By Marta
LEAP OF FAITH- www.faithleap.org
God communicates with us in ways that we can understand. When we pray, He always answers and in His love He always comes to our aid. Holy Week is a reminder of how much God loves us. As we read in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus Christ came to save us. Alleluia! If that statement is breathtakingly beautiful and full of love; the one that follows in John 3:17 has a redeeming factor, full of forgiveness: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
As we gather in community to remember the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us realize that there is no shame in pain and as He laid down His life for us, we have to be ready to lay down our lives for Him.
The following is an excerpt of Father Weyer's, Letter from the Pastor. It encapsulates the beauty of Easter:
There is a strange legend of a monk who was walking in the monastery garden alone, thinking of the passion of our Lord, just before Holy Week. As he slowly paced along, he saw something lying in the path, and picked it up. It was the crown of thorns which our Lord had worn for our sakes, and he reverently carried it to the little chapel, and laid it upon the altar. Never had Holy Week been so well kept, for the sight of that crown of thorns made them realize the sufferings and the love of Jesus more than they had ever done before.
At last Easter Sunday dawned, and the monk rose early for his Easter preparations, and came to the chapel. As the sun shone through the window, it lighted up the altar, it touched the crown of thorns, and there in the Easter sunlight the thorns had blossomed into the most beautiful flowers. It is suffering and sacrifice which bring forth the most splendid fruits.
Holy Week has always touched my mind and heart since I was a child. The Stations of the Cross each week, the passion narratives which came alive in their proclamation, the Lord’s Supper, the Veneration of the Cross, Easter flowers and incenses can’t help but touch one’s soul. I think it’s God’s way of whispering something to each one of us this week. Something we need to hear or something we need to do. By Father John Weyer
From LETTER FROM THE PASTOR, Palm Sunday 2003, April 13, 2003
http://www.svdp-edu.org/parish/pastor/03/04_13_03.htm
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