CATHEDRAL OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Altoona, PA is a welcoming and compassionate community of believers striving to grow as God’s people.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we offer lifelong faith formation for children, youth, and adults; and we live out Christ’s invitation to serve our sisters and brothers.
We gather to worship in prayer and song and invite all to joyfully participate in word and sacrament, especially the Eucharist.
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE CITY OF ALTOONA, PA SINCE 1851.
DAILY MASSES
Monday-Saturday at 12:00 P.M.
WEEKEND MASSES
Vigil, Saturday at 5:00 P.M.
Sunday Masses at 8:00 A.M., 10:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.
Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church at 11:30 A.M.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.
Saturday at 12:30 P.M.
By appointment by calling or texting 814-937-8240
Lenten Communal Penance on Wednesday, March 20, at 6:00 P.M.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
The Fridays of Lent at 5:30 P.M.
SUNDAY EVENING PRAYER WITH BENEDICTION
Sundays During Lent at 6:30 P.M.
PALM SUNDAY
MARCH 24, 2024
GOSPEL MEDITATION
A few months before they married, my twenty-three-year-old sister and her fiancé planned a cross-country road trip to visit his family. My parents told them that they could only go if they slept in separate hotel rooms, offering to foot the bill. It might sound prudish, but my parents wanted the young couple to understand that their approaching unity was close, but not yet. Patience solidifies love.
What could this possibly have to do with Palm Sun-day? It’s usually overlooked, but the Gospels tell us that, after entering Jerusalem, Jesus “looked around … and since it was late, went out to Bethany with the twelve” (Mk 11:11) for the night. Who cares? Why include this detail? Jews in those days believed that the new Davidic King would one day re-enter and “marry” the city. A new future marked by fidelity would begin for God’s people. Israel’s God would be in union with His people forever. Without over-sexualizing the metaphor, perhaps Jesus refused to sleep in Jerusalem to remind us of his marital purpose. He was entering Jerusalem as the bridegroom-king. It was almost time, but not yet. Soon he will sleep in Jerusalem in the tomb and then something new will begin: his one body, his Church.
Lenten challenge: This Holy Week, I challenge you to keep this image in your mind all the way until Easter Sunday: Jesus is the faithful bridegroom who patiently prepares his bride for their new life together. Go to the Good Friday liturgy and kiss the cross. When you do, let that gesture be the long-awaited “I do” to our faithful God, who always waits for us.
– Father John Muir
A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE
The Passion of Jesus makes it clear, no one escapes suffering. Suffering is inevitable but no one should suffer alone. That is one of the primary roles of families, to stand with and support each other in suffering.
– Bud Ozar
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday – the beginning of our Holy Week. Our liturgy starts with the account of Jesus humbly entering into Jerusalem riding a donkey. People put cloaks and palm branches in His pathway crying, “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” It is with great joy that Christ was being honored as king, still in the same breath, we are filled with sorrow as we reflect on Christ’s passion and death. Thankfully, we know the glorious outcome of this painful journey. Today, as we read about the climax of Christ’s mission here on earth, we are reminded that He is the Perfect Steward, a model for us all on our stewardship journey.
Our First Reading, from the prophet Isaiah, portrays a suffering servant. The suffering servant, in may ways, foreshadows what Jesus endured during His passion – “I gave my back to those who beat me… my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” Christ endured such tortures, knowing that He did not deserve them, but still He humbly submitted to them.
As we embark on this Holy Week, let us take some time to reflect on the life of Christ as He is our model Steward, and may we strive to imitate Him daily.
– 2024 Catholic Stewardship Consultants
PRACTICING CATHOLIC – RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS
The Bible is a strange book.
It’s one of the only books that most people never read in its entirety, even those who claim it as one of their favorites. It’s also one of the only books that we feel comfortable chopping up and sectioning out.
There’s nothing wrong with that, really, until people start making wholesale judgments of divine revelation based on one tiny part of it. You can’t base your belief system on a few lines from Leviticus and ignore the Gospels, just like you can’t embrace the teachings of Jesus and ignore the Old Testament. You need to accept the whole story, in its entirety, or none of it means anything.
But it’s hard, because accepting the whole story means patience. It means critical thinking. It requires en durance. It’s easier just to throw a line from Leviticus at a problem and be done with it. Holy Week reminds us that salvation history is a tapestry, not a collection of threads. As beautiful as the individual stitches might be, you won’t appreciate the message unless you back up and look at the complete product. If we didn’t have the whole story, Holy Thursday and Good Friday would be neither holy nor good. And without Holy Week, Easter morning means nothing — it’s just a guy waking up.
How often in life do we find ourselves confused to the point of hopelessness, unable to make sense of it all? Overwhelmed by the pain and suffering that exists in this world, and for seemingly no reason. Some of us become so frustrated we throw up our hands and despair.
We need Easter. We need the whole story. We need to be patient.
“His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this for him.” — John 12:16