Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,

Today is Palm Sunday and we have the reading of the Passion of Our Lord.  It is therefore fitting for us to reflect upon the final words of our Lord Jesus upon the cross:

John 19:30 "It is finished."
Luke 23:46 "Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit."      
                             
Both Gospels have Jesus cry out these words and then die upon the cross. In both of these phrases I can hear a cry of hope from our Lord.  In the first, "It is finished," there is the acknowledgement that Jesus has completed His work upon the Earth. It expresses that the sacrifice has been made and the work of the redemption of mankind is complete. The work of the disciples of Jesus must now begin. The laborers will now be able to begin the harvest.

The second exclamation, "Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit," echoes as a final prayer of trust in the Father. It is an act of complete trust in God and acceptance of His holy will. It is an acclamation of Faith that erases and doubt of the earlier cry of, "Why have You forsaken Me?"

But then comes the death of Jesus and the whole world is cast into darkness. How can God die? How could weak human beings bring this about? Yet it is for this that Jesus was born. The Passion of the Christ didn't begin when He took up the cross: it began when He was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

God loved us enough to take on the limits and suffering of human flesh. Almighty God accepted the degradation of poverty; He endured the outrage of being born in a tiny unimportant place; He accepted the yoke of Roman occupation and finally He endured the humility and shame of death by crucifixion.  All of it was done for love of us!  He had to accept the role of the sacrificial Lamb whose blood would be the source of eternal life for all people.

This week we all reflect on the price that was paid for our salvation. As we enter Holy Week we pray that the suffering and death of Jesus will lead us to Easter joy as we celebrate His triumph and rejoice in His Resurrection.

My dear people, It very much looks as if our Lenten penance must continue a little while longer. We will not be able to gather for Mass at Easter. This will be so hard for all of us as this is our most important holiday. I will do everything I can tocelebrate this in a meaningful way for all of us. It will not be the same.  But it will make it all the more precious and meaningful when we are able to celebrate the Eucharist together again.

Please know that I offer the sufferings of this time up to God for you and all your loved  ones.

In the love of Christ,                                                  
I am your pastor,
Msgr. Cox

Crucifix of San Marcello