This week we are celebrating Palm Sunday; this is the beginning of one of the Holiest weeks of the year. We will hear an extra Gospel at
the beginning of the Masses this weekend and Bless the Palms. How quickly that crowd goes from shouts of joy to ‘Crucify!’ We all may
have fond memories about Palm Sunday and learning how to weave palms. I only learned a very basic weave; I have been very impressed
with some I have seen. However, Palm Sunday is just the beginning. Yes, we hear the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday, but the
Liturgies to come play this out more fully.

Monday of this week, Fr Meyers and I will be here at St Luke’s hearing confessions starting at 6:00pm. When things slow down (most
years about 7:00pm), I will let him go. I will stay until 8:00pm that evening. Also, I will be helping at the Cathedral in St Cloud on Tues-
day Night starting at 6:30pm. There will be 10 priests there that evening, may be a good last chance for you. With the Big liturgies of
Holy week, I will not be in the confessional before Holy Thursdays Mass of the Lord’s supper, Good Friday liturgies, Easter Vigil, or the
Easter Sunday Masses. If that was your plan, you may want to go Monday here or Tuesday in St Cloud.

Please make time to come to these most beautiful Liturgies. Holy Thursday will start for me with the Chrism Mass down in St Paul.
That evening here at St Luke’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper includes the washing of the feet, always a powerful moment for me. I have
heard comments over the years about how some of these liturgies are too long. Funny, how many never say that about the football game
going into overtime but will say Liturgies are too long. With the washing of the feet, I have heard comments like,” do less people” or
“only one foot”. I have never heard at a concert, “I wish they would do less songs!” We tend to give a double standard in our life and God
so often gets the short end of the stick. We are only celebrating the Gift that Jesus gave to us of His life, death, and resurrection. All for
us.

I pray that you were able to grow in your faith these past weeks of Lent. It often can help us see more clearly some things we may have
had an unhealthy attachment too. I also pray you found an element of success in your Lenten discipline. That you were able to grow in
your prayer time as well. As we come down to the wire of the end of Lent, discern if what you gave up is something you should go back
to?? If not, continue to try and stay away. If what you gave up is a good thing, and you gave it up as a sacrificial offering to God, maybe
we do not need to go right back to it.

This coming Sunday I am sure we will be having a lot of visitors for Easter. Perhaps some of your own families. Let us all make everyone
feel welcome like St Luke’s is known for. If you will be traveling to be with family and will not be with us here at St Luke’s for Easter,
please travel safely and return home to us soon. I will have both in a way. I will be here for all the liturgies, but after noon I will be head-
ing down to be with my family. It is about an hour and a half drive one way. Most of my family lives within a half hour of the home I
grew up in. I do have one sister in Alaska and a brother in South Carolina. Other than them, I am the farthest away. This sometimes
causes me to miss out on some family events or gatherings. I hope and pray all of you will have a Blessed Holy Week and enjoy family
time.

Fr Backer