According to the Christian liturgical calendar - beginning this Sunday, the holiest week of the year begins. This week we commemorate the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. This is important when you consider that a little less than half of each of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) is focused on this 7 day period. We often are too busy with life in general to slow down and appreciate the sacredness of this time. Yet we need to wake up to the last week of Jesus life; we need to alter our lives and enter this time we remember and celebrate the events which are the culmination of Salvation history.

Don’t allow yourself to go from the revelry of Palm Sunday to the celebration of Easter - with little thought of how you have arrived here!

Slow down this week and rather than “do life as usual” [or be surprised by - “man, Easter already?”] take each day in this week and enter into it one day at a time. Maybe you could take time to slowly read the Gospel accounts; a bit each day:

Sun - John 11:45-57 & Mark 11:1-11
Mon - John 12:1-11 & Mark 14:3-9
Tue - Psalm 71:1-14 & John 12:20-36
Wed - Psalm 70 & John 13:21-35
Thu - Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 & John 13:1-17 & 31-35
Fri - Psalm 22 & John 18:1-19:42
Sat - Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 & Matthew 27:57-66
Sun - Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 & John 20:1-18 & Luke 24:1-12

As you read - take enough time to hear the Living Word (is there an issue God might be pointing out or an invitation to respond too?). As you read - take time to reflect on your own life in light of these events (if you looked at your life from the perspective of Jesus - what might you see?). As you read - find a phrase or word that you can “take with you” as a prayer for the remainder of the day.

Enter this holiest of weeks and walk again with Jesus, one day at a time.

NOTE - Artwork by Father Michael Obrien