Holy Week Begins

Today, the children wave the palm branches and the music is magnificent, but the grim reality of Holy Week is lurking in the recesses of our minds. Although we look forward to Easter, there is hesitancy on our part to enter into this time of suffering and death that is the necessary prelude. In this dark and difficult time, we seek to participate more fully in the unfolding story of Christ’s redemptive act of love. Walking in the way of the cross calls us to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It also means that we need to suffer death before resurrection can occur. This is part of the pilgrim journey for us this Holy Week. Like Jesus, we give ourselves up to death, so that we, too, can be resurrected. We die to sin, to selfish ways, to all that has held us captive. We let go of our need to control, of our anger and our envy, of our love of power, status, and wealth. May God’s grace and mercy guide and direct us during this Holy Week so that we can declare with certainty on this coming Sunday that we are an Easter people.