St. Mary's School
PASCHAL TRIDUUM
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Dear Friends,
Throughout the Lenten season we have been preparing ourselves through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. As we conclude our Lenten journey, we enter an important and exciting part of our faith journey, the Paschal Triduuum. On Holy Thursday we reenact the Lord’s Supper. On Good Friday we venerate the cross and reflect on Christ’s crucifixion and death. On Holy Saturday, as Jesus’ body lays in the tomb, we wait in anticipation for the rising of Our Savior on Easter Sunday. Below please find some resources we hope will assist you in prayer and worship during this sacred time. Many thanks to St. Mary's Parish and the Archdiocese of Boston for sharing many of these resources.
I would also like to share that we will observe Friday as a "no school" day as it was originally scheduled on the school calendar. We hope you'll find time on Good Friday to take a prayer journey through our Virtual Stations of the Cross.
Finally, I ask you to keep our grade 8 teacher, Mr. Mark Flint, in your prayers as he grieves the loss of his mother, Mrs. Frances Eleanor Bradley Flint who returned to the Lord at the age of 101. A wonderful wife and mother, and devoted member of the Saint Mary's Parish community, Mrs. Flint will be deeply missed. Please click here to view the announcement. Mrs. Flint, may the angels lead you into paradise, may the martyrs receive you at your arrival, and lead you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.
Best wishes for a blessed Paschal Triduum and a joyful Easter Sunday.
Sincerely,
Mr. Christopher Beza
Principal
Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when Jesus first shared the gift of the Eucharist as His true body and blood, and where He also instituted the sacrament of priesthood. One of the most poignant moments of Holy Thursday Mass is the washing of the feet.
"Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
The washing of the disciples' feet was an act of humility on the part of Christ, a reminder of His unconditional love for us and an example of how we are to serve those we encounter.
Resources for Holy Thursday:
The Significance of Holy Thursday
Good Friday
When my wife and I lived in Louisiana in the early 2000s, we came across a framed photo of three windows (above). I'm not sure if the photographer intended it as a representation of the three crosses on Calvary, but that's what it has come to symbolize to me. The window in the middle is in near perfect condition and has three panes at the top, perhaps representing the Holy Trinity. This window is flanked on either side by two broken, simpler windows. For me, the contrast between the brick wall and the sky above evokes the image of Jesus' transition from this world to the next, as he calls out to the thief to his right, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
On Good Friday, we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death on Calvary. Our eighth graders had been working so hard to lead our school and parish in the Living Stations this Friday, but due to the current circumstances that won't be possible. They did such a wonderful job preparing and I'm sure their reenactment would have provided us with the perfect opportunity to reflect on the suffering Jesus endured and the sacrifice He made for us on the Cross. Mr. Flint was able to capture some photos from their rehearsal, so we have used them to create a Virtual Living Stations of the Cross.
Click here to view the St. Mary's School Virtual Stations of the Cross.
Other resources for Good Friday:
Liturgy of the Hours PDFs for Good Friday
The Seven Penitential Psalms and the Songs of the Suffering Servant
Holy Saturday
The Darkness of the Tomb - Linda Jones
Jesus, in the darkness of the tomb,
you were surrounded by love,
by grief and by fear,
as your body was prepared for burial.
Walk with us
May we feel the comfort
of your love for us.
And may we turn outwards
to share that love with others,
with the same generosity and gentle loving kindness
that you showed to all.
Walk with us Jesus, Amen.
Resources for Holy Saturday:
12 Things to Know about Holy Saturday
Easter Sunday
"But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words.
On Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope you will join Father Shawn as he live streams Easter Mass from St. Mary's Church at 10:00 am on Sunday, April 12. The live stream will be coordinated through Zoom and can be accessed by clicking this link. The link to the live stream can also be accessed on the home page of the parish website (www.stmarysmelrose.org).
Other Resources for Easter Sunday:
Easter Prayers from Catholic Relief Services
Contact Us
Email: mr.beza@stmaryschoolmelrose.org
Website: stmaryschoolmelrose.org
Location: 4 Myrtle Street, Melrose, MA, USA
Phone: (781)665-5037
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmaryschoolmelrose/