Sunday, April 09, 2006

† Holy Week 2006 †

This is Holy Week. Image hosting by Photobucket

Listening to Father Benedict Grochel on EWTN today reminded me of some ways to focus our thoughts this week. We should resolve to redouble our efforts to live out our Lenten spirituality. Go to Mass as often as possible and confession if you have not been already during the season.

Turn off the television this week. Make a point to only watch those things which directly relate to this holy season. Get a copy of The Passion of the Christ, or Jesus of Nazareth and watch it prayerfully.

Try your best to clear your calendar of extraneous commitments, especially on Good Friday. While not a holy day of "obligation", it is a very solemn day in the Christian calendar in which to set aside to remember Christ's sacrifice.

Take part in the Easter Triduum. Attend Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday Services and the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday Mass.

Make a point to read one of the Passion accounts in the New Testament and to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary at the 3:00 hour on Good Friday. If possible, set aside the time from 12 noon to 3:00 on Good Friday, and commemorate the death of Our Lord on the cross in your own quiet and contemplative way.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it. Somehow I scheduled my daughter's yearly physical for Friday. It's at 1:00, so we should be done by 3:00. Perhaps I will walk down to the river at 3:00 for some quiet time. Easter has really snuck up on me this year! We're going to my sister's for Easter. Are you doing anything special?

Matthew said...

Thanks for these suggestions. I posted mine at my blog, and we certainly have a lot of similarities.

Have a blessed week!

Staying in Balance said...

Hi, Lifeisgreat! Yeah, Easter has a way of doing that--sneaking up on you! We're doing the vigil Mass up here and I'll be making my Easter bread for the dh. Nothing else special.

Moneybags,

I noticed our posts were somewhat similar. Should I say great minds think alike? :)

Matthew said...

Great minds do think alike :)

I'd agree!

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"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark

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