Holy Weeks

Ever since my son, Steve, died in 2006, I have looked at Easter a little differently.

The first Holy Week after his death was hard, but after some reflection, it took on new meaning.

 As I thought about this Lenten period, I started with Palm Sunday—a day of celebration. We are on top of the world. We are triumphant and joyful.

Often our lives follow the pattern of Holy Week.

We have to go through the trials, the days of prayer and preparation, the Thursdays of betrayal and the washing of feet, the Fridays of death and the Saturdays where God seems silent.

We think the Sundays will never come, but they do! Praise God! There is new life—the power of resurrection to sustain us.

I am learning and making note of this process.

Life will have more triumphs, more times for fervent prayer, more trials, more suffering, more heartbreak, more betrayal, more death— but also more Sundays when Christ’s triumph over death leads us forward into new life.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for bringing us into your presence through your Son, Jesus Christ. As he taught us, we pray, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ Amen