Daily Gospel Reflection for April 12, 2022: Tuesday of Holy Week

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

The week we emerge from our Lenten sacrifices is always oddly unsettling for me; I suppose a part of me will miss the camaraderie of an entire Church united through the practices of fasting, alms, and prayer.

Luckily, there is a Holy Week buffer to help me adjust. Together, the Church will recall the Last Supper, agonize with Jesus in the garden, walk with Him to Calvary, witness the Crucifixion and the stillness of Holy Saturday, revel in the glory of the Risen Lord, and the opening of the gates of Heaven on Easter.

How can we keep the tenets of Lent - prayer, fasting, and charity - at the heart of our lives beyond these forty days? How do we live in the Resurrection without forgetting Christ's Passion—that incredible sacrifice offered on our behalf that allows us to live in the glorious promises of our God? To help me, I take note of every detail of Holy Week, beginning with the Holy Thursday liturgy through the Easter morning celebration. I relish in every tradition, every bell and note, breathing in the rising incense, cementing these memories with all my senses.

Just as I set my Lenten goals, I, too, establish post-Easter goals to help me fulfill my desire to follow Christ more closely and glorify God in my life. I continually look for small ways to respond to Jesus' question "Will you lay down your life for me?" knowing full well, I, like Peter, will have moments of utter failure and humble repentance, as well as times of faithful discipleship. I always strive to live in the words of Pope Saint John Paul II as a Resurrection people, careful not to betray my Lord.

However, today, I will prepare my heart for this holiest of weeks, grateful to be Jesus' disciple.

Ponder:

How will you use the lessons learned during your Lenten practices to prepare your heart for Holy Week (and beyond)?

Pray:

Jesus, your incredible love and sacrifice overwhelms me as we enter into this Holy Week. Please fill my every sense so I may fully experience these next few days with You.

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How can we keep the tenets of Lent—prayer, fasting, and charity—at the heart of our lives beyond these forty days? How do we live in the Resurrection without forgetting Christ's Passion? #dailygospel

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