Holy Week | Love in Action

by Thomas

Disciple of Christ | Son of the Church

A saint is a sinner who keeps trying.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá

Today is Palm Sunday. It marks the beginning of Holy Week. For Christians we are entering into the most important week of the year. As I enter into this holy week, I recognize I didn't have a very good Lent this year. I’ve missed Mass. I missed Mass again. Sadly, I just kept missing Mass. I haven’t been faithful to my Lenten commitment I promised I’d practice, and the one I said I’d give up. I did get to Confession on Ash Wednesday - a spiritual practice I've more regularly grown into. And I sure haven’t been faithful to my blog.

Then, today, I encountered this reminder from Fr. Sebastian White, O.P. He’s a Dominican (The Order of Preachers, which is the O.P. after his name). Famously, it’s the same religious order as St Thomas Aquinas and so many other well known Catholic saints. Fr. White is the editor of Magnificat magazine and he says, “Holy Week offers us a precious opportunity each year to unite ourselves more sincerely and intensely to the Passion and Resurrection of our Savior, so that his victory over death and sin may be more perfect within our own flesh.  It may not feel like much is happening. But I promise you: as you offer yourselves to the Lord this week with humility and trust, he, the Almighty, will do great things for you—as he did for Mary long ago when he gave her the privilege of being the Mother of the Savior, who appeared to the world as merely a carpenter’s son.”

For me, it was just the reminder I needed.

So how do we “offer” ourselves to the Lord? How do we do that? First, we must do so by prayer. And prayer doesn’t have to be anything formal or long or super serious. Prayer is placing yourself in the presence of God and inviting him to be close to you: “Lord, I love you. Please be with me today.” If that’s one prayer you say all day every day of your life, your relationship with God will improve and grow.

“Jesus, I trust in you.” These words of Saint Faustina are the essence of the Divine Mercy message. Let yourself say that out loud. Make it a daily practice.

“Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for the gift of life.” Before you get out of bed each morning, before you reach for your phone, before you do anything, make the sign of the cross and say these words of thanksgiving. These words of thanksgiving are a prayer. Say them as you begin each day. It’s letting God know how grateful you are for today and for the gift he gave you when you were created. In a remarkable moment, in a creative flash of light, you were conceived. That creative force, that love, is the same love God has for you; it is the same love which created the Universe… think about that.

I'm also reminded this Palm Sunday of three actions: Patience. Selfless service. Joy.

As we consider the days leading to Easter we see these words, these themes, these actions on display. Look for them in Jesus this week. Dive into the daily Mass readings and reflect on where you encounter patience, self-sacrifice, joy. Those are three things I need to work on. God willing, I'll have the chance to grow in such virtue today, tomorrow, and in the second half of my life.

Start today. Ask God to help you be more patient with others. Ask him to help you love others and love yourself better each day. Ask him to help you know what true love is and to find it someday, that you may sacrifice yourself for your loved ones. Ask Him what he wants from you. He will answer your prayers.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá, pray for us.

Peace be with you!