A lot of us are befuddled and confused by Artificial Intelligence (AI), that has become a big deal in the last few years. The final presentation in our Evenings of Faith series this Lent was about AI’s impact on faith and religion. Whether we are a fan of AI or fearful of AI, it obviously does certain things very well. One of these tasks that AI performs well is reducing a large amount of complex material into simple, easy to read sentences. What if we were to reduce Christianity to a few simple sentences:  What would we say? Fortunately we do not need AI to answer that question. The answer has been around for 2,000 years ang goes by the Greek name of the kerygma.  The kerygma is the message the apostles proclaimed:  Jesus Christ was sent by God, preached the coming of the reign of God, was, crucified, died , and was buried. He rose from the dead and was raised to the right hand of God. This is the essence of Christianity. The essence of Christianity is not the golden rule; it is not love one another; it is not being nice; it is not working for justice and peace; it is not living by certain moral values. All those things are important for Christians, but they all flow from our on-going relationship with Christ and the Christian community.

One of the best way to ground ourselves in the basics of our faith is to actively participate in the Services of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, we do hear the gruesome story of the passion and death of Jesus; but it is really the liturgical celebrations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday that allow us to slow down and take to heart what we hear. In the Gospel According to John, Jesus refers to his passion, death, and resurrection as his “hour.” His hour stretched over three days, but to consider the elements that make up these three days separately is to lose much of their meaning. It was, for example, a wonderful thing for Jesus to have a “last supper” with his apostles on Thursday evening. It was wonderful that he left us the Eucharist (his very body and blood) to remember him by. But considered apart from Good Friday, the Eucharist is just an amazing ritual. On Good Friday he showed us how serious he was about giving us his body. He showed us how much love is poured into this sacrament, when he literally offered his body and blood on the cross. Likewise, if we consider the events of Good Friday in isolation, they provide a powerful witness to God’s willingness to share our pain and suffering—not just he physical pain, but also the emotional pain of those wrongly accused, tortured, and unjustly convicted. But without Holy Thursday and its foreshadowing of the heavenly banquet, and  without the Easter victory over sin, suffering, and death, where would we find hope in our own suffering?  Holy Thursday and Good Friday make Ester real, not only for Christ, but also for us.

That is why I am encouraging all those who can to participate in the Services on Holy Thursday at 6:00pm, God Friday at 12:10 or 6:00pm, and the First Mass of Easter Saturday evening at 7:30pm. In the past, rigid work schedules kept some of usus from attending these Services. Now that many of us enjoy greater flexibility with our work hours, more of us can  make these Triduum liturgies a priority. These Services are not only unique (with the foot washing, and the procession of the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday; the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday, and the blessing of fire and water and the initiation of new members on Holy Saturday), but they allow us to share in a very personal way in Christ’s own journey from death to new life.

One of the persistent themes of Renew My Church is making our churches more welcoming and hospitable. While that theme has many elements and many practical steps forward, we should not overlook the obvious. What if our church were completely filled on Saturday night? Would that not be a great sign to the fourteen adults and four young people who are being baptized, confirmed, and making their first communion on Saturday night that the church community really wants to celebrate with them! If we are serious about making Assumption a more welcoming community, maybe it is worth sacrificing some of our time to be present on Saturday night. Many people stay away from the Easter Vigil because it starts after sunset and it is more lengthy, but many who have come once have become regulars. It is truly the most important Mass of the year.

Have a blessed Holy Week.

                                                                                   Fr. Joe