My Pastor Says: Be There or Be Square

Well, not quite in those terms. But here's what he published on the cover of this week's bulletin:

You may be a Catholic who chooses to miss out on
the most important Church services of our Catholic Church Year.

This Holy Week.

Don’t be satisfied with just Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday Mass.
Plan to participate in these unique and inspiring services.

Consider, for instance, the meaning of the Easter Vigil Service
from this excerpt of a homily spoken at the Easter Vigil, 1984.
Christ, Son of the Living God! We, Your Church, are here.
We who are the Body from Your Body and Blood, here we are, keeping watch.
We kept watch on the Holy Night of Christmas.
We welcomed the great news that you were born among us with great joy.
Today, we are here again, we, Your Church.
We wish to be here when the Sacred Liturgy of this night
will make your victory over death present among us.
We are here, Your Body, Your Church, Your People.
We are here on this Holy Night.
We are united in the faith born that first Easter Day.
This night is holy for us.
There are many of us, Your People, keeping watch this night.
We are united by one faith, one Baptism, one God, one Father of us all.
We rejoice in this Holy Night.
It is the same joy our ancestors knew as they kept this same watch.
We are united here in our own hope of resurrection
which springs from the union of life in which
we wish to remain in Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Christ, Son of the Living God, accept this vigil from us!
Give us the joy of the new life we all bear within ourselves!
Only you can give this to the human heart!
You, the Risen Christ!
You, Our Paschal Lamb!
The right hand of the Lord has struck with power,
The right hand of the Lord is exalted,
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.