Being At Work On Holy Thursday
For many years now, I've been able to attend Holy Thursday Mass and Good
Friday services. I hope you can find or make the time for this as well.
If you can't, I've been there too. Some jobs simply don't permit your
leaving early or taking time off.
No matter how or when you observe Holy Week, especially these final days
of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, continuing your
Lenten discipline right to the end is still within everyone's grasp. And
no matter how well you performed those acts of prayer, penance, and
almsgiving so far - better or worse - don't let them slip away now. If, perchance, your Lent has been less than stellar, now could be your chance to shine.
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 14: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
St. Alphonsus writes:
Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it,
accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulchre with
her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew.
Oh,
my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that encloses Thee. But Thou didst
rise again the third day. I beseech Thee, by Thy resurrection, make me
rise glorious with Thee at the last day, to be always united with Thee
in heaven, to praise Thee and love Thee forever. I love Thee, 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:
We - each of us - buried Jesus under a heavy mantle of our sins, each
and every one of us. For His part, He accepted the most terrible
suffering ever endured by anyone, even as He saw and experienced our
repeated offenses. This He did because of His love for us. If we haven't
yet learned of His love so far during Lent, we have this time, right
now, to let it sink in: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Now is our time to die with Him, most especially by accepting, embracing, even loving, our own crosses. Whatever this day brings, we can turn to Him. We can see that lifeless Body, it's life spent for us.
When Easter arrives in a few days, we can resolve not to slip back into
those careless, thoughtless, and sinful ways that make our lives
unworthy of the Holy Sacrifice of this Lamb of God. And rather than
seek relief from the prayer, penance, and charity of our Lenten
discipline, we can take whatever strength we've gained and incorporate
it into our daily lives throughout the glorious Easter Season and
beyond. Pray for the grace of persistence, even during our busiest days at work and recall St. Alphonsus's petition:
I beseech Thee, by Thy resurrection, make me rise glorious with Thee
at the last day, to be always united with Thee in heaven, to praise Thee
and love Thee forever.
We conclude today's thoughts with the simple, moving exhortation with
which St. Alphonsus Liguori approaches each Station of the Cross:
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