Holy Week with the Postulants
Michael Hintze-Postulant
St Bonaventure Friary-Postulancy
As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus as St Francis did.
Walk with us as I explain what Holy Week has been like as a postulant. We gather as a community early Palm Sunday morning and traveled to St. Clements Parish here in Chicago. As we attend Mass we start our Journey to the road on the Lords Passion, Holy Week. The Palms are blessed and we start traveling with the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem with the procession of palms. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the Highest. On Monday we learned the Jewish Roots of Holy Week and held a discussion afterwards. We did this to better contemplate and understand the Gospel messages during this most important time of year. As we move forward in this most holy week we come to Tuesday. On this most gifted day us Postulants are able to attend the Chrism Mass here in Chicago at St John Brebeuf Parish. This Mass takes its name from the blessing of the holy oils used in the sacraments throughout the year, which are then given to priests/ministers to take back to their parishes. The Priests also renew their Yearly Promise. This was a blessing to see, for this Mass is only held once a year, during holy week. Lather we travel to St Ida’s Parish near the Friary to attend the Tenebrae service. The Tenebrae service is an ancient tradition in Christian history that takes place during Holy Week. The purpose of this service was to remember the somber events that occurred in Jesus' life from the excitement of the entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the night of Jesus' burial on Good Friday. As the service moves along candles and the Lights are extinguished and we leave in Silence. This moves us to Wednesday were after our Group ministry at the Little Sisters of the Poor we gather together as a community for the Station of the Cross. This is where we walk in prayer with Christ along the road to Calvary. After prayer we start our 24hr adoration mission, where we take holy hours around the clock till the next night. This takes us to Holy Thursday. It is late about 7 o'clock and we travel to St Ida’s Parish. Where we will take part in the Lord's supper. We end in silence and then go on a small church pilgrimage to 7 local Chicago Parishes and pray at each one. Its now Good Friday we approach in humility and silence, we have complete Faith we attend St Ita’s Parish for the Lord's Passion. For we adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, here, and in all your churches throughout the whole world, and we bless you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the whole world. Amen. This night now starts the 40 hour long vigil that followers of Jesus Christ held after his death and burial. We are now on the Last day of Holy Week, Good Saturday. This is a day of reflection on what Christ has done for us postulants and the whole world. Now we travel back to St. Ida’s for the Easter Vigil Mass to welcome Jesus Christ who is Risen! We have learned much, about Jesus, about our Catholic traditions, about what Christ did for us, all of us. We learned about ourselves and each other. Our community has been blessed this Lent during this postulancy to be filled with a better understanding of the Gospels so we can live it. Thank you for walking with us and praying for us.
Pace e Bene
