No Greater Love

Brothers, as we enter into this Holy Week, I want to first express my sincere gratitude to all who participated in the men’s Lenten mission. I entered into that mission with considerable doubt in my own abilities, failing to fully trust in God’s plan. Yet, with submission and the Lord’s grace, hearts were moved. It was a truly humbling experience to witness so many men willing to be vulnerable, to share their lives openly, and to boldly live out their faith. This was a powerful testament to the work God is doing among us, and it was definitely a transformative experience for me, as I hope it was for you. A sincere thanks also to my brothers in Christ, our Priests, and our church staff who made this possible. This serves as an encouragement as we now turn our hearts toward the culmination of Lent and the mysteries of Holy Week.

Before us now is Holy Week, the summit of the liturgical year, the most sacred time in the Church’s calendar. Lent is drawing to a close, its forty days of preparation culminating in this intense and transformative week. Our hearts are called to turn with heightened focus, with a sense of awe and reverence, toward the profound events that are about to unfold – the Paschal Mystery of our Lord: His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Lent has been a journey of spiritual discipline, a time of stripping away the inessentials to make room for the essential. We have been invited to embark on a pilgrimage within, to examine our souls, to identify the distractions that persistently pull us away from God’s presence, and to embrace those practices and disciplines that draw us closer to Him. We have prayerfully considered: What sacrifices are we being asked to make? What new rhythms of prayer might we establish to cultivate a deeper relationship with the Lord?

Hopefully, in these past weeks, we have experienced God’s voice and his grace in our spiritual lives. When we intentionally carve out space for the Lord amidst the noise of our daily routines, when we prioritize prayer and silence, He faithfully meets us in that sacred space. Perhaps we’ve witnessed growth in areas where we long struggled – in self-control, in patience with those closest to us, in the capacity to love more generously, in the ability to forgive more freely. Perhaps we’ve cultivated a keener awareness of God’s presence woven into the fabric of our ordinary lives.

And now, as we enter into the intensity of Holy Week. This is not a time for passive observation or for remaining on the periphery of these sacred mysteries. We are called to active participation, to a conscious and deliberate immersion into the very heart of Christ’s Paschal Triduum.

Think of the abundance of grace that awaits us: the humility and selfless service of the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday, the institution of the Eucharist – Christ’s very self given to us as food and drink – the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus wrestled with the will of the Father, the betrayal and unjust arrest, the abandonment by those who should have stood by Him, the injustice of the trial before Pilate, the brutality of the scourging, the mockery and humiliation, the crushing weight of the cross as He walked the Via Dolorosa.

These are not easy realities to confront. Our natural human inclination is to recoil from suffering, to avoid pain, to seek comfort and ease. But in the Christian life, we are called to “Man up” and “Drink Our Cup” – to courageously walk with Christ through the depths of His Passion, to enter into solidarity with His suffering, so that we may more fully and completely share in the surpassing joy and transformative power of His Resurrection.

As we prepare to celebrate the triumph of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday, let us never forget that the glory of the Resurrection cannot be separated from the sacrifice of the cross. The joy of Easter is rendered all the more profound, all the more meaningful, by the immeasurable depth of Christ’s suffering endured for OUR salvation.

So, brothers, how do we intentionally and wholeheartedly enter into this Holy Week? What posture of heart and mind do we adopt as we approach the sacred mysteries of the Triduum?

Do we allow the relentless busyness of the week, the endless to-do lists and distractions, to crowd out the sacredness of these holy days?

Do we remain passive observers of the unfolding drama, or do we actively and consciously participate in the rich liturgies and ancient devotions of the Church?

Do we close ourselves off in fear or indifference, or do we open our hearts in vulnerability and trust, allowing ourselves to be deeply moved by the immeasurable love and self-sacrificial offering of our Lord?

This week, we are invited to walk in the footsteps of Christ. We are invited to contemplate the mystery of the One who, though being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

Brothers, this is our sacred opportunity to draw closer to the very heart of God, to encounter His unfathomable love, and to be transformed by His grace. May we rely on His strength to guide us faithfully through this Holy Week and into the Easter season, to open our eyes to the wonder of His saving work, and to mold us ever more into the likeness of His Son.

Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori

Brandon Allemand, Faith Director

Recommended Resources:

Books

What Matters Most and Why by Jim Manney (daily Ignation reflections)

Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

Can You Drink the Cup? by Henri Nouwen

The Case for Jesus by Dr. Brandt Pitre

Introduction to the Spiritual Life by Dr. Brandt Pitre

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brandt Pitre

God’s Voice Within by Fr. Mark Thibodeaux, S.J.

Personal Prayer by Fr. Thomas Acklin and Fr. Boniface Hicks