Holy Week - Are you ready?

May the peace of Christ descend upon you!

Can you believe it? Can you believe that tomorrow we enter into the holiest of weeks? Are you ready?

Perhaps you have been so busy that Lent has just “passed you by” and now it is Palm Sunday. Perhaps you anticipate this week with great awe. Perhaps you are fighting the temptation to think you just failed all of Lent with your resolutions, so why try now.

I write at this time to encourage you to begin again. Regardless of what your Lent experience has been thus far, Jesus is inviting you to accompany Him this week. If you are discouraged, remember, resolutions not fulfilled remind us that we are indeed weak and need Jesus. We need Him. I need Him. I need His grace to respond in charity. I need His mercy so to give mercy to my neighbor, my Sister, my friend. I need His love to restore my dignity. Jesus invites you and me to be with Him these days. He wants to show you and me the depth of His love. It is a mystery. A profound mystery. Are you open? Are you ready to receive and be overwhelmed by such a love as His? Ask His Mother, your Mother, Mary to lead you to her Son. Be not afraid to enter into the mystery of love this week.

You are chosen by the Father, loved so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for love of you. He wants you to be with Him. Jesus wants to give you so much: everything! He pours Himself out for you! Ask for the grace you need to enter into this week. Be surprised by the working of the Holy Spirit in your mind, heart and soul. Allow yourself to surrender, to trust in a love that is beyond words. Simply look and gaze upon the One who loves you. Allow His gaze to rest upon you. Let Jesus transform you and set you free.

Walk with Jesus through the crowds tomorrow as He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Remain with Him as He anticipates what is to come. Listen to Him as He speaks of Love on Holy Thursday and gives you the Bread of Life. Console Jesus in His agony while saying yes to the Father’s cup given to Him to drink. Walk with Him on the Way to Calvary. With Mary, gaze upon Him hanging on the Cross. Be silent as Jesus is taken down and placed in the tomb. Persevere in waiting on Holy Saturday. Rejoice with gratitude at the gift of Redemption on Easter morning at the empty tomb. LOVE is Victorious!

There is much grace for YOU these days. Now is the time. Now is the time to respond! Let us pray for each other.

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