Deacon Jeff's Reflection On Holy Weekand Honoring Jesus

Welcome to Holy Week, my friends. If there is a week to really, really focus on our faith, this is it.

First of all, why is this week so important? Well, if you believe in eternal life and Jesus is truly your Savior, this week is the reason God came to earth as man. Jesus came to take all of our sins and carry them to the Cross, suffering the most brutal death imaginable to show us the depth of his love for us.

To show your love for him, one of the best ways is to walk with him this week.

The three days leading up to Easter, called the Triduum, begin with Holy Thursday. In this Mass, we celebrate the Last Supper, where Jesus gave his Apostles (and us) the Eucharist and showed us how to care for each other by washing their feet, then goes to the Garden of Gethsemane where he prays as a human (Father, please take this cup away from me), and as God (not my will, but yours be done). We continue on Good Friday not with a Mass, but a service to commemorate Jesus’ incredible suffering before he is so brutally crucified – for every one of our sins. We remain vigilant, and on Holy Saturday at dusk, we celebrate his victory over death – his glorious resurrection. These three days are the most holy of our entire year, so I strongly encourage you to try to attend all three days. If not, do your best to come to any one of the Masses or the Good Friday service.

How else can you honor Jesus this week? Watch a movie on his life! There are so many to choose from, but I try to watch “The Passion of the Christ”, as painful as it is to watch, to feel in some small way what Jesus did for me. There are lots of books to choose from as well. I have, The Last Seven Words, by Fulton J. Sheen as just one of hundreds of books available.

Please take the time this week to remember Jesus’ love for you; then celebrate with your parish family on Easter Sunday!
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- Deacon Jeff

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