When people are working for peace, they often describe themselves as “bridge builders.”  It is an apt image for individuals who seek to connect those who had previously been separated. As it turns out, the Mass exists for the same purpose: it builds a bridge between humanity and God, between earth and heaven.

In the midst of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII wrote the often-missed apostolic constitution Veterum Sapientia (On the Promotion of the Study of Latin), reminding the Church of the many benefits of the language. Quoting Pius XI, he notes that Latin is beneficial because it is universal, immutable, and non-vernacular. Recently, I’ve become more convinced that Latin can be a unifying force in our universal Church by the witness of high schoolers.

I have been on both sides of the therapy office: the therapist and the patient. Years ago, before becoming a licensed therapist, I was the patient—a 22-year-old Philosophy major and a self-proclaimed Agnostic. At the time, I doubted that spirituality had anything to do with my problems or mental health. I now believe that spiritual practice and mental health are inextricably linked.  

On Good Friday, March 29, 2024, OLP will offer the Tenebrae Liturgy at 7 pm. The liturgy is named for the scripture passage from Matthew 27:45: “Tenebrae Facte Sunt,” or “shadows fell.”  In the scriptures, this is a period of Jesus’ most intense suffering from noon to 3 pm when darkness covers the land and Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”