Holy Week: A Primer. Fifth Sunday of Lent April 10, 2011

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1 Fifth Sunday of Lent April 10, 2011 Homily Next Week: Fr. John D. Whitney, S.J. Readings for April 17, 2011 First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7 Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel: Matthew 26:14--27:66 Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday - 5 p.m. Sunday - 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Weekday Mass Schedule Monday - Friday - 7 a.m. Reconciliation Saturday - 3:30-4:15 p.m. in the Church or by appointment Parish Center Hours Monday-Friday - 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday - 9 a.m. - 1 p.m th Avenue East, Seattle, WA Fax: (206) Parish Receptionist (206) Parish Staff (206) Pastor Rev. John D. Whitney, S.J. x107 Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Jack O Leary, S.J. x101 Deacon/Pastoral Associate Steve Wodzanowski x106 Pastoral Staff: Dottie Farewell, Pre-K to 8th Faith Form. x112 Dennis Gentele, Facilities x110 Renée Leet, Administrative Assistant x100 Bob McCaffery-Lent, Music & Liturgy x109 Caprice Sauter, Bookkeeper x102 Greg McNabb, Administration x108 Anne Moran, Administrative Assistant x116 Randy Novak, High School Youth x114 John Stuntebeck, Accompanist x105 St. Joseph School th Avenue East (206) Main Office George Hofbauer, Principal Rick Boyle, Academic Vice Principal Patrick Fennessy, Vice Principal x210 x213 x215 x218 Holy Week: A Primer Oh happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer. ~Exultet, sung at the Easter Vigil This week, as we begin hear the story of Lazarus, we begin the journey with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the cross. With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to reprise a column I wrote last year, as a way of understanding and, perhaps, better entering into this holy season. We are all so flooded these days with spring break and springing plans, with colds and travels and an abiding grumpiness that it still feels like February and its supposed to be April (am I just speaking for myself?) perhaps, more than ever, then, we need to find a few minutes each day to recognize that, when the world was rolling along just as it is now, God loved us so absolutely as to undergo suffering and death, betrayal and near-despair, just so that we might realize that our anxiety is unnecessary. We don t have to save the world that s been done. Our task is to receive it. As Lent draws to a close, I think I will try to remember that. I hope this will help. The Origin of the Holy Week & the Triduum Somewhere between 349 and 386 AD, the celebration of Holy Week and the remembrance of Jesus last days became a touchstone for the liturgical life of the entire Church. Especially in Jerusalem, where the events happened, Christians would gather and tell the story, walking the ground where the Lord took his last steps, where Peter denied him, where the supper was said to have been celebrated. Revived in 1955, under Pius XII, and reformed after Vatican II, Holy Week has become the highpoint of the Christian year, the time when we place ourselves in the founding mystery of the Church; it is our Pascha (i.e., Passover) celebration, recalled in every Eucharist but seen in its fullness in Holy Week. With that in mind, we might do well, as a community, to reflect on its parts and how we celebrate them together. Palm/Passion Sunday One of the few stories told in all four gospels, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for the last time begins the celebration of Passion Sunday. The gospel, read at the beginning of mass, is the root for how we begin Mass and for all our processions, which are meant to recall how the Son of David comes to take possession of David s city, Jerusalem. Here we see Jesus as Messiah (a Hebrew word for those who, like David, are anointed as priests, prophets, and kings; it is translated into Greek as Christ ). Coming into the city on a mule, as was predicted of the Messiah by the Prophets, Jesus rides over branches and cloaks that are laid out to smooth his way, as they would be for a king. The song the people sing, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna! we know from the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer, and refers, in the Prophet Isaiah, directly to the Messiah. It is all of this which leads the Jewish leaders to see in Jesus such a threat. And though the adulation of the crowd will soon turn to rejection and crucifixion, we who understand know that the praise given is appropriate. Jesus is Messiah/Christ, though not in the way traditionally imagined. Rather than re-establishing the former kingdom of David, he comes to proclaim a new Jerusalem, a kingdom of justice for all peoples, won not in battle but by the suffering he accepts.

2 Calendar Sunday, April 10 Monday, April 11 Wednesday, April 13 Friday, April 15 Sunday, April 17 CFF Classes, Following 9 am Mass Come to the Quiet, 5 PM, Church Sacred Silence, 7 PM, Loyola Chapel Lenten Devotions, 2:30-5:45 PM, Church Pathfinders, 6 PM, Parish Center The VOICE (High School Youth), 7 PM Eucharistic Adoration, 7:30-11 AM, Loyola Chapel, Parish Center Passion Play, 5:30 Mass St. Joseph Community extends its prayers and hopes for the following intentions: For Danny recovering from a fall... For a husband to be able to drive again... For discernment about working again at a large corporation... For a son who has gone into rehab and for his family... For those who are experiencing financial hardships... Thanksgiving to St. Jude for answering our prayers This year, as St. Joseph, we will have a full procession, from the landing between the church and the Parish Center, before the 9:00 am mass. At the other masses, we will have a shorter procession, from within the church, though we will listen to the gospel story of Jesus entry and share the blessed palms at all the masses. Holy Thursday: The Chrism Mass In Catholic tradition, Holy Thursday begins with a Chrism Mass, celebrated by the local bishop at the Cathedral. Although, for practical purposes, this mass is often celebrated earlier in Lent (this year it is 14 April), it is meant to recall the unity of the Church around the bishop, who holds the role of healer and pastor of Christ s people in this region. All the holy oils used for the year are blessed by the bishop at this mass: the oil of the catechumens (used for those preparing for baptism), the oil of the infirm (used for those who are sick or aged), and the sacred chrism (used for those sacraments in which one takes on a lifetime commitment in Christ; i.e. baptism, confirmation, ordination). Likewise, priests and deacons from all over the archdiocese are encouraged to attend the Chrism Mass, since like Mary at Bethany who anointed Jesus before his crucifixion these ministers will be called to pour out the oil of the Church in blessing upon the body of Christ in every parish. Made of simple olive oil except for the Sacred Chrism, into which is added a ancient perfume of balsam and spice the oils are like all sacramental elements: of the earth and human hands. What transforms them and makes them holy is the blessing of the community in the person of the bishop, who prays over them, that they might be a sign of God s anointing upon us all. On the edge of the Triduum, we pray with Jesus that we might be protected (oil of catechumens), that we might be strong (oil of the infirm) and that we might be one with Christ (sacred chrism), who was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Once these oils are blessed, they will be taken to every parish (including St. Joseph) and brought in with honor during Holy Thursday s Mass of the Lord s Supper the official beginning of the Triduum (i.e., Three Days ). Like the Eucharist or the Gospel, the holy oils are placed in honor in the church, in the ambry, which hangs on the wall near the sacristy. From there, the various oils will be used to bless the community and as part of the celebration of the sacraments. Next Week: The Triduum & Easter We have been ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus as with the blood of a lamb without blemish or spot. ~1 Peter 1:19 R.I.P. Dr. Lawrence M. Patterson who passed away last month and for Stella Claire Safioles, sister of Sue Safioles Holy Week and Easter Schedule Passion Sunday Regular weekend Mass Schedule 8th Grade Passion Play ~ 5:30 pm Mass Sunday Holy Thursday 7 pm ~ Evening Mass of the Lord s Supper Good Friday 12:30 pm ~ Gather in Prayer 1 pm ~ Stations of the Cross 2 pm ~ Quiet Prayer 2:45 pm ~ Psalm Prayer 3 pm ~ Tolling of the Bells 7 pm ~ Good Friday Liturgy Holy Saturday No Reconciliation 8:30 pm ~ Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Masses at 7, 9 and 11 am (No 5:30 pm Mass) Passion Sunday 9 am Mass Next Sunday our 9 am liturgy will begin with a procession beginning from the landing between the church and the parish center. All are encouraged to wear red. Please join us for this special liturgy. Please remember to include St. Joseph Parish in your estate plans.

3 Community St. Joseph Parish Easter Egg Hunt For children birth to 10+ years old Saturday, April 23rd Meet on the front Parish front lawn 10 a.m. Sharp - The Hunt Begins! Please bring a dozen plastic filled Easter Eggs (per child) to the Parish Center by noon on Friday, April 22nd (Parish Center closes at noon on Good Friday.) Also, bring a baked item the morning of the hunt to share! Hospitality to follow the big hunt in the Arrupe Room of the Parish Center Would you like to lend a hand? Volunteers Needed! Setting up the hunt outside Helping with Hospitality in the Parish Center For questions or to help, please contact Dottie Farewell at or dfarewell@stjosephparish.org St. Joseph Parish Father-Daughter Sock Hop Friday, April 15th, 7-10 pm St. Joseph Social Hall Fathers, grandfathers, uncles and favorite friends bring out your inner Elvis! You won t want to miss the opportunity to shake it up with your special girl(s) at the best dance in town! An evening of dancing, appetizers, dessert and special memories. $25 per couple, $10 for each additional girl. $10 per photograph Please call Jill Allen at or the Special Events Office at x 221 George Hofbauer Mariners Night at Safeco Field George throws out the 1st Pitch as we honor his 38 years of service to the St. Joseph Community! Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox Friday, August 26th - 7 pm (St. Joseph School begins the following Monday, August 29th) Tickets are $20 and include our commemmorative t-shirt. Please visit the parish website at to order your tickets or call Randy Novak at Seniors on the Go Tuesday, April 12th - Afternoon at the Movies 1 pm, Parish Center A River Runs Through It Bring a beverage or snack to share. Thursday, April 14th - Seniors Monthly Planning meeting at Parish Center 11:30 am 1 pm ( Brown Bag Lunch) Tuesday, April 26th - Seniors Monthly Potluck 6 pm in the Social Hall. Call Mary Ott for details or Delores Dorn St. Joseph s Outreach Partner Dinner at Recovery Café Saturday April 16th Over the past two years, members of our parish have put on meals at the Recovery Café in conjunction with their Open Mic nights. With the goal of involving more people in preparing and serving the meal, we have elicited the help of parishioner and chef Brendan O Farrell. Those who volunteer to help with food prep will receive as a side benefit, a free cooking class! The meal itself will be served at the Café on Saturday, April 16th at 5 pm. We will be serving 150 people. For the next two weeks we are signing up volunteers to assist with food and cash purchases, food prep, serving and clean-up. You can sign-up after Mass or by contacting Renee at the Parish center at or by ing Deacon Steve at stevew@stjosephparish.org Recovery Cafe cordially invites our friends at St. Joseph to come celebrate with us! On Thursday, April 14th at Noon, we will be celebrating with Seattle the work and community of Recovery Cafe, made possible by generous donors and a nearly finished Capital Campaign. Since arriving in our new home on Boren Avenue in February 2010, we have nearly tripled the amount of women and men we serve who are struggling with homelessness, addiction and mental illness. Please join us to recognize what an amazing resource this community of support is and how little we have to go to complete our Capital Campaign! Nic Sheff will read from his new book Falling Down, Living with Addiction and Sherman Alexie will recite an original piece of his poetry. Hope you can join us. Please RSVP to rsvp@recoverycafe.org

4 The Singing Thing ~Robert McCaffrey-Lent One Prayer Many Forms Liturgy is prayer. All of it. As we go through the mass the prayer takes many forms: processions, spoken word, singing, a variety of postures (standing, sitting, kneeling), silence, listening, the colors and other visual symbols we use in the worship space. Even the daydreaming we engage in when our thoughts wander. It s all prayer and there s no containing God s initiative in reaching out to us. We are as likely to have a religious experience when our focus wanders off during liturgy, or when we re walking down a familiar staircase as when we re on a retreat or in rapt attention to the homily. The only question is, are we paying attention? Did you notice? I also believe that increasing familiarity with the symbols we use consistently during mass can help open us up and deepen our prayer because the familiarity allows us to relax and pay attention to the really important stuff. This is why we took time for the month before Lent began to rehearse the Latin Sanctus: so that, by the time Lent came around, we would have had time to wrap our tongues around the language, and the rise and fall and cadence of the melody would be familiar. I suspect many of us will have it memorized by the end of the season. This is also why I have chosen to sing the same setting of psalm 51, Be Merciful, O Lord for the responsorial psalm each week during Lent. Can you hear how more deeply we pray this psalm by singing it each week? From where I sit, this progression is palpable! Yesterday afternoon as we walked through the church praying the Stations of the Cross as we have each Wednesday afternoon during Lent, I led the a cappella singing of a verse of Were You There When They Crucified My Lord between each station. I was struck by how much more comfortably and robustly everyone was joining in with the singing than we were three weeks ago. The prayer has deepened as the familiarity with the ritual has grown. This weekend we will experience a couple of different forms of prayer that are less common at St. Joseph. At the 5 pm mass our processions will be led by local Native Americans drumming, friends of Jesuit Fr. Pat Twohy who is preaching at that mass. This might be an unusual form of prayer at St. Joe s but it certainly isn t for many cultures throughout the world for whom the drum is common and sacred. At the 9 and the 5:30 masses Betsy Beckman will break open the gospel story of Lazarus using a combination of dance, drama, spoken word, sound and singing. Betsy has been on a cycle of returning to St. Joseph the past three years to present these amazing gospels during Lent: first the Woman at the Well on Lent 3, last year the Man Born Blind on Lent 4, this year Lazarus on Lent 5. Next year she ll complete the cycle by breaking open the passion gospel of John on Good Friday. Formation Men s Lenten Home Mass Join us at the home of Don Manning on Friday, April 15th at 6 pm ( th Avenue E) Mass with Fr. Jack O Leary, S.J., followed by the Potluck Supper. Main dish provided. Everyone invited to bring a salad, bread, dessert and beverage to share. Spread the Word. For more information or if you have questions, contact Don Manning at donmanning@mac.com Women s Ministry Have you been looking for a new project to take on for Lent? Would you like to be part of the Noel House Women s Ministry? On the 3rd Thursday of the month a group of women from St. Joseph prepare a dinner for 30 women who live at the Noel House, a shelter for women in Belltown. You may want to contribute or help serve and you don t have to contribute every month if you re busy. We car pool from the St. Joseph parking lot at 5:30 pm. We usually eat with the women. They seem to appreciate the dinner and our company. If this is something that interests you, or if you have questions, contact Candace (cell) or at hoopburg@comcast.net IPeace Days for Women Soul Work on the Lenten Journey Led by Sheila Lemieux, CSJP Wednesday, April 13th 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. St. Mary-on-the-Lake Peace and Spirituality Center 1663 Killarney Way, Bellevue. Free-will offering. Bring a sack lunch, coffee and tea provided. To register or for more information contact Carmel Little, CSJP at or peace@csjp-olp.org IDay of Contemplative Prayer For Women and Men Led by Kathleen Pruitt, CSJP Saturday, April 16th 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon St. Mary-on-the-Lake Chapel and SPirituality Center 1663 Killarney Way, Bellevue If you are coming for the first time to Contemplative Prayer please arrive at 8:30 a.m. for an introduction Free-will offering To register or for more information contact Carmel Little, CSJP at or peace@csjp-olp.org

5 Social Ministry Hunger Banquet Update Our Hunger Banquet 2011 was a great success!! We raised $345 and had great participation. We could not have done it without help from the following people: Pathfinder adult volunteers-krista Fink, Maggie Chambers, Mike DeLaurentis, Will Chambers and Katie Larsen; Cooks and servers-janice Savidge, Kristine Sweeney, Andrea Hamilton, and Susan Bannon; SVDP presenters Nancy Kuester, Beth Newman, and Stephanie Ragland, and from Francis House, Kathy McKay and Larkin VanDerhoef, and our dynamic Deacon - Steve W.! And all of you who learned, experienced, and lived a brief moment of solidarity with the poor among us. Eco-Justice Ministry Consider this: Psalm105:1-5a Give thanks to our God, and call on God s name; proclaim God s deeds among the peoples! Sing praise, play music; and proclaim all God s marvels! Glory in God s holy name; rejoice, let the hearts that seek our God rejoice! Turn to our God to God s strength--and seek God s presence constantly. Remember the marvels God has done! Reflect, Pray and Act: As we near Easter, it is time to give thanks for the gift of the Son of God and his sacrifice for us. We see the creative power of God in the presence of Jesus in ourselves, in those we meet, and in nature the whole environment that purifies our air, gives us water to drink, and food to eat. In this last full week of Lent, look more closely at the life around you. Think back to difficulties of last winter and praise God for the spring greenery and flowers that the snow melt s moisture gives us. Respond to God with gratitude in prayer and by planting a tree or decreasing your use of garden and lawn chemicals. Every act of kindness and beauty deserves an attitude and an act of thankfulness. See for action suggestions and links. Check out the City of Seattle s offer of free trees for your yard. IIgnatian Spirituality Center Presents Does the Earth Have a Prayer? Exploring Ignatian Spirituality & Ecology with Rev. Joseph P. Carver, S.J. Saturday, April 30th ~ 9 am -12:30 pm St. Joseph Church Vestibule Through presentation, meditation and prayer, Rev. Joseph P. Carver, S.J. will lead us in a morning of reflection to help us re-envision Ignatian prayer through an ecological lens. COST: $25 in advance; $30 at the door (scholarships available) REGISTER: (by April 28th) INFO: Contact Andrea Fontana at andrea@ignatiancenter.org or , x3 Rev. Joseph P. Carver, SJ is a Jesuit priest & on the faculty of Seattle Prep. Growing up on a farm in upstate New York began a lifelong passion & concern for the blessing of creation. He has an MDiv, MTS & STL in Ecology & Spirituality from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. He has written on the topics of theology & ecology. Currently he is an ambassador for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops educating on issues of water, climate change & sustainability. He recently published an article on these topics in Promotio Iustitiae. He is a former professional sailor & avid photographer.

6 ISt. Vincent de Paul A Novel Way to Save People s Homes During Lent, St. Vincent de Paul is collecting books for sale in its stores (not including text books). All proceeds will go to its Eviction Prevention Program. Books will be collected in the basket in the vestibule of the church, or can be dropped in the barrel at the Parish Center. Empty your shelves and make a room for someone s life! The drive goes on until 17 April. If anyone is interested in learning more about the Society and our work, please contact Nancy Newman Kuester at mkkuester@ aol.com or Dan Tobin at pascado@earthlink.net Eucharistic Adoration Just a reminder that there is Eucharistic Adoration every Friday morning from 7:30-11 am in the Loyola Chapel of the Parish Center. ICYO Summer Camps The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) offers Residential Camps and Day Camps, High School Only sessions and Adventure Trips for youth in grades At camp you can meet new friends, try something new and grow in your Catholic faith. We offer weekend camps for the whole family as well. Transportation and financial aid are available. For more information and to register, visit www. camping.seattleoyyam.org