12 March 2025
This past Sunday was the first Sunday in Lent. We say that Sundays are “in” Lent rather than “of” Lent, as Sundays are always celebrations of the resurrection. If you are following our Shape of Lent booklet, this week we have given up sweets and treats, and next week we fast from unnecessary spending. If you have not picked up a Shape of Lent booklet yet, there are copies in the Church and Parish Hall.
Last Friday we gathered for our first Stations of the Cross of the season, and Stations will be offered every Friday throughout Lent as is our church’s tradition. From the very beginning of my time at St. Mark’s, it has been clear to me that Stations of the Cross is a natural and effortless devotion for the parish. Many of you have the responses memorized due to years of faithful participation. I always find Lenten Fridays on Kapahulu striking. Due to spring breaks and weekend social outings, the nightlife outside of the church is frenetic, while in the Church the mood is reflective and prayerful as we meditate on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Savior.
Holy Week and Easter will be here quickly, and the worship schedule has been posted on the church website. Even as we try to savor these weeks of Lent, time marches on. If you wish to sponsor Easter music and flowers, we are now accepting donations. Please also remember to support Episcopal Relief and Development, this year’s parish Lenten charity. On Wednesday, March 19, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph with a High Mass, and on Tuesday, March 25, we celebrate the Annunciation with a Procession and High Mass.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 13. This year we are bringing back the outdoor Palm Procession before the High Mass. Some of you participated in our outdoor Corpus Christi procession last June when we processed via Campbell Avenue, Castle Street, and Kapahulu Avenue. Because the sidewalks are small on Campbell and Castle, and sometimes obstructed, we have chosen a different route for the Palm Sunday Procession, remaining entirely on Kapahulu Avenue where the sidewalks are generous. This will also allow for greater visibility in the neighborhood, as it is on Kapahulu where the bystanders mostly are. Our proposed route also does not cross Kapahulu Avenue, which is now difficult due to the removal of the crosswalks at Herbert and Castle Streets. We will have palms for the congregation, but you may also bring “flashy” palms from your yards if so desired. Help us be a spectacle on Kapahulu for the sake of the Gospel as we mark the beginning of Holy Week.
Father Paul Lillie +
