Gospel Commentary: Let This Week Be Holy

By Fr. Jack Peterson
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 4/1/04)

Palm Sunday begins the most important week of the year for Christians around the world. We are plunged into the central mystery of our faith — the Paschal mystery. Everything Jesus said and did for 33 years pointed to this week and drew its ultimate meaning from this week. Every healing, every sermon, every miracle and every act of loving service finds its ultimate meaning in the events that unfold this week. Holy Week should be different from every other week in our year, and it should subsequently have the power to transform our lives so that we are more Christ-like during every week of the year.

The reading of the Passion narrative from Matthew is long and overwhelming. It is impossible to fully comprehend it, period. Let alone to take it all in during a 15-minute reading at Mass. We should try to use the whole week to meditate on these mysteries. Again, this is the pinnacle of our faith. Read, reread, meditate and cry over these readings this week in the solitude of your bedroom, with your family after dinner, or on your knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Are you looking for some ideas on how to do this meditation? If you have seen Mel Gibson’s film, "The Passion of the Christ," you will have some extra food for reflection this week. One of the highlights of that movie for me was the way in which Gibson developed Jesus’ relationship with Mary. It was very well done. With that in mind, I encourage you to consider prayerfully walking through the story of Jesus’ Passion with Mary in mind. Try to imagine what she was experiencing, how she reacted to all that Jesus went through. Another way to meditate is to read through the story and pick out all the lines that speak of Jesus’ suffering, like "My heart is nearly broken with sorrow," and "They also spat on him." Then go back and sit with them and allow them to sink into your heart. There are many ways to plumb the depths of God’s love and the mystery of our redemption through meditating on the Paschal mystery. The most important thing is to take the time to do it and to ask God to enlighten you as you do so.

Please do not let the secular world rob you of the graces of this week. In days gone by, even here in the U.S., people had time off from work, kids had time off from school, and the world slowed down. It was easier on a certain level to make this week holy. Now, it clearly has to be a personal commitment that each one of us makes. We have to choose to pause from our normal, busy routine and to give this week to God. We have to choose to pray, to meditate upon what Christ did for us, and to go to church for the beautiful liturgies that the Church celebrates for us. Let this week be holy.

Copyright ©2004 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.