Holy Week at Work
We posted a thought from Father Edward Leen on Passion Sunday that should help keep us on point during Holy Week - even at work.
Of course, our work won't necessarily "recognize" the fact that its Holy Week. Companies go about their business despite these special sacred days. So it's up to us to somehow be mindful of what's going on despite the demands of the day.
If we only intensify our desire to do our best, with a simple nod or two to Our Lord's Passion and Death, throughout this Holy Week, that could suffice. If we can do more - attend Mass, take extra time to pray and meditate on the mysteries of His Passion, participate in Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday service, etc. - that would be even better. Whatever you can do, if you do it sincerely and with love, Our Blessed Lord, who gave Himself up to death for you and me, will understand and appreciate it.
To help sustain our Lenten discipline at work, we continue our journey with Our Lord during Lent, posting the Stations of the Cross, one at a time, using St. Alphonsus Liguori as our guide. (Click HERE for a complete pdf of St. Alphonsus's version of the Stations of the Cross.)
Station 13: Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
St. Alphonsus writes:
Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom.
O Mother of sorrow, for the love of this Son, accept me for thy servant, and pray to Him for me. And Thou, my Redeemer, since Thou hast died for me, permit me to love Thee; for I wish but Thee, and nothing more. I love Thee, my Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.
Relating this to our work day:
If the distractions of our work days this week really impinge on our ability to keep Holy Week special, perhaps we could think of the tender compassion of Joseph and Nicodemus as they carefully removed Our Lord's Sacred Body from the Cross and presented it to Our Lady. Then we might spend a moment or two in silent witness to her intense sorrow as she holds His lifeless Body in her arms. And, if we can, consider a simple prayer of devotion to our Mother that recalls her "Yes" to the Angel Gabriel, her loving solicitude raising Jesus from infancy to manhood, her witness to His public ministry, and this, her final, crushing sadness, having just witnessed His terrible suffering, hearing His final words, feeling His last breath, and watching the blood and water flow as the lance pierced His side. Just these simple, brief moments of meditation could redirect our hearts to this most important sacred time of Holy Week, no matter how busy we might be.
We conclude today's thoughts with the simple, moving exhortation with which St. Alphonsus Liguori approaches each Station of the Cross:
Of course, our work won't necessarily "recognize" the fact that its Holy Week. Companies go about their business despite these special sacred days. So it's up to us to somehow be mindful of what's going on despite the demands of the day.
If we only intensify our desire to do our best, with a simple nod or two to Our Lord's Passion and Death, throughout this Holy Week, that could suffice. If we can do more - attend Mass, take extra time to pray and meditate on the mysteries of His Passion, participate in Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday service, etc. - that would be even better. Whatever you can do, if you do it sincerely and with love, Our Blessed Lord, who gave Himself up to death for you and me, will understand and appreciate it.
To help sustain our Lenten discipline at work, we continue our journey with Our Lord during Lent, posting the Stations of the Cross, one at a time, using St. Alphonsus Liguori as our guide. (Click HERE for a complete pdf of St. Alphonsus's version of the Stations of the Cross.)
Station 13: Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
St. Alphonsus writes:
Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom.
O Mother of sorrow, for the love of this Son, accept me for thy servant, and pray to Him for me. And Thou, my Redeemer, since Thou hast died for me, permit me to love Thee; for I wish but Thee, and nothing more. I love Thee, my Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.
Relating this to our work day:
If the distractions of our work days this week really impinge on our ability to keep Holy Week special, perhaps we could think of the tender compassion of Joseph and Nicodemus as they carefully removed Our Lord's Sacred Body from the Cross and presented it to Our Lady. Then we might spend a moment or two in silent witness to her intense sorrow as she holds His lifeless Body in her arms. And, if we can, consider a simple prayer of devotion to our Mother that recalls her "Yes" to the Angel Gabriel, her loving solicitude raising Jesus from infancy to manhood, her witness to His public ministry, and this, her final, crushing sadness, having just witnessed His terrible suffering, hearing His final words, feeling His last breath, and watching the blood and water flow as the lance pierced His side. Just these simple, brief moments of meditation could redirect our hearts to this most important sacred time of Holy Week, no matter how busy we might be.
We conclude today's thoughts with the simple, moving exhortation with which St. Alphonsus Liguori approaches each Station of the Cross:
We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou has redeemed the world.
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