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Dear Saints of All Saints: Welcome to Holy Week 2023! 

What a blessing it was to begin our Holy Week journey with such a beautiful Palm Sunday liturgy!  Thank you to: Alondra, Caden, Cailer, Caleb, Cameron, and Franky for serving as acolytes; Corrine, Susan, Thelma & Veronica for your altar guild service preparing the church and distributing palms;  Ann, Corrine and Walter for reading and serving as Eucharistic Ministers; ALL of our narrative Gospel readers; Erica for streaming; and Susan, Flora, Jay and Choir for the glorious music!  Thank you also to those of you who brought family and friends: What a wonderful way to begin Holy Week together.

I ask your prayers today for all of the clergy of the Diocese as we gather at the Cathedral in Albuquerque at 11:00 (with Bishop Michael) or at St. Andrew’s in Las Cruces at 1:00 (with Bishop Jerry Lamb) for the annual Chrism Mass, at which we renew our Ordination Vows, and the Bishops consecrate the holy oils  used for anointing, catechumens, and chrism. 

We have the following offerings for Holy Week at All Saints:

Wednesday, April 5th: 

·       5:00pm Evening Prayer

·       5:30pm Lenten Soup Supper

·       7:00pm Open Mic (Yes: We will have Open Mic, TBTG & TBFM (Flora, Mike and co.)!

Thursday, April 6th:

  • 6:00pm Maundy Thursday: The Commemoration of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ washing of His disciples feet, and His commandment that we love one another as He loves us.  Flora will offer a special prelude and we will have simple hymns a capella. This is one of the most powerful evenings and liturgies of the Christian year, and it ends with the stripping of the altar and the preparation of the church for Good Friday.  At the conclusion we will depart the church in silence.

Friday, April 7th:

  • 6:00pm Tenebrae: Our version of this Holy Week service often offered on Good Friday is known as “Shadows around the Cross”.  I have heard from many at All Saints what a powerful and important liturgy this is in people’s lives, and am looking forward to experiencing it!  Thank you in advance to our readers: Corrine, Flora, Jay, Russell, Susan, Thelma & Veronica.  We will depart the church in silence at the conclusion.

Saturday, April 8th:

  •  Though we will have no corporate observance specifically for Holy Saturday, you may want to read and meditate upon the anonymous and beautiful Ancient Homily for this day and upon the Harrowing (Liberation) of Hell as we remember Jesus’ descent: https://www.goodcatholic.com/hauntingly-beautiful-the-holy-saturday-homily/
  • 5:30pm Choir Rehearsal for the Vigil
  •  6:00pm The Great Vigil of Easter: This is arguably the most powerful and important liturgy of the Christian Church: We will kindle a fire in the back of the church, and light the Paschal Candle, which we will then process to the front of the church.  In the absence of a deacon, I will chant the Exsultet (BCP pp. 286-7).  We will recount God’s saving deeds in history with several Old Testament readings, prayers and hymns (pp 288-91).  We will renew our Baptismal Vows (292-4), and then formally welcome the Great Season of Easter with the resurrection proclamation: “A…..A…”, the Gloria, and Sung Eucharist.

Sunday, April 9th:

  • 9:30am Choir Rehearsal
  • 10:00am Holy Baptism of Joshua David Marquesz & Festal Holy Eucharist: We will welcome Joshua David Marquez and celebrate his Holy Baptism along with his family and friends.  And then we will celebrate a joyous and festive Holy Eucharist together, followed by …
  • Celebration afterwards in the parish hall.

Thank you to all the saints of All Saints for your prayers and ministries this Holy Week.  I look forward to our observances in this solemn week.

Soli Deo Gloria, with prayer and thanksgivings, David-Luke BSG +

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