Holy Week Message
By: Father Jerry Orbos
WALK, DON'T RIDE
It is Holy Week. This week is the most important week for us Christians. In fact, it is more important than Christmas because if Christ did not suffer, die and rise again (Paschal Mystery), there would have been no salvation.
RELAX :
Many of us are overworked and overstressed. We need to rest our bodies and our minds so that we can "fine tune" with ourselves, with other people and with God.
Take a break. Take a walk. Commune with nature. Watch the sunset. Enjoy the moon. Close your cellular phone and your beeper and just allow yourself to be open to the Divine.
Let go. Let things be. God is in charge. Experience the resting power of sleep and rest. Smile at the sky. Walk the earth. Whistle a happy tune, or hum a favorite melody.
And just thank God you are still alive.
REFLECT :
Find time to relax so you can reflect. Don't end up just relaxing. Don't end up tired and empty because you were too busy to relax and thus found no time to slow down and reflect.
How long has it been now since you have been in this world? What have you done? You have work, but do you have a life? What is really important for you? What do you still want to do or accomplish? How is your family and relationships? And how are you relating with your God?
Is there an area in your life that needs to be healed? Is there excess luggage in your heart? How would you like to be remembered after you are gone?
Questions. Questions. Allow yourself to be questioned by life itself.
REPENT :
We all fall. We all have mistakes and weaknesses. Accept your limitations. Welcome to humanity! Be humble. Visit the "red light" district in the church and make a good confession.
Find time to say sorry to people you may have hurt or just taken for granted. Make time to visit, to write, to call, to text, to email anyone you need to say sorry to.
Is there one bad habit you need to give up? Is there one good habit you need to take up? This is the time for soul-searching. Promise yourself not to go back to the pit of selfishness and sin.
If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.
RENEW :
Take time to recharge and just be filled up. Renew your contact with God. Don't just sit in the comforts of your home and watch the services of the Holy Week. Make the sacrifice of participating in church. Show your gratitude to the Lord. Make that Bisita Iglesia, that Via Crucis, that Easter Vigil and do it all with gratitude and love.
Renew ties with your immediate family. Make yourself available and vulnerable to them. Tell them in so many ways that you really care. The world is not just you and your family. Reach out. Give and share. The time to give is always now and it is never too late, never too much. Make a generous donation. Go and visit a hospital, an orphanage, an old folk's home or a sick person.
It would be more wonderful if you can do all these with your family. Renew your contact with yourself. Go over old pictures, old letters and files and remember who you were and what you wanted to be. Clean your room and clean your heart of all the "could-have-beens" and "should-have-beens" and accept yourself.
Embrace yourself for what you are and what you still can be.
RESIGN :That's right, resign.
Resign …from places and people which and who do not bring out the best in you ...from vices and sins that are slowly but surely eating you up …from falsehood and pretenses.
Be true. Have substance. No more "japorms". No more "papogi". Just give your best and God will take care of the rest.
Resign to God's will and God's plan for you and you will have peace - that peace of Easter, that peace - which the world cannot give or take away.
Good luck, and all the best as you walk the Holy Week. The road that leads to true life is never easy, but the assurance is there:
It is a road that leads to life, and He, Himself is on the road with you - every step along the way.
A Moment With the Lord:
Lord, help me walk another mile, and help me smile another smile. Just one more smile as I walk the Holy Week with You. Amen.
May the Holy Week be for each of us a week of cleansing, a week of renewal and strengthening of our faith - with hope and with Love.
Advance Happy Easter!
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