Holy Week

Holy Week has always been a big deal for me. Even when I didn’t really know Christ growing up or in high school, I would get into this week. It’s hard not to get personally involved when you participate in some way in His Passion and Death. As I’ve explained this Lent, at every single Mass we participate in it. But, as a Church, when we walk through the days and hours of the actual events of our salvation, something happens to us.

If you’re wondering what Holy Week is or how you should approach it, it’s just that: walk with Jesus these days and even hours as we get to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Although we often have to get some things in order ourselves to do this (i.e., Confession), our focus is on Him and what He went through for us.

You don’t have to do everything this week, but it’s very spiritually advantageous to do as much as you can. It’s like watching a movie all the way through. There are some favorite parts, but you have to take it all in to fully appreciate it. I’ll try to write again before Holy Thursday, but one example of what I am saying is our “Christ in the garden” activity on Thursday night from 12 midnight - 2 am. All it is is trying to stay up with Christ the night before He died. And beating the Apostles who only made it an hour! But we focus on Him and His agony in the garden. Mother Teresa said it was His greatest pain because of the loneliness and rejection He was experiencing. That’s something with which most of us can identify. And, to relate to Christ in this way is often a game-changer in our relationship with Him. That’s why we participate in Holy Week.