Once again, we gather this week to celebrate our high holy days of Christianity.  If we truly want a relationship with Christ, we do need structure in our spiritual lives.  Working hard all week occupies a huge amount of our time.  After we come home from our professional work, there is still more work to do:  cooking and shopping for food, laundry, housework, washing the car, doing the taxes, renewing this license fee or that one, you name it.  Our work and chores occupy a lot of our time.  That's the way life is.  And, in the midst of everything we do, there is God.  We live our entire lives for the honor and glory of God.  Just not the time spent in church or in prayer.  As Paul wrote:  "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
     By Thursday evening you are ready for the weekend.  And, T.G.I.F. (Thank God It's Friday) is said by workers and students.  However much we love to be spontaneous and laid-back, not fenced in by due dates and tight schedules, we are invited to sketch out some kind of schedule for prayer, especially this week as we remember the great evens of the Messiah's suffering, death and resurrection--and that our lives find their ultimate meaning in His.
     This week, the community of believers is called back on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to celebrate the great paschal mystery.  Maybe it sounds impractical or arrogant to schedule time for God, but maybe we are really scheduling time for ourselves.  Maybe this Holy Week service, one service spread over three days, will permit us to enjoy God's company and know God's love, just as Jesus did in the midst of suffering, death and resurrection.  Giving time to God in liturgy and prayer helps us gain a sense of freedom.
     Today, Palm Sunday, we remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  What happened to these people between welcoming Jesus as the Messiah one day, and then crying out for his blood a few days or weeks later?  Mob hysteria is infectious.  And just not with teenagers at a rock concert.  If you boo long enough and hard enough at Randy Moss or all of the Vikings, you can be sure that gradually your solitary boo will become a roar.  Was the crowd before Pilate influenced by several chief priests and elders and their "crucify him!"?  Did it become a chant that frightened the governor?  Was it a "mob" thing led by a few clever and articulate people?  Where were his supporters?  Couldn't they have organized a  counter-demonstration?
     But there is another possibility, and that is that the crowds who welcomed Jesus so enthusiastically wanted no part of his trial, so they stayed home, and like Pilate, washed their hands of the whole affair.  But, I hate to say it, that is what most of us would do anyway.  Holy Week is a time to ask hard questions of ourselves, to look deep within and to be honest with ourselves and God.  Then we are made new, and Easter truly is a time of rebirth and renewal for each of us.

Fr. Bill

P.S. It's good to be back with all of you!