the week
"What are we to do?" —John 11:47
A week from today will be the Easter Vigil, the greatest celebration of the year. We prepare for this earth-shaking, life-changing experience of the living God by a holy week — a week set apart for the Lord unlike any other week.
Today we stand at the threshold of Palm Sunday. We are about to step into the life of Christ and walk with Him the path of Calvary and Resurrection. Limit your activities for Holy Week and Easter Week. Cancel or postpone anything you can. Give yourself a lot of prime time with the crucified and risen Lord.
"Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) Don't be afraid to accept "Holy Week" and walk the way of the cross with Jesus. Even if the Lord intends to make sweeping changes in your life or the world threatens to persecute you, don't be afraid of Holy Week. In the next week, the Lord will move in power, and Easter will be nothing less than resurrection for a dead world. Don't miss out on it.
Be willing to suffer with Jesus rather than live without Him. Choose with Mary to be "near the cross" — no matter what (Jn 19:25).
Prayer: Father, in the next two weeks, may I expect You to do more than I have ever asked or imagined (Eph 3:20).
Promise: "I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them." —Ez 37:26
Praise: St. Isidore of Seville's two brothers, Sts. Leander and Fulgentius, and his sister, St. Florentina, all became canonized saints. Praise You, Father, for raising up holy families.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape on Developing A Deep Personal Relationship with Jesus on audio AV 52-1 or video V-52.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 3, 2008
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