Holy Week Schedule
April 13: Palm Sunday
11:00 a.m. Procession and Latin High Mass

April 17: Holy Thursday
6:15 a.m. Tenebrae
5:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord's Supper with Procession to the Altar of Repose

April 18: Good Friday
6:15 a.m. Tenebrae
2:00 p.m. Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday
7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

April 19: Holy Saturday
6:15 a.m. Tenebrae
10:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass

April 20: Easter Sunday
11:00 a.m. Pontifical High Mass
3:30 p.m. Pascal Vespers
Featured Homily 

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

In this morning's gospel, we learn a lesson that self-righteous people are seldom content merely to reflect on their own goodness. They need to be better than others. It's not enough just to contemplate their own spiritual and moral achievements. Their happiness isn't complete unless they can look down on everyone else, comparing their own exemplary righteousness with the inferior attempts of those below. It's not enough just to admire themselves in the mirror; they also have to say, "mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most holy one of all," and then imagine that they hear the Holy Spirit saying, "you are!" When you find a proud, self-righteous spirit, you will usually find a critical, judgmental spirit also.

 

Why? Because self-righteousness is relative; it needs something to compare itself to. None of us is absolutely righteous, none of us measures up to God's standard. We've all sinned, we've all fallen short. Deep down, we know that. If the requirement for acceptance by God is perfect holiness, we know we have no chance. So what do we do? We go for the next best thing, which is to convince ourselves that we're better than those other poor wretches. We may not be perfect, but at least we're better than they are! And in order to judge ourselves as relatively worthy, we have to judge others as relatively unworthy. That's why self-righteousness always goes hand-in-hand with a judgmental, critical attitude; because in order for me to be up, they have to be down. 

 

Spring 2014
Newsletter

Dear Friends, 
Back beginning in 1977 after Fr. James' and my ordination, I was periodically sent to the Holtz ranch, which served as a mission station, to say Mass. Abbot Parker filled this assignment as well - it was part of our work for St. Cecilia's parish in Tustin, where our community had provided Sunday help for Masses for years. Reading through Fr. Norbert's article on the history of the Holtz ranch, I am moved at the Providential connection between our community and the Holtz family and their land, come which I knew and some that was a revelation to me. 
 



ST. MICHAEL'S ABBEY
19292 El Toro Road
Silverado, CA 92676