From the Rector: The Lord’s work is marvelous

8 April 2025

The Great Vigil of Easter

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22

We have been busy at the church preparing for Holy Week. For the Christian, Holy Week is the most important week of the year. The week requires our attention, for this is when we intentionally embrace the mysteries of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ unlike any other time. The Holy Week leaflets have now been posted on the church website. If you view them before coming next week, the liturgies will have increased meaning.

This Palm Sunday we are re-introducing the outdoor palm procession at the High Mass. We will begin in the church, and if the weather cooperates, process along a short, but effective, route on Kapahulu Avenue. There will be a station at the corner of Kapahulu and Campbell Avenues for the singing of songs, the waving of palms, and the rising of incense. When we return to the church, we will hear the Passion according to Saint Luke sung by the Choir.

On the Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week, Low Mass will be celebrated at 12:00 noon, and on Wednesday evening we have the First Tenebrae of the Triduum.  At some point in history it became customary to pray Matins and Lauds of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday on the eves of these days, when the shadows lengthen and night begins to fall. Whereas Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Eve each have their signature liturgies, the Tenebraes are the morning offices for these days. The Tenebrae liturgies are known for their hearse of fifteen candles, when over the course of the each liturgy, the candles are extinguished until a single light remains, symbolizing hope in the resurrection.

The real drama of Holy Week begins with the Maundy Mass of the Lord’s Supper. In fact, the Maundy Mass, the Good Friday Liturgy, and the Great Vigil of Easter encompass one liturgy over three days (Triduum), and this three-day event is the substance of Holy Week. The Maundy Mass features the washing of feet along with the institution of the Lord’s Supper, both pointing to the sacrificial life of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday we hear the Passion of Saint John, and we venerate the Cross. At the Great Vigil of Easter, we hear the history of our salvation in Sacred Scripture before renewing our baptismal vows and celebrating the First Mass of the Resurrection. The culmination is the Easter Day High Mass, highlighting Jesus’ encounter with Mary Magdalene in the garden. These liturgies by their very nature preach the Gospel, but we will also have homilies at the Maundy Mass and the Easter Day High Mass.

There are other worthy devotions during Holy Week. After the Maundy Mass, you may remain in prayer with the Sacrament at the Altar of Repose until midnight. On Good Friday the church opens at 8:00 am, and the silence continues throughout the day. Confessions will be celebrated at 2:00 pm, and at 3:00 pm Stations of the Cross will be prayed in reverse, commemorating Mary’s walk home from the cross, revisiting the events leading up to the crucifixion. As for Easter Eve and Easter Day, many attend the Easter Vigil and the Easter Day High Mass, as both masses are unique. As is the case every Sunday, Palm Sunday Vespers and Benediction will be celebrated at 3:00 pm, and on Easter Day at 1:30 pm, a simple form of Vespers will be sung, bringing Holy Week to a close.

Holy Week defines St. Mark’s, and it defines our faith. As the most important week of the year, it is when we live our faith as the Body of Christ, re-enacting together the apex of our Lord’s ministry. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is our sole reason for existence, and Holy Week is that unparalleled time when we put our faith first, rejoicing in what God has done for us. As the psalmist has said, “the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Father Paul Lillie +