Holy Week by Fr. Jerry Orbos
Below is the acronym H-O-L-Y W-E-E-K to help us make this week not just
an ordinary week but a truly meaningful and a holy week.
H --- alt! Stop for a while, or at least slow down. Take time to rest
and relax. Your body needs rest, so find time to be still. Go away,
disappear.
Rest a while.
O --- ff with your worldly pursuits and concerns. Turn off your
cellular phone if you have to, so that you can focus on your spiritual life this
week. Forget quotas, forget deadlines and forget performance. Just be.
Don't let the world and its cares disturb the tranquility of your mind
and soul this week. Let the world go by, and let the Lord take care of
everything for once. Surprise yourself. Rediscover your inner strengths
and simple joys. OFF to the world.
ON to your heart. ON to your God.
L --- isten. If you are in the Off or Silent mode, then you can really
listen, pray and meditate. Take time to listen to God and tell him
what's happening with your life. Allow the Father to wrap His loving arms
around your shoulders once again and just listen. Listen also to your own
inner self, not just to your day-to-day wants and needs. Is there something
you are missing in your life? Is there something more you need to do in
your life?
Y --- ield to God. Let go of your grip on your own life. Be on the
lookout for His road signs as you travel on. Listen to His instructions, and
you will find your way. Better still; let Him do the navigating and the
driving.
W --- arm up your relationships. Time to allow your loved ones feel
that warm-and-sunny-spring you, not the cold-and-cloudy-winter you. Reach
out to the people you have taken for granted or left out altogether. Time to
call a friend and use your lifeline, or ask your audience - for an apology,
for help, for suggestions. Call, teat, write, smile and hug. Use anything
that will help you repair, restore and revitalize your relationships.
E --- rase the burdens of guilt and sin with a good, honest and humble
confession. Heed God's call: "Come back to me, with all your heart.
Don't let sin keep us apart. Long have I waited for your coming home to me."
In response to God's love, may we all say to God, especially this week:
"Create a clean heart in me; 0 God. Give back to me the joy of your
salvation." Time also to erase hurts, resentments, anger and ill
feelings. Forgive people who hurt you, and ask for forgiveness from people you
have hurt, cheated, used or abused in any way.
E --- xpress your love. Whatever you do, especially this week, like
praying, fasting, works of penance and deeds of charity, let them all
be expressions of your love and gratitude to God. Let them be done not out
of fear, or out of obligation.
K --- neel down. In humility, kneel down in prayer before God and thank
Him for suffering so much. For dying on the cross and for rising again for
our salvation. Somebody died for you and me. Let us not allow this week to
pass without personally thanking Him.
Let this be a time for all of us to kneel down before one another in
humility: parents before their children whom they have neglected;
children before their parents whom they have hurt; politicians and government
officials before the people whom they have cheated etc., etc.
an ordinary week but a truly meaningful and a holy week.
H --- alt! Stop for a while, or at least slow down. Take time to rest
and relax. Your body needs rest, so find time to be still. Go away,
disappear.
Rest a while.
O --- ff with your worldly pursuits and concerns. Turn off your
cellular phone if you have to, so that you can focus on your spiritual life this
week. Forget quotas, forget deadlines and forget performance. Just be.
Don't let the world and its cares disturb the tranquility of your mind
and soul this week. Let the world go by, and let the Lord take care of
everything for once. Surprise yourself. Rediscover your inner strengths
and simple joys. OFF to the world.
ON to your heart. ON to your God.
L --- isten. If you are in the Off or Silent mode, then you can really
listen, pray and meditate. Take time to listen to God and tell him
what's happening with your life. Allow the Father to wrap His loving arms
around your shoulders once again and just listen. Listen also to your own
inner self, not just to your day-to-day wants and needs. Is there something
you are missing in your life? Is there something more you need to do in
your life?
Y --- ield to God. Let go of your grip on your own life. Be on the
lookout for His road signs as you travel on. Listen to His instructions, and
you will find your way. Better still; let Him do the navigating and the
driving.
W --- arm up your relationships. Time to allow your loved ones feel
that warm-and-sunny-spring you, not the cold-and-cloudy-winter you. Reach
out to the people you have taken for granted or left out altogether. Time to
call a friend and use your lifeline, or ask your audience - for an apology,
for help, for suggestions. Call, teat, write, smile and hug. Use anything
that will help you repair, restore and revitalize your relationships.
E --- rase the burdens of guilt and sin with a good, honest and humble
confession. Heed God's call: "Come back to me, with all your heart.
Don't let sin keep us apart. Long have I waited for your coming home to me."
In response to God's love, may we all say to God, especially this week:
"Create a clean heart in me; 0 God. Give back to me the joy of your
salvation." Time also to erase hurts, resentments, anger and ill
feelings. Forgive people who hurt you, and ask for forgiveness from people you
have hurt, cheated, used or abused in any way.
E --- xpress your love. Whatever you do, especially this week, like
praying, fasting, works of penance and deeds of charity, let them all
be expressions of your love and gratitude to God. Let them be done not out
of fear, or out of obligation.
K --- neel down. In humility, kneel down in prayer before God and thank
Him for suffering so much. For dying on the cross and for rising again for
our salvation. Somebody died for you and me. Let us not allow this week to
pass without personally thanking Him.
Let this be a time for all of us to kneel down before one another in
humility: parents before their children whom they have neglected;
children before their parents whom they have hurt; politicians and government
officials before the people whom they have cheated etc., etc.
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