Holy Week & Easter 2020 at Santa Rita Abbey
Our monastic prayer took on greater urgency and sharper focus as the COVID-19 virus reached pandemic proportions this spring. We’ve never had a Lent, Holy Week or Easter like this before, have you? In the face of all this illness, death, and grief do the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus still mean anything? Like the women watching the passion from a distance and the fearful disciples behind locked doors, we have to live through all the worry, confusion, panic and uncertainty–oh how our securities have toppled!–before we can hear the Lord’s words on Easter morning, “Do not be afraid,” and at the Ascension, “Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” ALWAYS. Even now, especially now. Our prayers continue to enfold the whole world and all its peoples, all of whom continue to be affected by the coronavirus in a multitude of ways. That includes you, too. May God bring healing and peace to all.
Here are some scenes from our Holy Week and Easter celebrations. We were not able to have a priest preside at these sacred liturgies, so we had to modify them accordingly. Nevertheless we counted ourselves fortunate to be living together in a monastic community in which we could observe together these most holy days of the Church year.
Palm Sunday
Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday–the Easter Vigil
Easter Sunday
