April 13, 2025 • Palm Sunday

CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM! 

We hear—and speak—these words every Palm Sunday. And it always bothered me to say them. I always thought to myself that I would never have said these words if I had been there. It never made sense to me that people would reject Jesus in that way. They had just welcomed Him into Jerusalem and claimed Him as their king. “And now as He was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.’” And then, just a few days later, they would turn on Him. He had healed them, freed them from demonic possession, fed them, called them and preached a message of hope, compassion, mercy, and love. But it seemed to be the old “what have you done for me recently?” What Jesus did in the past was no longer important. Instead, they followed a leadership that was more concerned with their own position than the good of the nation, the good of the world. The people chose to go along with the crowd and it cost Jesus dearly. And yet I thought that I would never have joined in with their desire to crucify Jesus, but wouldn’t I? In all honestly, I was wrong on many different levels.

The reality is that every time I chose to sin, my voice was crying out with them, “Crucify Him!” Every time I chose not to make God the priority of my life, my voice was crying out with them, “Crucify Him!” Every time I chose to put my own needs first and not to love as I should, I was crying out with them, “Crucify Him!” Every time I said God will understand, I was crying out with them, “Crucify Him!” Every time I chose to lose patience, to speak ill of someone, to act in anger, to hold on to a hardness in my heart, I was crying out with them, “Crucify Him!” I did not need to physically be there to lend my voice to that day. I simply did not always live a life centered in Christ and that amounted to the same thing. I am as responsible for what happened to Jesus as the people in Jerusalem calling for his execution.

Only when we recognize the truth of our brokenness and sinfulness can we be open to the grace necessary to change our lives. We cannot fix our lives on our own. We need God’s grace, particularly that which we receive through the death and resurrection of Jesus. On the cross Jesus destroyed forever the power of sin and death, but that only has meaning in one’s life if we are open to accepting that grace and mercy. We put Jesus on the cross and we must accept that truth. But as Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out to the Father, “Forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Jesus’ offering of himself on the cross paid the debt of our sins; it is the eternal sacrifice offered to the Father that makes our salvation possible. But it is not enough that we acknowledge what we have done wrong—we must have true contrition which means a desire to not sin again. As Saint John Fisher wrote: “All who have embarked on true contrition and penance for the sins they have committed, and are firmly resolved not to commit sins again in the future, but to persevere constantly in that pursuit of virtues which they have now begun, all these become sharers in this holy and eternal sacrifice.” 

God wants to be in union with us, but we have chosen to break and reject that union with the Lord through our choices and actions. God chose to fix what we have broken by sending his son Jesus to us. As the letter to the Hebrews teaches: “Now, since the children are men of blood and flesh, Jesus likewise had a full share in ours, that by his death He might rob the devil, the prince of death, of his power, and free those who through fear of death had been slaves their whole life long. Surely He did not come to help angels, but rather the children of Abraham; therefore He had to become like his brothers in every way, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God on their behalf, to expiate the sins of the people. Since He himself was tested through what He suffered, He is able to help those who are tempted.”

Jesus understands the difficulties we encounter in living the life we are called to live. He experienced them himself. Jesus wants to help us strive to make God the priority of our lives. Our brokenness and sinfulness get in the way, but Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure that we can receive the grace necessary for our lives to be healed. May we come to Jesus to be healed of our blindness and embrace his sacrificial saving grace, granted to us through the cross.

May we use this time of Holy Week to focus on all that Jesus accomplished for us through his passion, death, and resurrection!

If you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to ask me directly, email me (link above) or call me at (978) 254-0560.

 Fr. Brian

Fr. Brian 2025 Weekly Articles

April 13, 2025
April 6, 2025
March 30,2025
March 23, 2025
March 16, 2025
March 9, 2025
March 2, 2025
February 23, 2025
February 16, 2025
February 9, 2025
February 2, 2025
January 26, 2025
January 19, 2025
January 12, 2025
January 5, 2025

 Ten Commandment Article Series

                                
   First  Second
  Third  Fourth Fifth    Sixth and Ninth CommandmentsSeventh and Tenth Commandments
     8th Commandment                   Conclusion              

Fr. Brian Eucharist Articles

• Week One: Introduction to Eucharist
• Week Two: Eucharist a Noun
• Week Three: Eucharist as Verb
• Week Four: Eucharist as Sacrifice
• Week Five: Eucharist as Meal
• Week Six: Eucharist as Covenant/Memorial
• Week Seven: Conclusion 

Fr. Brian Teaching on The Mass
From October 18 - November 15, 2021, Fr Brian presented a 5-week Teaching on The Mass. Below you can find a link to both his videos as well as the coinciding articles that appeared in the previous Sunday's bulletin.

Teaching on The Mass Videos

• Part One: Why we go to Mass
• Part Two: Introductory Rites
• Part Three: Liturgy of the Word
• Part Four: Liturgy of the Eucharist
• Part Five: Concluding Rites

Coming soon....

Fr. Brian 2024 Weekly Articles

December 29, 2024
December 22, 2024
December 15, 2024
December 8, 2024
December 1, 2024
November 24, 2024
November 17, 2024
November 10, 2024
November 3, 2024
October 27, 2024
October 20, 2024
October 13, 2024
October 6, 2024
September 29, 2024
September 15, 2024
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September 1, 2024
August 25, 2024
August 18, 2024
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July 28, 2024
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June 30, 2024
June 23, 2024
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April 28, 2024
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April 7, 2024
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February 25, 2024
February 18, 2024
February 11, 2024
February 4, 2024
January 28, 2024
January 21, 2024
January 14, 2024
January 7, 2024
 

Fr. Brian 2023 Weekly Articles

December 31, 2023 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 17, 2023 - Third Sunday of Advent
December 10, 2023 - Second Sunday of Advent
December 3, 2023 - First Sunday of Advent
November 26, 2023 - Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 19, 2023 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 12, 2023 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 5, 2023 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 29, 2023 - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 22, 2023 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 15, 2023 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 8, 2023 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 1, 2023 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 24, 2023 - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 17, 2023 - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 10, 2023 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 3, 2023 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 27, 2023 -21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 20, 2023 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 13, 2023 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 6, 2023 - Transfiguration of The Lord
July 30, 2023 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 23, 2023 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 16, 2023 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 9, 2023 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 2, 2023 - 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 25, 2023 - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 18, 2023 - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 11, 2023 - Corpus Christi
June 4, 2023 - Most Holy Trinity
May 28, 2023 - Pentecost
May 21, 2023 - 7th Sunday of Easter
May 14, 2023 - 6th Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023 - 5th Sunday of Easter
April 30, 2023 - 4th Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023 - 3rd Sunday of Easter
April 16, 2023 - 2nd Sunday of Easter
April 9, 2023 - Easter Sunday
April 2, 2023 - Palm Sunday
March 26, 2023 - 5th Sunday of Lent
March 19, 2023 - 4th Sunday of Lent
March 12, 2023 - 3rd Sunday of Lent
March 5, 2023 - 2nd Sunday of Lent
February 26, 2023 - 1st Sunday of Lent
February 19, 2023 - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 12, 2023 - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 5, 2023 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 29, 2023 - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 22, 2023 - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 15, 202 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 8, 2023 - The Epiphany of Our Lord
January 1, 2023 - Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

Fr. Brian 2022 Weekly Articles

December 25, 2025
December 18, 2022
December 11, 2022
December 4, 2022
November 27, 2022
November 20, 2022
November 13, 2022
November 6, 2022
October 30, 2022
October 23, 2022
October 16, 2022
October 9, 2022
October 2, 2022
July 31 - September 25: Ten Commandment Articles (to left)
July 24, 2022
July 17, 2022
July 10, 2022
July 3, 2022
June 26, 2022
June 19, 2022
June 12, 2022
June 5, 2022
May 29, 2022
May 22, 2022
May 15, 2022
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May 1, 2022
April 24, 2022
April 17, 2022
April 10, 2022
April 3, 2022
March 27, 2022
March 20, 2022
March 13, 2022
March 6, 2022
February 27, 2022
February 20, 2022
February 13, 2022
February 6, 2022
January 30, 2022
January 23, 2022
January 16, 2022
January 9, 2022
January 2, 2022

Fr. Brian 2021 Weekly Articles

December 26, 2021
December 19, 2021
December 12, 2021
December 5, 2021
November 28, 2021
November 21, 2021
November 14, 2021
November 7, 2021
October 31, 2021
October 24, 2021
October 17, 2021
October 10, 2021
October 3, 2021
September 26, 2021
September 19, 2021
September 12, 2021
September 5, 2021 [No Article]
August 29, 2021
August 22, 2021
August 15, 2021
August 8, 2021
August 1, 2021
July 25, 2021
July 18, 2021
July 11, 2021
July 4, 2021
June 27, 2021
June 20, 2021
June 13, 2021
June 6, 2021
May 30, 2021
May 23, 2021
May 16, 2021
May 9, 2021
May 2, 2021
April 25, 2021
April 18, 2021 [No Article]
April 11, 2021
April 4, 2021 [Easter]
March 28, 2021
March 21, 2021
March 14, 2021
March 7, 2021
February 28, 2021
Februry 21, 2021
February 14, 2021
February 7, 2021
January 31, 2021
January 24, 2021
January 17, 2021
January 10, 2021
January 3, 2021

Fr. Brian 2020 Weekly Articles

December 27, 2020
December 20, 2020
December 13, 2020
December 6, 2020
November 22, 2020
November 8, 2020
November 1, 2020
October 25, 2020
October 18, 2020
October 11, 2020
October 4, 2020
September 27, 2020
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July 26, 2020
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April 26, 2020
April 19, 2020
​​​​​​​April 12, 2020
April 5, 2020
March 29, 2020
March 22, 2020
March 15, 2020
March 8, 2020
February 23, 2020
February 16, 2020