Weekly Update from Fr. van Dooren 3.27.26

Dear members and friends of our parish family, 

We pray our final Lenten devotion of Stations of the Cross and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament tonight at 6:30 pm. We will have a special musical offering of the Pergolesi Stabat Mater sung between each station's devotion featuring Berit Johnson, soprano, Christine Browne-Munz, mezzo-soprano, Early Instrument Chamber Ensemble, and Claudia Dumschat, harpsichord. For a beautiful explanation of the Stabat Mater written by Christina Hutten, click here. 

We step through the door of Holy Week this Palm Sunday with deepest and loving sincerity. We will begin with the Liturgy of the Palms followed by the triumphant procession into the church with the great hymn “All Glory Laud and Honor” reminiscent of our Lord’s procession into Jerusalem on a donkey. The tone of the day takes a solemn turn as the Passion narrative is sung, foreshadowing the events of our Lord’s passion in the coming days.  

The music for Palm Sunday is some of the most profound ever written. We begin with a procession imitating Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem singing Hossana Filio David, by the great Spanish Renaissance composer, Victoria. We also sing the ancient chant Pueri Hebraeorum (The children of the Hebrews) and chant the Passion gospel according to the ancient tones. As the story unfolds into terror, so does the music. The Offertory Anthem is one of the most moving in our repertoire. Crucifixus a 8, by the Italian baroque composer Antonio Lotti, is a masterpiece of Baroque sacred music. The piece creates a profound sense of sorrow, longing, and finally resignation. The images of horror are created in the repetitive motifs of the word “crucified” that remind one of driving nails, and word painting on the word “passus” (died) is also filled with intense grief of chords that find little resolve. As a postlude to the service, the Gentlemen of the choir will offer another masterpiece of choral writing, Thomas Tallis’s Lamentations of Jeremiah, Part 1. This is a work of profound emotional depth, austere beauty, and quiet weeping. The text is taken from the traditional texts for Holy Week, the Hebrews lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the Babylonians. The Musical structure is set between the the Hebrew letters (Aleph, Beth) and concludes with the refrain “Jerusalem, converters ad Dominum Deum tuum; Jerusalem, Jerusalem return to the Lord Thy God". It is a call to all of us during this mystical Holy Week. 

We welcome Dr. Joshua Heath as our preacher for Palm Sunday and the liturgies of the triduum. Dr. Heath teaches Theology and Russian Culture at the University of Cambridge, where he is a Fellow of Trinity College. His presence with us at this holy time of year has become a blessed tradition. 

Click here to view our schedule for Holy Week and Easter.

As we begin the journey into these sacred days, I wanted to offer some more information on each of our services. 

12:10 said masses will be offered on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week. These days are somewhat similar to the other weekdays in Lent, yet we are encouraged to use them as days of preparation allowing for our attendance at the liturgies of the Triduum (the three holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter).

We return on Maundy Thursday with a said mass at 12:10 pm and then at 6:30pm to commemorate the Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. The altar will be adorned in white representing the Upper Room, and the Gloria will be sung in celebration of the gift of the Eucharist. Following the Holy Communion, the Reserved Sacrament will be carried in procession to the Altar of Repose (in the Family Chapel). Lastly, the altar will be stripped of its adornments as we prepare for Good Friday. The congregation departs in silence. 

On Good Friday at noon, we will commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus. The liturgy includes the chanting of the Passion Gospel, the praying of the Solemn Collects, and the beloved devotion of the Veneration of the Cross. The Eucharist is not celebrated, but Communion will be given from the Reserved Sacrament. All of the Reserved Sacrament must be consumed on this day. There are many moments of silence and sacred pauses during the liturgy, and all depart in silence at the conclusion. 

And then on Saturday, we once more return for the Great Vigil of Easter at 7:00pm for the first celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. This most exquisite liturgy includes the blessing and procession of the Paschal candle, the reading of the holy salvation stories throughout the Old Testament leading to the celebration of the first mass of Easter. Parishioners are encouraged to bring bells to the mass for ringing during the Gloria in Excelsis.

Easter Day’s masses are celebrated at 8:30am and 11:00am, continuing the joy of the previous Vigil mass. Either the Easter Vigil mass or the Easter Day mass can be choices for our sacred Easter obligation. 

We will host a “Fishes and Loaves” coffee hour after the 11:00am mass for Easter Day. For those who are able, please contribute a small ready-to-serve finger food plate prior to the mass. Just drop it off in the Common Room prior to the mass. Weather permitting, we will enjoy an Easter egg hunt following the mass. Thank you, dear choir parents, for hosting!   

Each Easter, our church is filled with beautiful flowers and with special music. Many members of our parish generously help cover the costs. If you are able and wish to contribute, please use the envelopes in the back of the church or write "Music" or "Flowers" in the memo line of your check. You can also use our e-giving sites on the back of the bulletin. If the gift is in memoriam, please write the name(s) legibly on the envelope, in the comment box online or send to Grace in the parish office (gkobryn@littlechurch.org)  by Palm Sunday, March 29 in order to be included in the Easter bulletins. Please note that the bulletins will be going to our entire email list, so please edit your names as you would prefer to see them displayed. 

The Holy Rosary will be prayed in the Family chapel at 9:30am this Palm Sunday. We will pray the Sorrowful mysteries.    

As always, if you are unable to join us in person for Palm Sunday or Easter Day, we will livestream our 11 am masses and it will be available for viewing later. A link is sent out each Sunday morning at 8:00am.  We live-stream on Facebook and YouTube. Please email parishoffice@littlechurch.org if you would like to pray the morning and evening offices with us by Zoom. 

Thank you for your continued faith, support, and love for the parish.  

Fides Opera

With loving wishes,
Fr. van Dooren