Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

A most Blessed Holy Week to everyone. This weekend we begin our walk with Jesus along the path to Mount Calvary and the gruesome events of Good Friday. As we bless the palms which will grace our homes, we do so as a reminder of how quickly our faith can become, as these palms will quickly become, discolored and hardened. Let us make this walk, not just out of a sense of duty, but out of a real desire to follow the Lord on his path, with the full confidence that he walks with us on our path.

Wednesday the youth group will pray the Living Stations of the Cross with us, this will be followed by the Soup and Scripture program. If you have yet to go to confession, and desire to do so before the Triduum begins, there is a penance service at St. Gabriel (Marlboro) on Wednesday evening beginning at 7:00 pm.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 9:00 am we will celebrate Morning Prayer (Lauds) together in the church.

Thursday evening we will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper beginning at 7:00 pm. Please join us. Also, please bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the pantry.

Friday, Good Friday, we will pray the Stations of the Cross immediately after Morning Prayer. The Adoration of the Cross begins at 3:00 pm. At 7:00 pm we will offer the Seven Last Words meditation. Remember also that Good Friday is a day of both Fast and Abstinence.

Holy Saturday, the Blessing of the Easter Food is at 10:30 am in the Narthex. The Class of 2024 will have their Easter Egg Hunt at 11:00 am.

We will gather in the courtyard in front of the church at 8:00 pm to begin the Easter Vigil.

Easter Sunday begins with the Sunrise Mass in the courtyard at 6:30 am. The regular Mass schedule follows except that there is no 5pm Mass on Easter Sunday.

This year we are beginning a new opportunity for prayer during the Easter Season as we celebrate the Stations of the Resurrection on Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm. This is an opportunity to reflect on the various appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. Please join us beginning on April 10. This will be followed by Pasta and Scripture reflection, similar to Soup and Scripture.

Have a most blessed Holy Week. Safe travels for those who are on the road or in the skies this week as well.

Lord, let everything I do in the coming Holy Week be inspired by You.

Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life unless it glorifies You in some way. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life.

Help me to enter fully into your Passion through my Lenten promises and always be reminded that You went to the desert, the garden and the cross for me. Amen. 
Taken from DSHA Prayer Book, Vol. II

Father Garry