How has Lent been for you this year?  Have you used these days wisely to grow in your relationship with Jesus?  Or not.  As I was explaining the Eucharist to a couple of high school students the other day, I thought back to our Friday morning Lenten Masses at 6:30 am.  On week three we had nearly 40 high school students in church before school.  As impressive as this was, what caught my attention even more was the surgeon in church on his way to work at the hospital and the CEO in church on his way to manage his company.  They didn’t call attention to themselves.  Very quietly they received the Eucharist — they put Jesus at the center of their lives — and then continued on with their day.  I have no doubt that each one took Jesus into their daily lives by the way that they interacted with their employees or meted out Jesus’ healing.  This is what our faith is all about.  
 
As we prepare to begin Holy Week in one week’s time, you will find in this bulletin the complete schedule for extra Confessions and the various special Masses and Services of Holy Week.  I ask that you study it closely and then just take some time for Jesus that week.  There are so many things vying for our attention at this time of year.  There are Spring sports.  This year, there’s an entire week off for Peters Township students.  And when there are days off in Peters, people travel the world.  Even if you’re traveling, take some time to check out the Holy Week schedule wherever you are in the world and take some time for Jesus.
 
As we look at the state of our society, of our world, and of our personal lives, each of us needs to be intentional in making a place for Jesus.  Over the next 10 days, there are many opportunities in the schedule to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  When is the last time you experienced God’s love, mercy and forgiveness in a personal way in Confession?  We priests are making ourselves available for you.  If it’s been awhile, come on out.
 
Then there’s Holy Thursday, when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper and gave us His real Body and Blood in the Eucharist.  There’s Good Friday when Jesus died for us.  Even the stock markets are closed on Good Friday.  It’s a day to contemplate and pray.  Then there’s the great Easter Vigil on Saturday night with the lighting of the fire and grand Masses of Easter Sunday to celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection.  For us Christians this is the biggest feast day of the year — even greater than Christmas Day.
The Church celebrates each of these days in special ways so that we can think about the deepest mysteries of our faith and put Jesus at the center of who we are.  By putting Jesus at the center, it gives us a joy and a hope unlike anything else that this world can give — a joy and hope that all of us and indeed the entire world needs so much.