Holy Week

Welcome back! There is some misguided belief that the Chinese came up with the threefold curse: May you live in interesting times. May you come to the attention of those in authority and may you find what you seek.

These last few weeks have been filled with “interest”. The Health Care Act and its lead up and response, child abuse mismanagement charges leveled at the Pope and the Boy Scouts of America, a surprise Presidential visit to the Afghani war zone, and that doesn’t even include weird weather, earthquakes and tsunamis. So much for interesting times! The 2010 census will take care of curse #2 and that only leaves number three… finding what you seek!

I hope that among the things you seek are inner peace and serenity. It’s true, the next two months are the most hectic of the year, and I’m sure we will all become very busy very quickly.

But I hope you will take time this week to do something important for yourself. Easter is this coming weekend. Take a few minutes to celebrate community, life, hope, renewal. Find some quiet time. Take a walk. Sit on the Green and enjoy the sun. Read a favorite poem. You can find inspiration with the Irish Jesuits at http://sacredspace.ie/ or if you want to focus on your Lenten observance, try Busted Halo’s “Five Ways to Make a Strong Finish.”

I hope you can join the Catholic Community to celebrate Easter at 8 p.m. Saturday with a vigil mass in Harkness Chapel. A reception with breads, chocolate, other snacks – and of course Easter eggs and Peeps – will follow in the Chapel library. Bring your friends, whatever their faith tradition. The weather looks good, so plan to gather at the Chapel pit near Williams Street a little before 8 pm on Saturday.

But before that you might also want to observe Holy Week. There are three special services, all in Harkness Chapel:

A Service of Penance and Reconciliation (Wednesday, March 31, 5 p.m.)
After a communal service, Monsignor Richard LaRocque, a long time friend of the Catholic Community, and I will be available to hear individual confessions. If you’re not sure how to make a good confession, you can find some pointers here: http://www.thelightisonforyou.org/.

Holy Thursday: Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper (Thursday, April 1, 5 p.m.)
We commemorate the Last Supper and remember how great a gift the Eucharist is. The roots of this core Christian celebration are in the rituals of the Passover Seder. This year Holy Thursday coincides with the fourth night of Passover.

Good Friday: Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion and Death (Friday, April 2, 5 p.m.)
We “stand beneath the Cross” with Christians around the world.

You can find details and links to more information at our web site, http://www.conncatholics.com/.

As we rush through these final weeks of the semester, please remember that the comfort and encouragement to be found in community. Join your brothers and sisters for weekly Mass – the schedule is on our web site – and don’t hesitate to stop by and see me. I am on campus Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, or you can reach me at 860-423-0856.

Devotedly yours,

Father Larry

P.S. – There will be no 5 p.m. mass on April 3. If you can’t get to the vigil at 8, you are welcome to participate in the Easter liturgy at the Coast Guard Academy chapel on Sunday morning at 9.