THE Holy Week somehow reminds us of the true character and
value of
time which we often take of granted. Time, for many of us, is just an
unavoidable element in life which we try to measure in terms of
seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc.
For sure, if we limit our attitude toward time in that level, nothing
beyond the calendar year, we would have a very poor and shallow
understanding of a very important resource in life.
But thanks to God, because of the inescapable demands of life and our
needs, we can’t help but put more meaning and purpose to our time.
That’s why we have schedules, plans, deadlines, and we classify time
into school years or fiscal years, for example.
Just the same, we need to realize that time has a much deeper meaning
and purpose than just the practical one or other considerations and
criteria that only give us some earthly benefits.
Our time is actually a time with God. We need to reinforce this
belief, making it an abiding conviction that should guide us always in
our thoughts, words and deeds. God is with us. That’s what Emmanuel,
another name for Christ, means. We are not left alone. We are never
alone even if physically we are in solitary confinement.
Time, therefore, is the basic resource given to us by God himself,
our Creator and Father, to work out the very purpose he created us or
put us into existence. Far from the common attitude that considers
time as just pure time without God, we need to reinforce the belief
that our time is a time with God.
Whatever we do in time, whatever happens to us in time, is supposed
to take place not only with us alone, but also with God. Thus, a
fundamental attitude we need to cultivate is that we need to live
always in the presence of God. It would be an anomaly if we live
otherwise.
While we, through sin, can disengage our time from God and his
wonderful plans for us, we can always make up because our time has
also been redeemed by God through Christ with his redemptive work and
made to continue throughout time in the Holy Spirit and the human
instrumentalities made by Christ to make this ideal real.
Our time is now objectively connected with the eternity of God, and
has shifted from conditions perishable to imperishable. This is the
ideal level which we have to aim at if we want to have a complete and
proper understanding of time.
This affirmation is based on what St. Paul once said about the
“fullness of time.” “When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them who
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal
4,4-5)
So aside from considering time as calendar, school or fiscal year, we
need to be more aware of what is called as the liturgical year which
considers our time as a time with God, with Christ in the Holy Spirit,
coming to us, sharing what he has with us, bringing us to him which is
where we truly belong.
The liturgical time makes time sacred and not just mundane, and
infuses it with spiritual, redemptive and supernatural dimensions. The
liturgical time plays out the infinite and abundant value of the
redemptive work of Christ that took place in history but is now
stretched out all throughout time and into eternity.
This is the context in which we have to consider the Holy Week. The
Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical year since it represents the
sharp transition from our state of sin, expressed in all our suffering
we live through the Holy Week, to our state of glory and victory with
the resurrection of Christ.
The darkest and the brightest moments of our life are acted out in
the Holy Week. The ugliest of our malice and the fairest of the love
of God which is offered to us to live out is dramatized and
sacramentally presented to us in Holy Week.
Let’s be quick to savor this true character and value of Holy Week
therefore, from the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem on Passion
Sunday that starts the Holy Week, to Holy Thursday when Christ
instituted the Holy Orders and Holy Eucharist, to Good Friday and then
Easter Sunday.
We are greatly blessed, but through the cross!
time which we often take of granted. Time, for many of us, is just an
unavoidable element in life which we try to measure in terms of
seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc.
For sure, if we limit our attitude toward time in that level, nothing
beyond the calendar year, we would have a very poor and shallow
understanding of a very important resource in life.
But thanks to God, because of the inescapable demands of life and our
needs, we can’t help but put more meaning and purpose to our time.
That’s why we have schedules, plans, deadlines, and we classify time
into school years or fiscal years, for example.
Just the same, we need to realize that time has a much deeper meaning
and purpose than just the practical one or other considerations and
criteria that only give us some earthly benefits.
Our time is actually a time with God. We need to reinforce this
belief, making it an abiding conviction that should guide us always in
our thoughts, words and deeds. God is with us. That’s what Emmanuel,
another name for Christ, means. We are not left alone. We are never
alone even if physically we are in solitary confinement.
Time, therefore, is the basic resource given to us by God himself,
our Creator and Father, to work out the very purpose he created us or
put us into existence. Far from the common attitude that considers
time as just pure time without God, we need to reinforce the belief
that our time is a time with God.
Whatever we do in time, whatever happens to us in time, is supposed
to take place not only with us alone, but also with God. Thus, a
fundamental attitude we need to cultivate is that we need to live
always in the presence of God. It would be an anomaly if we live
otherwise.
While we, through sin, can disengage our time from God and his
wonderful plans for us, we can always make up because our time has
also been redeemed by God through Christ with his redemptive work and
made to continue throughout time in the Holy Spirit and the human
instrumentalities made by Christ to make this ideal real.
Our time is now objectively connected with the eternity of God, and
has shifted from conditions perishable to imperishable. This is the
ideal level which we have to aim at if we want to have a complete and
proper understanding of time.
This affirmation is based on what St. Paul once said about the
“fullness of time.” “When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them who
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal
4,4-5)
So aside from considering time as calendar, school or fiscal year, we
need to be more aware of what is called as the liturgical year which
considers our time as a time with God, with Christ in the Holy Spirit,
coming to us, sharing what he has with us, bringing us to him which is
where we truly belong.
The liturgical time makes time sacred and not just mundane, and
infuses it with spiritual, redemptive and supernatural dimensions. The
liturgical time plays out the infinite and abundant value of the
redemptive work of Christ that took place in history but is now
stretched out all throughout time and into eternity.
This is the context in which we have to consider the Holy Week. The
Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical year since it represents the
sharp transition from our state of sin, expressed in all our suffering
we live through the Holy Week, to our state of glory and victory with
the resurrection of Christ.
The darkest and the brightest moments of our life are acted out in
the Holy Week. The ugliest of our malice and the fairest of the love
of God which is offered to us to live out is dramatized and
sacramentally presented to us in Holy Week.
Let’s be quick to savor this true character and value of Holy Week
therefore, from the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem on Passion
Sunday that starts the Holy Week, to Holy Thursday when Christ
instituted the Holy Orders and Holy Eucharist, to Good Friday and then
Easter Sunday.
We are greatly blessed, but through the cross!
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