Celebrate Divine Mercy
Come join us on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16th at 2:30pm as we celebrate a Holy Hour in honor of the greatest attribute of God, His Divine Mercy.
Jesus told St. Faustina, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy.”
During this time of prayer in the front of the Blessed Sacrament, we will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for sinners and in reparation for sin throughout the world. We will also pray the Rosary, sing Adoration hymns led by our Holy Rosary Youth Schola, spend time in silent prayer, and end with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. This Holy Hour will take the place of Adoration and Vespers on Divine Mercy Sunday.
Holy Week
What is Holy Week?
Holy Week is an important time for Christians throughout the world. Holy Week, the final week of Lent, begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. Holy Week is a time when Catholics gather to remember and participate in the Passion of Jesus Christ. The Passion was the final period of Christ’s life in Jerusalem. It spans from when He arrived in Jerusalem to when He was crucified.
How Do Catholics Celebrate Holy Week?
Why is Good Friday at 3pm?
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabach-thani?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:46-50)
The Good Friday Services celebrated in Catholic Churches typically take place at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Good Friday. This is the traditional time that Jesus died on the cross. The Good Friday Service is comprised of three parts;
- Liturgy of the Word
- Veneration of the Crucifix
- Holy Communion
There are not any sacraments celebrated on Good Friday nor Holy Saturday. This is a day of mourning. We should try to take time off from work and school to participate in the devotions and liturgy of the day as much as possible. In addition, we should refrain from extraneous conversation. Some families leave the curtains drawn, and maintain silence during the 3 hours (noon — 3p.m.), and keep from loud conversation or activities throughout the remainder of the day. We should also restrict ourselves from any TV, music or computer—these are all types of technology that can distract us from the spirit of the day.
If some members of the family cannot attend all the services, a little home altar can be set up, by draping a black or purple cloth over a small table or dresser and placing a crucifix and candles on it. The family then can gather during the three hours, praying different devotions like the rosary, Stations of the Cross, the Divine Mercy devotions, and meditative reading and prayers on the passion of Christ.