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We’re here at the end of Lent, and perhaps Lent didn’t go quite the way we wanted.
Perhaps that prayer or fasting practice we chose at the beginning has fallen by the wayside, and we’re feeling like we “failed” at this whole Lent thing.
But even if we’re feeling a little discouraged or sheepish, we can hold on to hope knowing that Christ came to save us, whether or not we stuck to our Lent plans. Christ conquered! The battle is won! Easter is coming, no matter how “ready” we feel.
Our hope in Christ brings confidence and peace, and perhaps it also renews our desire to end Lent well.
As we think about how to get back on track for Holy Week, let’s consider what is the purpose of Lent itself. Besides being “a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter,” it’s a time when we are called to “a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.”
A conversion of heart. Following God’s will more faithfully. Let’s make these two things the foundation of our plan to live Holy Week well.
If we’re ready to take on Holy Week with a “We can still do this!” attitude, let’s ask ourselves the following questions.
1What brings me closer to God?
Let’s take a moment to think about what things in our lives help us feel closer to God, who is love.
Perhaps it’s setting aside a few minutes to pray in the morning while we drink our coffee; maybe it’s praying a decade of the Rosary at night with our spouse. Maybe we can spend an hour with Jesus in Adoration this week, attend Holy Week liturgies, read and talk about the Easter story with our children, or listen to a spiritual audiobook while we’re commuting.
Once we have thought about this question and found a sincere answer, we can move on to the next question.
2What small thing can I put in motion right now?
Now that we have an idea in our minds of something that can bring us closer to God this week, let’s pick one small step we can take to make it happen, so our noble intentions don’t come to nothing.
Maybe the step is something as simple as putting your rosary next to your bed, so you remember you want to pray before sleeping. Maybe it’s something that takes a little longer, like hunting in the basement for your family’s Easter picture books and children’s Bible. Or maybe it’s looking up liturgy times and adding reminders to your calendar so you remember to get to church for specific Holy Week services.
Walk with God, knowing he loves you
Ultimately, whatever we end up doing for Holy Week, let’s rest in the knowledge that God loves us more than we can imagine. Everything we do this week is firmly rooted in this loving friendship.
When we seek to live Holy Week well, it’s not because we want to cross off some checklist of religious practices, but because our love for Jesus means we want to walk beside Him during this hard and beautiful week when He fulfilled His mission on earth.
It’s our greatest honor to walk with Him through Palm Sunday’s parade, through the Last Supper and arrest on Holy Thursday, through the terrible suffering on Good Friday, and most of all through the unfathomable glory and mystery of the Resurrection.
However it went this year, there is something kind of comforting about knowing that we will never live Lent perfectly. We can’t live anything perfectly on this side of the veil.
What we can do is live it faithfully, walking closely with Christ through all the ups and downs we face. If we can do that, we will have lived Holy Week well, ending Lent with something of that “inner conversion” that draws us deeper into surrender to God’s loving will.
