Reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice beyond Holy Week

Lent/Holy Week is over. Those 40 days we spend, or are supposed to spend, in reflection and penitence are a thing of the past.

This year’s Ritzville Ministerial Association (RMA) theme was “prepare your heart”. The choice of how to interpret that theme was left to each pastor.

Prepare your heart for Easter, prepare your heart for Jesus, prepare your heart to receive the Word, prepare your heart to witness – all are thought-provoking messages leaving much to think about.

As the time of Lent passed into Holy Week, Palm Sunday arrived. We celebrated Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as crowds gathered to celebrate Jesus.

But we know, because of the Gospel accounts, what happened by the end of the week. Maundy Thursday was the last time Jesus broke bread with his disciples, his friends.

He washed their feet and brought them the first communion, and loved them even though he knew one would betray him, one would deny him, and others would hide.

Good Friday followed Maundy Thursday. The “good” in Good Friday can be loosely translated as “holy”. For me, “holy” rings better than “good”.

Think about it: one unimaginably selfless act by one completely sinless man changed our lives forever. How could we call that day, that act, anything by holy?

Easter came and with that day Christ’s resurrection and humanity’s new beginning. We need to embrace this Lenten/Holy Week journey and keep it close.

We need to live this journey, not just at Easter time, but also at every time.

Hallelujah! Christ is risen! For us, forever.