity".
 
"After careful consideration", he continues, "I have decided to make a change to the Roman Missal. I therefore decree that the section according to which those persons chosen for the Washing of the feet must be men or boys, so that from now on the Pastors of the Church may choose the participants in the rite from among all the members of the People of God. I also recommend that an adequate explanation of the rite itself be provided to those who are chosen".
 
From now on in our parishes, in accordance with Pope Francis’ modification to the liturgical norm, we will attempt to have a cross-section of parishioners for the washing of feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
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Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska the Novena and Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  St. Faustina prayed the chaplet almost constantly, especially for the dying, and the Lord urged her to encourage others to say it, too, promising extraordinary graces to those who would recite this prayer.
 
The chaplet can be said anytime, but the Lord specifically asked that it be recited as a novena, especially on the nine days before Divine Mercy Sunday, the Feast of Mercy.  And He promised, “By this Novena (of Chaplets) I will grant every possible grace to souls” (796).
 
We can pray this Novena of Chaplets for our own personal intentions, or we can offer it together with the Novena to Divine Mercy for the daily intentions dictated by our Lord to St. Faustina:
All mankind, especially all sinners
The souls of priests and religious
All devout and faithful souls
Those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Christ
The souls of those who have separated themselves from the Church
The meek and humble souls and the souls of little children
The souls who especially venerate and glorify His Mercy
The souls who are detained in purgatory
Souls who have become lukewarm
 
This year, I would like to invite each of us to take part in this beautiful devotion to Divine Mercy for the intentions listed above, as well as for your own personal intentions.  Before Holy Week, there will be a Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet pamphlet (with information about how to pray the chaplet) placed near the entrances of each of our churches.  Please take one to use at home on your own and/or when we pray it together in church after Masses leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday. 
 
After the Good Friday Service at St. Michael’s, I will invite those wishing to pray the Novena and Chaplet to remain in their pews.  We will then continue to pray the Novena and Chaplet communally after the daily Masses of Easter Week (Tuesday, March 29th thru Friday, April 1st).  The other days (Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Monday, March 28th, and Saturday, April 2nd) you would pray the Novena and Chaplet on your own at home.