Today, we begin the most important week of the Christian calendar – Holy Week. But do your actions this week communicate to the world that this week is truly holy for you?
Recently, Cardinal Dolan lamented the fact that Catholic Christians do not seem to pay attention to the importance of the public witness they are called to give their faith. He commented on the fact that Muslims are not ashamed to stop their work to observe their daily ritual of prayer. He recalled how an extraordinarily talented Jewish baseball player, Sandy Koufax, chose not to play in the first game of the 1965 World Series because that day was Yom Kippur – the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar. How do we, as Catholic Christians, communicate to the world the importance of our faith especially in this time of Lent? Have you abstained from meat on Fridays? Have you maintained a practice of personal discipline – not eating candy or not drinking beer or alcohol? Have you tried to be more patient with your spouse and your children? Have you tried to stop using inappropriate language at home and at work? Has there been some effort this Lent to give witness to the importance of your faith?
As we begin Holy Week, how will you make this week holy? Will you gather with your family for prayer every evening? Will you refrain from fights with your spouse and your children? Will you leave work early on Thursday so that you can attend Mass on Holy Thursday? Will you not work on Good Friday? If you must work because of your financial situation, will you leave work early to attend Good Friday services? On Holy Saturday, will you spend the entire day working, or preparing the Easter feast, or will you spend some quiet time with your family in which each family member expresses his/her gratitude to God for the gift of Jesus – whose death and resurrection gives us the hope of everlasting life? What will you do to make this week holy? How will you live differently in order to make this week different from other weeks?
What a great gift we offer ourselves and our world, if we make this week truly holy!
Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.