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| Image: George Mendoza |
And so it has begun, Lord:
the Week we call Holy...
I've read how theologians debate
whether any unit of time or time itself
can actually be or become holy -
but I'll leave that to the scholars, Lord,
and simply wonder about my being holy,
my growing in holiness
in the week ahead...
(Why am I afraid of this word: holy?
Why am I put off by it?
Why am I so easily convinced
that holiness is for others but not for me?
(I want to be strong, healthy, wise, just,
honest, fair, loving, prayerful, faithful,
kind, forgiving and compassionate -
so why do I shy away from wanting to be holy?
(Could it be I just don't understand
what it means to be holy?
Help me understand, Lord,
especially this week,
and help me want to be holy...)
One thing I know for certain:
I could be a whole lot holier
than I am right now…
But just how holy do I want to be?
I want to be holy enough
to stand before you, Lord,
without shame or embarrassment…
I want to be holy enough
to know that I've helped the poor
- and generously so…
I want to be holy enough
to know that my intentions and desires,
my dreams and schemes,
are just, pure and honest...
I want to be holy enough
to love you with a good heart,
cleansed of selfishness and pride…
I want to be holy enough
to recognize my lack of holiness
and to ask the help of your grace
whenever and wherever I need it...
Just four days left* in Lent, Lord:
four more days to be holy
in this season of praying, fasting
and serving the needs of others...
I have four days to be more faithful to prayer,
morning or night
- or whenever you and I can sit down
and just have a chat, one-on-one,
just the two of us, Lord...
I have four days to deny myself
some taste or sip, some pleasure or toy
and in doing so, begin to discover
the hunger that self-denial provides me,
that empty space in which to wonder
how I might better feed and fill the void...
I have four days to care for the poor,
to give to the poor, to be with the poor,
to work for the poor,
to discover how rich I am
and learn to share my bounty
with those whose needs are so much greater
than my own...
Four days left in Lent, Lord,
and then three days of prayer so holy
they are but one-day-in-three, the Triduum:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil...
Each of these days invites me
to enter into the holiest of all mysteries,
your mystery, Jesus,
the mystery of God loving me
- even though I'm not so holy...
A holy week
to remember with the whole Church
how Jesus suffered, died, was buried and rose
that we might have life and have it to the full...
A week that will not come 'round again
until a year from now,
a week that promises more
than I could ever hope to promise in return...
So, I ask you this week, Lord,
to make me at least a little more holy
than I have been...
I offer you the week ahead
and ask you to come to me in prayer:
to fill my loneliness with your presence,
to draw me out of my self-contentment,
and to lead me to serve the needs of any
who wait for my help...
I offer you this holy week
and pray you keep me faithful to all it offers:
the promise of a life, a depth, a gift of peace
greater than all my hurts and fears...
I offer you this week, Lord:
make me holy,
day by day...
And open my heart to all
whose paths cross mine in these holy days:
together, help us come into your presence
and be made one in your peace...
Amen.
I've read how theologians debate
whether any unit of time or time itself
can actually be or become holy -
but I'll leave that to the scholars, Lord,
and simply wonder about my being holy,
my growing in holiness
in the week ahead...
(Why am I afraid of this word: holy?
Why am I put off by it?
Why am I so easily convinced
that holiness is for others but not for me?
(I want to be strong, healthy, wise, just,
honest, fair, loving, prayerful, faithful,
kind, forgiving and compassionate -
so why do I shy away from wanting to be holy?
(Could it be I just don't understand
what it means to be holy?
Help me understand, Lord,
especially this week,
and help me want to be holy...)
One thing I know for certain:
I could be a whole lot holier
than I am right now…
But just how holy do I want to be?
I want to be holy enough
to stand before you, Lord,
without shame or embarrassment…
I want to be holy enough
to know that I've helped the poor
- and generously so…
I want to be holy enough
to know that my intentions and desires,
my dreams and schemes,
are just, pure and honest...
I want to be holy enough
to love you with a good heart,
cleansed of selfishness and pride…
I want to be holy enough
to recognize my lack of holiness
and to ask the help of your grace
whenever and wherever I need it...
Just four days left* in Lent, Lord:
four more days to be holy
in this season of praying, fasting
and serving the needs of others...
I have four days to be more faithful to prayer,
morning or night
- or whenever you and I can sit down
and just have a chat, one-on-one,
just the two of us, Lord...
I have four days to deny myself
some taste or sip, some pleasure or toy
and in doing so, begin to discover
the hunger that self-denial provides me,
that empty space in which to wonder
how I might better feed and fill the void...
I have four days to care for the poor,
to give to the poor, to be with the poor,
to work for the poor,
to discover how rich I am
and learn to share my bounty
with those whose needs are so much greater
than my own...
Four days left in Lent, Lord,
and then three days of prayer so holy
they are but one-day-in-three, the Triduum:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil...
Each of these days invites me
to enter into the holiest of all mysteries,
your mystery, Jesus,
the mystery of God loving me
- even though I'm not so holy...
A holy week
to remember with the whole Church
how Jesus suffered, died, was buried and rose
that we might have life and have it to the full...
A week that will not come 'round again
until a year from now,
a week that promises more
than I could ever hope to promise in return...
So, I ask you this week, Lord,
to make me at least a little more holy
than I have been...
I offer you the week ahead
and ask you to come to me in prayer:
to fill my loneliness with your presence,
to draw me out of my self-contentment,
and to lead me to serve the needs of any
who wait for my help...
I offer you this holy week
and pray you keep me faithful to all it offers:
the promise of a life, a depth, a gift of peace
greater than all my hurts and fears...
I offer you this week, Lord:
make me holy,
day by day...
And open my heart to all
whose paths cross mine in these holy days:
together, help us come into your presence
and be made one in your peace...
Amen.
*Lent ends at sundown on Thursday of Holy Week. With the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, the Triduum begins. The Triduum ends with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday night.
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