Abp. Aymond: Holy Week prepares us for Easter joy

Dear Young Church, My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

As we know, Easter is upon us, and the Easter Bunny will come to bring many Easter eggs, but that is only a small part of the meaning of Easter.

There is a spiritual significance with the Easter egg as the baby chick breaks the egg and comes out alive. It is a sign of the risen Christ bursting out of the darkness of the tomb into the light of the Father’s kingdom, which brings life and hope to us. He has risen from the dead and comes to forgive our sins and to lift us to his Father.

That is what we will celebrate soon, but even before that, there are some very important days that lead up to it:
 
• On Palm Sunday (observed on March 28 this year), we bring our palms to church and they are blessed. They are a sign of the palms that lined the streets of Jerusalem as Jesus entered on a donkey and was claimed as the Messiah, the Savior. That great proclamation of him on that celebration in Jerusalem led to his suffering and death. Many were afraid of his power and his popularity.

• Holy Thursday (April 1) is when Jesus sat with the apostles at the table and said, as he broke bread, “This is my body, given for you,” and then took a cup and said, “This is the cup of my blood.” We remember that special night at the Last Supper, which becomes present to us each time we go to Mass. Jesus sits at the table and gives us his own body and blood as our food.

• On Good Friday (April 2), we look at the crucifix and see the pain that Jesus endured for us in order to tell us how much we are loved and that we are forgiven by his Father.

• Easter Sunday (April 4) is the greatest of all feasts in the church, when Jesus was raised from the darkness of the tomb to the new life of the Father’s kingdom, and has gone to prepare a place for us.

All of these days are so important, and we should be in church for all of the liturgies of Holy Week in order to celebrate God's love for us and the salvation he has given us through Christ.

You will be off from school for these days. Make sure that you are able to go with your family to church to celebrate Christ's life in us and among us.

Wishing you God’s blessings, I am your brother in Christ,

Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond
Archbishop of New Orleans