The heart of our Faith (Sunday homily)

We know Easter is near; for some, it’s already here.
The “joy” of Easter means very little without Holy Week.

This week is the heart of our faith—
If we want to penetrate our Faith better,
I encourage you to set aside time,
and participate in this week.

Many of us have seen the film, “The Passion of the Christ.”
It is a vivid, powerful movie—but it is still only a movie.

A few years ago, that film, the “Passion of the Christ,”
played on hundreds of movie screens across the country.
But the true Passion of Christ has been “playing”
on this altar and every altar throughout the world, for 2,000 years!

This is the real thing!

This week, I invite you to Holy Thursday Mass,
the beginning of the Mass;
I invite you to keep watch through the night,
through the three hours our Lord was on the Cross,
to worship at the Cross on Good Friday.
I invite you to participate in the Easter Vigil.
Yes, I know it’s late—9 pm—and it will go long.
But it is the Mass of all Masses;
it is the central act of worship of our Catholic Faith.

I hope to see you there.