Cardinal Seán's Blog

Cardinal Seán O’Malley shares his reflections and experiences

Christ is Risen!

I hope you all had a very blessed Triduum and Easter!

Before we get too far afield from Holy Week, I wanted to share with you some of my activities for the week.

On Thursday evening, we gathered for the Mass of the Last Supper.

This celebration is full of meaning for Catholics, because it was on the night of his betrayal that Christ instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood.

6903074250_e1bfbdc123 7L3C1662.JPG_L

6903078822_962722a6d4 7L3C1669.JPG_L6903082436_73db8b64e0 7L3C1677.JPG_L6903086842_ddf6107673 7L3C1678.JPG_L6903126322_765390efa9 7L3C1719.JPG_L

Following the homily, we have the Washing of Feet.  It commemorates that, during the last Supper, Jesus took the role of a servant – the lowest place –  washing the feet of his disciples, telling them “Love one another as I have loved you.”

7049266693_bcb8c15fb5 7L3C1774.JPG_L7049267523_11c46a203f 7L3C1782.JPG_L

6903175302_2f748b849a 7L3C1801.JPG_L

After the Washing of Feet, we have the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

6903189996_1487fc2fe2 7L3C1834.JPG_L6903203738_1be9d7a558 7L3C1870.JPG_L

6903211682_3797931d3b 7L3C1883.JPG_L

We remember that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus asked his disciples to stay awake with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, after the Mass, we do not have the usual blessing and dismissal.  Instead the Blessed Sacrament is taken to a place of repose, where we remain with him.

7049333937_fecd4e0c19 7L3C1924.JPG_L7049334631_bdbcd01812 7L3C1931.JPG_L7049341863_aa791d249b 7L3C1958.JPG_L7049343173_76123372f5 7L3C1962.JPG_L6903254762_8f514996d4 7L3C1983.JPG_L7049344865_ea1421af67 7L3C1979.JPG_L

– – –

On Good Friday we remember Christ’s suffering and death on the Cross.

One of the traditional observances of the Good Friday is the Way of the Cross.  A number of groups hold processions throughout the archdiocese and some of them stop at the Cathedral.

One of the groups that comes each year is the one from Communion and Liberation. The hold a Way of the Cross that goes through  Boston Common.

DSC_2013_smallDSC_2047_smallDSC_2080_smallDSC_2114_smallDSC_2120_small

DSC_2130_small

I was very pleased to meet a woman named Sarah who was one of the pilgrims.  She is about 30 now, but when she was just a baby I understand she had seizures that left her with many disabilities.

It was wonderful to see that she made the Way of the Cross and also how lovingly she is cared for by her mother Carol and all those around her.

DSC_2131_small

DSC_2066_smallDSC_2075_small

Then, at 3 o’clock we had the celebration of the Veneration of the Cross.6905361802_ffa43d31ce 7L3C2210.JPG_L

7051455219_b3ed8f5c02 7L3C2222.JPG_L7051544381_a287754f0b 7L3C2281.JPG_L7051545185_d7a7cd3b94 7L3C2293.JPG_L7051549447_f9bbac5bf9 7L3C2317.JPG_L7051552955_77a7cfe43f 7L3C2338.JPG_L

7051617095_4fa31a3e45 7L3C2366.JPG_L7051626041_02c4418529 7L3C2381.JPG_L

6905540116_c9847a1a05 7L3C2397.JPG_L6905548120_3a2fa29b34 7L3C2416.JPG_L6905564846_a035081fa9 7L3C2432.JPG_L

– – –

On Saturday night, we celebrated the Easter Vigil in the Cathedral.

The vigil begins with the Blessing of the Easter Fire

7055111831_cb4b370638 7L3C2666.JPG_L

 

6909026566_c3428823e0 7L3C2681.JPG_L

The Paschal candle, which represents Christ, is lit from a fire and we carve on it the sign of the cross as we say:

Christ yesterday and today
the Beginning and the end

And then we make other signs that also carry great symbolism, including the Alpha and Omega characters, in reference to the book of revelation in which Christ referred to as the  "Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last."

6909038548_a389e40857 7L3C2738.JPG_L

7055124925_c36f664130 7L3C2719.JPG_L7055133593_13be6a16d2 7L3C2752.JPG_L7055140589_7e83576270 7L3C2769.JPG_L7055202009_4fe2d4bbbd 7L3C2803.JPG_L

6909203076_a36bff5750 7L3C2915.JPG_L

7055322799_49398cc803 7L3C2954.JPG_L

At the Easter Vigil we bless the baptismal water before baptizing new converts .

7055330701_1a8e864907 HC4B3966.JPG_L7055336357_4c87b1c209 7L3C2980.JPG_L

6909236744_73b8a831e4 7L3C2958.JPG_L

During the blessing, the paschal candle is immersed in the water 6909243436_0aef2ee41e 7L3C2973.JPG_L7055353825_599b588488 7L3C3033.JPG_L

7055394705_a2afea459a 7L3C3071.JPG_L 

Christ is Risen!

– Cardinal Seán