165 Bethany Road
Holmdel, New Jersey 07733
732.264.4712
Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:
This week is the week we walk the journey together with Jesus from triumph to the tomb. Our focus has shifted now to the intensity of the shortest liturgical season of the year: the Triduum, where we focus intently on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Palm Sunday focuses attention on the Passion According to Matthew, while Friday’s reading of the Passion According to John takes on a different theological perspective. In both liturgies the faithful share in the passion through the proper distribution of the parts of the reading.
Monday night, is as I have mentioned previously, the Chrism Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold, at 7:30 pm. If you have never attended, it is a beautiful and unique liturgy, and I highly recommend your participation. If you have attended before, I am well-aware that you will look forward to going again.
During the Triduum there is no 9 am Mass, however, we do pray together The Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) at 9 am. This ancient practice of the monks and nuns praying together the psalms and canticles of the Scriptures to greet the day, provides us an opportunity to pray together the prayer of the church. On Thursday the oils consecrated by the bishop on Monday night will be presented and placed in the sanctuary. On Good Friday we will pray the Stations of the Cross at the end of the prayers. As we have no catechumens this year, Morning prayer stands alone.
Holy Saturday brings the Blessing of the Easter Food at 10:30 am, followed by the Easter Egg Hunt.
The Easter Vigil begins at 8 pm in the courtyard in front of the church. There we light the Easter fire before we process into the Church for the chanting of the Exsultet and the celebration of the Great Mass of Easter. Easter Sunday brings the 6 am Mass in the courtyard. There is no 5 pm Mass offered here on Easter Sunday. The bishop has lifted all of the restrictions implemented at the beginning of the global pandemic three years ago. While most of them have either been lifted overtime, and others have fallen into disuse as they were no longer practical, a few remained intact and inforce. Among those has been the reception of Holy Communion under both species at Mass. I am not (yet) convinced that most of the faithful desire to share from the same chalice. It is my intent, however, to offer the chalice at the Holy Thursday Mass and again at the Easter Vigil. We will use those liturgies as a gauge to see what might make sense going forward. I am open to the sense of the faithful on this one. However, I do not see any practical or theological reason to restore the use of the chalice at daily Mass.
Today at three o’clock is the Penance Service at St. Mary, Colts Neck. If you still need confession before Easter Day, please consider attending this service.
There are no confessions here during the Triduum.
There is still time to make a contribution for Easter flowers. I also wish to thank an anonymous donor for the contribution of the Paschal Candle this year.
May the Lord bless us all this Holy Week,
Fr. Garry