For the past decade and a half or so, one side of my family has had a big party on Good Friday. The reason for it is, that two of my aunts and their families come in from way out of town that one time a year, and it’s the only event that my aunts and uncles all see each other. I guess the rarity of their togetherness makes a party on Good Friday evening seem like a good idea, but honestly, I’ve always found it disturbing – not just as a priest, but as a Catholic. In a little over a week the Church begins its annual celebration of Holy Week. Holy Week, and especially the sacred days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday is the high-point of the Christian year. How we celebrate them is important to our relationship with God and each other.
One common thought that often gets expressed is that those celebrations are always soooo long. The sentiment being, make your plans to be somewhere, anywhere, else than at church on those daysJ… Now, that thought is understandable if you’re ten-years-old, but not so much for adult Christian men and women. By its nature, Christianity is an adult faith. One thing that means is that our participation in it isn’t supposed to be based upon how it makes us feel, how entertaining it is, or what we get out of it. Instead, worship is meant to honor God, period. It’s the way we say “thank you” for the gifts of our life, family, and other blessings, and ultimately for our salvation, made possible by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Because God is never outdone in generosity, our very act of worship is also the very means by which God gives us Himself for the sustenance of our souls as we journey toward heaven. The question I’d propose is: can the days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil be a time that we really consider the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice rather than putting all the other activities of life ahead of it? To that end, please consider attending at least one (or hopefully all) of the high holy days of our Catholic faith. Please consider making those days a centerpiece of the entire week. Please consider coming to welcome our six catechumens and candidates into our faith community at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. All of Holy Week is a sacred moment when Catholics have the opportunity to say thank you to God and to renew their love of Him who loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our salvation.
Have a blessed week!
