Forty-eight years ago today, I was baptized.
April 1, 1978 - the Saturday before Palm Sunday that year. I was about six weeks old. My parents brought me to church, water was poured over my head, and I was marked with the Sacred Chrism that had been consecrated by the bishop. I became a Christian before I could speak or walk or choose anything for myself.
That's how grace works. It comes before we're ready for it.
I think about that often during Holy Week - how salvation was accomplished before any of us were born, how the Paschal Mystery is something we enter into rather than something we grasp or create. The Triduum we're about to walk through is the hinge of all history, and it happened without our "permission" or participation. Our job is simply to show up and receive what's already been done, and then live like it.
So that's what I'm doing this week. I hope you'll do the same.
When Did We Lose Our Humanity?
I was driving through Springfield last week when I passed a house with a homemade banner stretched along the fence:
"When did we lose our humanity?"
The question stayed with me for days. It's a question that feels increasingly urgent. We watch the headlines, we scroll through comments sections, we see neighbors turn on neighbors. Something is broken.
But the answer is older than any of us realize. We lost our humanity in a garden. And the story of how we get it back is the story the Church tells this week.
Read: When Did We Lose Our Humanity? →
This Week's 2 Minute Homily: "One Liturgy"
What begins Thursday evening is not three separate liturgies. It is one continuous liturgy stretched across three days - the most sacred three days of the entire year.
Holy Thursday: no dismissal. Good Friday: no greeting, because we never really left. Holy Saturday: silence, then fire.
If you can only add one thing to your Holy Week, make it the Easter Vigil. It is the night the Church keeps watch.
Something Is Changing
I want to share something I haven't fully announced yet.
After a long season of reflection and discernment - longer than I expected, honestly - I'm coming to the end of it. A pivot is coming. Work that's more aligned with mission and vocation. Work that I believe I was made for.
I'm not ready to share all the details yet. But I'm excited. And grateful. And more certain than I've been in a long time.
Those of you who have been reading these each week for a while know that three words have been guiding me through this season: Clarity. Courage. Conviction.
Clarity to see what God is asking. Courage to say yes. Conviction to follow through even when it's hard.
More soon. For now, I'd just ask for your prayers as this unfolds.
What I'm Reading
"A Simple Guide to Holy Week" — A clear, practical walkthrough of each day from Palm Sunday through Easter. Good for sharing with someone who's never experienced the Triduum. Read it →
"Holy Week 2026: Catholic Answers Guide" — A more comprehensive resource covering the history, the liturgies, and the spiritual meaning of each day. Worth bookmarking. Read it →
Pope Leo XIV's Palm Sunday Homily (Full Text) — "We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms around him. He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence." Read it →
A Final Word
"As Jesus walks the Way of the Cross, we place ourselves behind him, following in his footsteps. As we walk with him, we contemplate his passion for the sake of humanity, his broken heart, and his life as a gift of love."
— Pope Leo XIV, Palm Sunday Homily, March 29, 2026
Until next Wednesday - which will be the Wednesday of Easter Week,
O felix culpa!
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