We are united to Jesus by faith, and our faith is reflected in how we choose daily to unite with him. Some of us unite with him with as little as we can give. We meander through life and say, “Maybe I have a little extra time to give to Jesus today. Maybe I will commit a prayer or two.” Jesus becomes like the piggy bank full of pennies.
Some of you will be ordinary in your communion with Jesus. You will walk with him, and you will talk with him, and you will cherish him. You will often realize just how much you need his grace when you blow up at your kids and when, for no reason, you lose your seven-day record of purity or fail to show up for your friend who needs you; in those moments, you recognize your ordinariness. And when that happens, remember your union with Jesus. Remember that to be united to Jesus is to have and need Jesus in good days and really bad ones.
Providence, Holy Week is for you!
Holy Week is a call for you to take your union with Jesus with greater seriousness. Holy Week is an exhortation to participate in the life of Jesus in his final week in biblical history. If you walk with Jesus this week, you will be walking in the ordinary of Peter’s loyalty and betrayal, the disciples’ certainty and uncertainty, our desires to find justice only to be met by a cross. If you walk this week to the cross, this week will put you in the ordinary of sin and sin forgiven; of cross and empty tomb; of disunity to unity with your crucified Lord.
Come, welcome to Holy Week! Enter into the life of Jesus!
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.