A Prayer for When You Can't Forgive + Helpful Clarifications about Forgiveness from A Catholic Perspective
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PART ONE: WHY IS HOLY WEEK CALLED “HOLY”
Holy Week, the most important week in the liturgical year, begins with Palm Sunday and culminates on Easter Sunday, eight days later. But why is it called “holy”?
It is called “HOLY” because the entire Church commemorates the summit of our Lord’s patience and self-sacrificial, immense love for humanity - a love that holds nothing back; is willing to suffer unto “death, death on the Cross” in order to save us from our sins; and a love which knows no bounds, which conquers Satan and death itself with His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
The following is what happens during each day of the week based on the Gospel accounts:
Palm Sunday: Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem accompanied by shouts of praise from the fickle crowd who will shout “crucify him!” on Friday. Why were they so superficial?
Holy Monday: Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was. Mary anoints Jesus with perfume. Judas is scandalized and leaves. The Jewish leaders planned to kill Lazarus too because so many Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him. How did Judas get to this point? Why did Mary's act of love bother him so much? How can we show our love for our Lord today with acts of love as Mary did with the perfume? How can we spread the fragrance of love everywhere we go today?
Holy Tuesday: Jesus predicts Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s triple denial. Where are we betraying Jesus?
Holy Wednesday: Judas made a deal with the chief priests to deliver Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver. The betrayal is initiated and will culminate in Jesus’ arrest after the Last Supper on Thursday.
Maundy or Holy Thursday:
Good Friday: The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Holy or Black Saturday: Contemplation of Jesus in the tomb in silence and adoration
Easter Sunday: Jesus resurrects from the dead and triumphs over sin, death, evil, and the devil.
Let us thank God not only with sentiments and words, but also with actions, taking advantage of Holy Week to grow in self-sacrificing love for Him, for His Church and for all souls.
Part Two offers some suggestions on how to do this.
PART TWO: HOW CAN WE LIVE THE HOLY WEEK IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY?
The answer is in the question itself: LIVE THE HOLY WEEK IN A HOLY MANNER.
As we live Holy Week and celebrate the amazing and merciful Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ shown through His Passion, Death and Resurrection, we desire to use these days to live it in the best way possible in order to prove our love for Our Savior.
The Office of Readings for Palm Sunday gives us guidance on this. From a sermon by Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel
Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. Today he returns from Bethany and proceeds of his own free will toward his holy and blessed passion, to consummate the mystery of our salvation. He who came down from heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us with himself, we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named, now comes of his own free will to make his journey to Jerusalem...Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us...So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves be the garments that we spread before him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away in the saving waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us present the conqueror of death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of his victory. Let our souls take the place of the welcoming branches as we join today in the children's holy song: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel.
Let us prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Here are eleven action steps that we can take to prove our love for him this week:
I am a daughter of the Most High and of His Catholic Church. I introduce myself that way because I am so grateful for that! I have been married to Dan for 36 years and we have three young adult children - Brett, Nicole and Eryn - and three grandchildren - Cash, Bowie and Indy. I was employed as the Adult Faith Formation Coordinator at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City, Georgia for 14 years from December of 2008 to January of 2023. I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Catholic Distance University and a certificate as a Catholic Spiritual Mentor from the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program.
I left fulltime ministry in the parish to concentrate on organizing events. I would like to extend my outreach to other parishes and organizations who would like to host a wonderful Adult Faith formation event but might not have the experience or confidence to do that on their own. I offer various services including but not limited to (fees are charged hourly for most services):
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