Celebrate with Jesus!

As we enter April we are in the midst of Holy Week. The week begins and ends with a celebration - Palm Sunday and Easter. In between, we experience the beginning of Eucharist; the testing of human faith, and Christ's death on the cross.

Holy Week can be a symbolic image of our own life. When children are born and baptized, we celebrate adding a new member to Christ's family. In infant baptism, we gather and celebrate that Jesus has accepted this new child and given them the gift of redemption from original sin.

Throughout our life, Christ gives us the opportunity to break bread with others and spend time in communion with Him. Jesus gave us the model to follow on the evening of the Last Supper. Most of our socializing is built around sharing food or "breaking bread" with one another. During our life, our faith is tested and our response tells us a lot. Several times during the Passion we see the faith of the Apostles tested. In Matthew 26:36-44, Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray with Peter, James, and John. Jesus tells them "My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death...stay here...stay awake with me." Three times Jesus comes back to find Peter, James, and John asleep. This after Jesus begs them to stay awake!

It is easy to look back and ask - how could they fall asleep when Jesus pleaded them to stay awake? But doesn't Jesus ask us to stay awake with His words in the Gospels every day? Are we awake to those around us in need? Are we awake to Jesus' message on what we are called to do?  Do we respond to Jesus message like Peter in the Passion? Peter denied Jesus 3 times. Do we deny Christ because we don't think we have the time, the skill or the courage to do what is asked? Mother Teresa says it best, "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle, I just wish he wouldn't trust me so much".

The great blessing of Holy Week is the story does not end on Good Friday. Yes Jesus dies on the cross, but he offered that up to redeem us from our sin. Jesus paid the price so we don't have to!

Easter is the real celebration of Holy Week. Jesus rose from the dead to conquer death so that we do not have to be separated from his love. Jesus offers us eternal life in heaven with him. All we need is to accept Jesus' invitation to become his intimate friend and celebrate with Him.

We cannot know what Heaven will be like, but we have always enjoyed listening to MercyMe's song "I Can Only Imagine". It stretches us and makes us think about spending an eternity with Jesus. What a joyful vision!

God Bless,
Sonia and Mark Lager