Father Michael's Weekly Reflection

"He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." (Jn. 13:1)

Today is Holy Thursday. This evening we begin the Sacred Triduum or the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. The Passion is a compendium of the entire Gospel.  The drama is unimaginable yet it is historical. The liturgical celebrations are not reenactments but rather make the mysteries present to us today.  We are all protagonists in what we witness.  If we are open to God's grace, these days can propel us forward in our spiritual lives to increased intimacy with Christ.

As we have heard in the Rescue Series, the bad is very bad but the good is very good. For Christ, everything was sought out and desired.  The cross is only the means to the Resurrection.  If we have died with him, we also will live with him.  The power of the Resurrection is available to those who believe and live by grace.  In the  Easter Vigil, our candles are lit from the Paschal Candle. We see in a visible way how Christ the light dispels the darkness of fear and doubt.  We no longer need to be afraid, he has made all things new.

Questions for Reflection: 

• Do I unite my sufferings to Christ? 
• Like Simon of Cyrene, do I help Jesus carry his cross making up in my body what's lacking in the suffering of his Mystical Body? 
• Have I experienced the power of Christ's Resurrection in my life?
• Do I still live with fear despite being a child of God?