A year ago in 2020 we were in lockdown mode and were unable to attend Holy Week services—something we could never have imagined. This year we are in a better place with not only on-line liturgies, but now we have the opportunity to attend church in person with some restrictions. We are also in a safer place with the number of those vaccinated expanding rapidly. As Catholics we are a sacramental church and we thrive on tangible things: bread, wine, oil, words, gestures, images, etc. It is a great comfort to return to the objects of our faith and be strengthened by them and the presence of one another. The dark winter of the pandemic is beginning to give way to a spring of greater connection and a more consistent practice of our faith.
The Opening Prayer for Monday of Holy Week reads, “Almighty God, grant that, though in our weakness we fail, we may be revived through the Passion of Our Lord.” The penitential season of Lent is an acknowledgement of our failing to live up to our Christian calling. We are made aware of weakness, and even our attempts at doing something extra for Lent may fall short. Add to this the burden of living through a long pandemic, and we may find ourselves simply worn out or spiritually depleted. In that respect the opening prayer speaks of being “revived” through the Passion of Our Lord. It seems the right word because we do need to be revived, to be uplifted by these sacred days in which we rediscover the dying and rising of Jesus, a foretaste of our own death and resurrection.
Easter of 2021 may have a meaning and significance unlike any other. It is above all a celebration of God’s victory over sin and death. This year we have witnessed a great deal of suffering and death through the pandemic, but we know that In Jesus his suffering has become the means of our salvation and his victory over death assures us of life eternal. No disease, no virus can take that from us. That’s what Easter is here to remind us about.
We usually think of Lent as a time when we do something extra or make some kind of sacrifice. But here is a resolution for the Easter Season: invite someone you know or care about to come back to church with you. Any number of people may have gotten out of the habit of going to church. The routine has been broken through the pandemic or perhaps the practice was never there in the first place. Nothing compares to that personal invitation. It is not a command but rather an invitation. And the wording is important. For example, “I would love to have you come to church with me. I miss having you there.” What might give added weight to your invitation is the simple fact that you are a Vincentian and a practicing Catholic.
With all that’s going on in our lives there seems to be a greater need than ever for some kind of spiritual grounding, a time to focus and get our bearings. The Sunday liturgy at any given parish is not a perfect solution, but it offers us some contact with the divine dimension of our lives and provides our souls with some nourishment—food for the journey. And bringing along someone with you, especially at Easter and beyond, might be a gift that person will truly appreciate.
