Holy Week Commences

Friends

Peace be with you. 

This weekend, we begin the holiest week in the Christian Year. It’s so holy, in fact, that we call it Holy Week. It begins with the joyful commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and concludes with the joyful celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. As we’re all painfully aware, nonetheless, much somber sadness happens in between those two events, in particular on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. We’ll commemorate all that happened during the trial and crucifixion of Jesus on those two days. I truly hope you’ll partake of all of these events this week. I understand that they take some time. These liturgies kind of demand us to slow down and really think about what’s happening. They really deserve to marinate in our conscience and imagination, not in an unhealthy, guilt-ridden way but in a way that is simultaneously grateful and sorrowful. We are grateful that God would enter into our human condition to redeem us and give us grace but also sorrowful that it was necessary for him to die for it to happen. Couldn’t the creator of the world come up with another solution to the problem of our sin? I guess not. 

Recently, the priests of the Cedar Rapids Deanery got together to talk about an article by the sociologist Christian Smith called Keeping the Faith. The article appeared in the journal First Things and summarized research he has been doing about faith. The thesis of the article comes from the first paragraph in the section entitled Parenting Style. In it, he says…

“Though the influence of parenting style is known to vary somewhat by race and ethnicity, it is broadly true that the religious parents who most successfully raise religious children tend to exhibit an “authoritative” parenting style. Such parents combine two crucial traits. First, they consistently hold their children to clear and demanding expectations, standards, and boundaries in all areas of life. Second, they relate to their children with an abundance of warmth, support, and expressive care. It is not hard to see why this parenting style works best for raising religious children. The combination of clear expectations and affective warmth is powerful in children’s developmental formation.

…He goes on to caution that it is not a perfect formula and that parents have to be living out the faith for it to be handed on. But, he says that his research indicates that these parental two traits, religious expectations and care, are more important to handing on the faith than the most effective religious education programs, the best youth faith formation programs, the most dynamically reverent liturgies, or the most socially active parish programs. I encourage you to search online and read the article. I hope to use it for my Coffee Klatch sometime in April when we get Hind’s Feet in High Places finished. I’ve been thinking about it from two perspectives. First, if it’s true, what should change about the way Christian families should live and how can we communicate that in a pastoral way? Second, if it’s true, How should St. Patrick’s Church change the way it operates to help them? I’m sure we’ll be reflecting on these and other questions at upcoming Pastoral Council meetings. 

One thing parents can do, if the article is correct, is to come to Mass to commemorate Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday and talk to your children about the experience. I understand that kids can get antsy when Mass gets long but it demonstrates to them how important you think something is when you stay for something that is long. You don’t leave a baseball game that goes into extra innings or duck out of a concert during the encore if it’s important. Please know, nonetheless, that we’re all trying our best and that I’m pulling for you!