Holy Thursday Working from Home
So many of us who still have our jobs are working from home. Maybe our kids are with us doing their schoolwork from home. If you've got a spouse that works, maybe she's working from home too.
Others aren't working right now because of this Coronavirus mess. Whatever state you're in, it's Holy Thursday. Strange, though, since so few of us - if any of us - will be able to get to Mass today. It'll be even stranger when we can't attend Mass on Easter.
Nevertheless, it's still Holy Thursday. and in the midst of whatever situation we're in, we can all still recollect ourselves from time to time to remember what's coming up in just a few hours: Good Friday.
We might remind ourselves that Our Lord's Passion begins tonight with the Agony in the Garden. Were we able to attend Holy Thursday Mass, we'd be observing the custom of reserving the Blessed Sacrament at some place of honor - typically a side altar. That reminds us of Our Lord in the Garden. But even if we're not at Mass, we can still think about this. It provides us with an opportunity to spend a few moments with Him as He enters into His Agony. Recall that the side altar would typically be decorated with candles and flowers as a reminder of the Garden of Gethsemane.
When I commuted to work, I used to struggle with keeping myself recollected on Holy Thursday. Now that I'm working from home, it's still a struggle. The day can easily fly by without even a glancing thought of Our Lord, the Last Supper, His looming Passion and Death. I've struggled with this my whole life. Sure, it's gotten better. But it's not quite "there" yet.
Then again, many work days pass with hardly a nod to God. But I keep at it. Holy Week's the perfect time to really keep at it, of course. Let's all do that on this Holy Thursday, wherever we are, whatever our work situation might be. Agreed? Isn't this the least we can do for Our Lord?
With that in hand, perhaps we can now consider going an extra mile. After all, Our Lord walked the Via Dolorosa for us. We all know the state of His Body as He put one foot in front of the other, so that He could offer the supreme sacrifice for each and every on of us. Surely we can push ourselves a bit more on this Holy Thursday.
In that spirit, here's something we posted last year on Holy Thursday that offers us questions we might consider as we approach Good Friday. Maybe we can focus on one of these as we take a breather from our labors. We all take breaks from time to time to re-energize. And it only takes a brief moment or two try to answer one or more of these questions, related to the Cross:
The Cross throws light upon every essential question that confronts us. It is the interpretation of all things: How do I partake of the Redemption? Why do the innocent suffer? Why do I have to suffer? How do I profit by suffering? How should I view the goods of this earth? How should I view the evil in the world? What is sin? Does it really offend God? What effect does sin have upon the sinner? How do I fit prayer and penance into my life? Why do I have to do penance? How do I make my life worthwhile in the eyes of God? What is the meaning and purpose of life? How do I maintain peace of soul amidst the trials and temptations of life? What is peace? What is true love?
Here's a stab at "How do I fit prayer and penance into my life?":
Lent afforded us the chance to do this in special ways, even when we were working. Did we? Were there moments, even during the busiest days, where we paused, recollected ourselves and uttered a prayer - either of thanksgiving, intercession, petition? Did we practice mortification at times during the day - denying ourselves legitimate pleasures in reparation for sin? Each of us should be able to answer this question quickly and simply. Our answers will naturally reference the Cross, if we're thinking with basic Catholic sensibility.
While many of those questions can be a bit intimidating, especially to those of us who haven't spent a lot of time studying philosophy or theology, they shouldn't be. Look at them in the light of the Cross. That allows even the most unschooled of us to meditate meaningfully on such important and profound subjects. Our Catholic Faith doesn't depend on our knowledge of theology or philosophy. And our Catholic religion can be understood without formal training in these disciplines.
Today, surrounded by the special graces Holy Thursday brings, we can enter more deeply into those truths of our Holy Religion. By recollecting ourselves we can strengthen our faith. Let's seize these precious moments, even in the midst of this crazy C-virus world of ours.
Others aren't working right now because of this Coronavirus mess. Whatever state you're in, it's Holy Thursday. Strange, though, since so few of us - if any of us - will be able to get to Mass today. It'll be even stranger when we can't attend Mass on Easter.
Nevertheless, it's still Holy Thursday. and in the midst of whatever situation we're in, we can all still recollect ourselves from time to time to remember what's coming up in just a few hours: Good Friday.
We might remind ourselves that Our Lord's Passion begins tonight with the Agony in the Garden. Were we able to attend Holy Thursday Mass, we'd be observing the custom of reserving the Blessed Sacrament at some place of honor - typically a side altar. That reminds us of Our Lord in the Garden. But even if we're not at Mass, we can still think about this. It provides us with an opportunity to spend a few moments with Him as He enters into His Agony. Recall that the side altar would typically be decorated with candles and flowers as a reminder of the Garden of Gethsemane.
When I commuted to work, I used to struggle with keeping myself recollected on Holy Thursday. Now that I'm working from home, it's still a struggle. The day can easily fly by without even a glancing thought of Our Lord, the Last Supper, His looming Passion and Death. I've struggled with this my whole life. Sure, it's gotten better. But it's not quite "there" yet.
Then again, many work days pass with hardly a nod to God. But I keep at it. Holy Week's the perfect time to really keep at it, of course. Let's all do that on this Holy Thursday, wherever we are, whatever our work situation might be. Agreed? Isn't this the least we can do for Our Lord?
With that in hand, perhaps we can now consider going an extra mile. After all, Our Lord walked the Via Dolorosa for us. We all know the state of His Body as He put one foot in front of the other, so that He could offer the supreme sacrifice for each and every on of us. Surely we can push ourselves a bit more on this Holy Thursday.
In that spirit, here's something we posted last year on Holy Thursday that offers us questions we might consider as we approach Good Friday. Maybe we can focus on one of these as we take a breather from our labors. We all take breaks from time to time to re-energize. And it only takes a brief moment or two try to answer one or more of these questions, related to the Cross:
The Cross throws light upon every essential question that confronts us. It is the interpretation of all things: How do I partake of the Redemption? Why do the innocent suffer? Why do I have to suffer? How do I profit by suffering? How should I view the goods of this earth? How should I view the evil in the world? What is sin? Does it really offend God? What effect does sin have upon the sinner? How do I fit prayer and penance into my life? Why do I have to do penance? How do I make my life worthwhile in the eyes of God? What is the meaning and purpose of life? How do I maintain peace of soul amidst the trials and temptations of life? What is peace? What is true love?
Here's a stab at "How do I fit prayer and penance into my life?":
Lent afforded us the chance to do this in special ways, even when we were working. Did we? Were there moments, even during the busiest days, where we paused, recollected ourselves and uttered a prayer - either of thanksgiving, intercession, petition? Did we practice mortification at times during the day - denying ourselves legitimate pleasures in reparation for sin? Each of us should be able to answer this question quickly and simply. Our answers will naturally reference the Cross, if we're thinking with basic Catholic sensibility.
While many of those questions can be a bit intimidating, especially to those of us who haven't spent a lot of time studying philosophy or theology, they shouldn't be. Look at them in the light of the Cross. That allows even the most unschooled of us to meditate meaningfully on such important and profound subjects. Our Catholic Faith doesn't depend on our knowledge of theology or philosophy. And our Catholic religion can be understood without formal training in these disciplines.
Today, surrounded by the special graces Holy Thursday brings, we can enter more deeply into those truths of our Holy Religion. By recollecting ourselves we can strengthen our faith. Let's seize these precious moments, even in the midst of this crazy C-virus world of ours.
Happy Holy Thursday!
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