Preparing Our Hearts for Holy Week: A Journey of Love and Grace
As we are two weeks away from Holy Week, I would like to reflect with you on the great mysteries we are about to celebrate, so we may enter them with deeper understanding and devotion. Holy Week is the heart of our faith, where we walk with Jesus through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It is not just a remembrance of past events but an invitation to experience God’s love and mercy in a personal way.
Through prayer, reflection, and participation in the liturgies, we open our hearts to His grace and allow His sacrifice to transform us. Holy Week calls us to slow down and reflect, to rejoice with Jesus on Palm Sunday, share in His Last Supper on Holy Thursday, stand at the foot of His Cross on Good Friday, and wait in hope for His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The Holy Triduum: The Mystery of Our Salvation: The Sacred Paschal Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, a night of deep love and sacrifice.
Holy Thursday: The Night of Love and Service
On this night, Jesus shares the Last Supper with His disciples and gives us three great gifts:
✝️ The Eucharist – The Bread of Life
“This is My Body, given for you” (Luke 22:19).
Jesus offers Himself as the true Bread from Heaven, giving us His very Body and Blood. The Eucharist is more than a symbol—it is His real presence, nourishing and strengthening us.
✝️ The Priesthood – Shepherds of His Flock
“Do this in memory of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24).
Jesus entrusts His apostles with the priesthood, ensuring that the Eucharist will continue for generations. Let us pray for our priests, that they may be faithful and holy servants of Christ.
✝️ The Mandatum – The Call to Serve
“As I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:15).
Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, showing that true love is found in humble service. He calls us to love one another through kindness, forgiveness, and self-giving service.
Gethsemane: Keeping Watch with Christ
After the Last Supper, Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, knowing the suffering ahead. He asks His disciples:
“Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
Like the disciples, we often grow tired or distracted in prayer. Holy Thursday invites us to keep watch with Jesus, spending time in adoration, comforting His Sacred Heart, and drawing closer to Him in love.
A Call to Enter the Mystery
As we enter Holy Week, let us not let this sacred time pass without meaning.
Let us receive the Eucharist with renewed faith and love.
Let us pray for our priests, that they may be holy shepherds.
Let us serve with humility, following Christ’s example.
Let us keep watch with Jesus, remaining in prayer and trust.
May this Holy Thursday be a time of deep encounter with Christ, who gives everything for us. Let us walk with Him in love, so that we may share in the joy of His Resurrection