Tips for Living Holy Week Well

Holy Week, the most important week of the liturgical year, is upon us. To help us prepare, here are some of the ways we can orient our hearts to this most holy season.

Please know that regardless of how well (or poorly) you have maintained your Lenten commitments, it’s not too late to live this week well. Matthew 20:1-16, Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, tells us that God’s grace is available to everyone – even though none of us are deserving.

Suggestions for entering into Holy Week:

• Let us make sure that we are in the state of grace (without mortal sin). If not, I encourage you to receive God’s love, mercy and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession;
• Learn about and participate in the liturgy of Holy Week (see The Liturgy of Holy Week: Entering the Paschal Mystery here and participate in your parish Holy Week liturgies). Schedule liturgical activities ahead of time. Don’t try to squeeze Holy Week events around your regular activities.
• Use good meditation materials - Follow this link or this link for possible images, videos, articles and more for you to use to choose from for meditation material. The goal is not to read them all but to select one or two to use as a springboard to prayer.
• Stations of the Cross – remember our own participation in His suffering. Recommend versions by St. Alphonsus Liguori or St. Francis of Assisi. Consider doing stations on Good Friday at 3:00 PM
• Watch Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ.

Here are 3 links to pages on my website with different meditation materials and media to help you make the most of Holy Week:

1. Live Holy Week Well

2. More Help for Holy Week

3. The Gift of Divine Mercy Sunday and Novena to the Divine Mercy

Wishing you a blessed Holy Week as Our Lord takes us deeper into his Paschal Mystery!