Photo Courtesy of the late Rev Fr. Lawrence Paz’s Facebook Account
A friend from work was talking to me about her anxiety attacks. I don’t know how people see me that way but I am not really the comforter type of friend. Despite that, I still try my best to understand their situation and answer them with some sense.
Sadly, staying at home to protect our physical health during this time, isn’t the same for our mental health, especially to those who are suffering from anxiety and depression. During our conversation, Holy Week suddenly came into my mind so I told her that this is the best time to meditate. Knowing that I serve in the Parish, she answered me with an innocent question, “what exactly should I do during Holy Week?”
To be honest, I don’t exactly know what to say, but I believe Holy Week does not have templates or patterns that we are obliged to follow. As long as you understand the real essence of it, you can do what works best for you. While talking to this friend, I realized that Holy Week is a time of healing so I came up with the 3Rs of Holy Week:
3Rs of Holy Week
Reflect
We celebrate Holy Week to remind us about Jesus’ greatness and how He sacrificed His own life to save us all from sins. This season is the best time to look back on our lives. Have you been living a life worthy of Christ’s salvation? Do you love Him, your brothers and sisters or you love the worldly things more? Have you been caring to His creations or did you just contribute to its destruction? Are you helping the poor or just causing their agony instead?
During Holy Week, we’re always encouraged to find a quiet time to reflect on our lives. Let us make use of this time now that we are asked to stay at home, find time to be quiet and meditate.
Reassess
Before addressing something, it’s important to identify what exactly we are dealing with. Before healing and changing something, we should know what is inside us that needs the most attention. Because of our busy lives, we don’t have time to stay calm and think about these things.
“Corrie ten Boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. Her logic is sound: both sin and busyness have the same exact effect – they cut off our connection to God, other people, and even to our own soul.” – John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
When assessing our lives, we can think of what’s making us sin. What’s causing me anger?What’s causing me pain? What’s making me envious and insecure? And evaluate how you reacted to these emotions. Did you try to solve the cause of these problems? Or did you just let it grow inside you which also caused damage to people around you?
Repent
If you read the bible, you must have encountered this word thousand times already though not directly. You can also read this as words such as “turn,” “return,” “seek,” “restore” in the bible. This word is also repeatedly heard during Holy Week.
Getting used to this term may have caused us to just underestimate the meaning of it. But repentance is more than just being remorseful. “Repentance fundamentally means to change your mind about something.”
When we are told to repent, we are not just being encouaraged to ask for forgiveness for our sins but to do a turn around, return to Jesus Christ, believe He is real and that His grace can heal everything.
“We may not be able to have the kumpisalang bayan but we can clear more our consciences as we reflect and pray for forgiveness in the spirit of humility.” – Anaknimaria
Once we have reflected on and reassessed our lives, repentance is the best ingredient to a better life. Pick out the traits that you think are toxic, things that bring you closer to committing a sin, and anything else that is hindering you to choose and love Jesus above all.
Heal yourself from whatever is causing you pain, whatever it is that’s making you feel like you are not enough, that you are not worthy. Heal yourself from grudge, from your biggest regtrets, from anxieties that’s blinding you from Christ’s wonderful plans for you. Only then you can start living a life that Christ has saved you for.
