Just watched an episode of Youth Speak on Studio 23, and their topic was about how to spend the Holy Week. Here are some thoughts I remember from the episode: "I'd like to spend my Holy Week on vacation because the rest of the year I have already been suffering and I deserve a break." "Shouldn't we be doing daily sacrifices and prayer, and not just do it during Holy Week?"
You find anything wrong in what they said? I do. The first one: The person who said that does not really know what Holy Week is all about for Catholics. But I don't blame him for not knowing. Not a lot of people evangelize these days. Maybe he didn't get a good Religion teacher when he was young. The Church commemorates the Holy Week as a special time of the year when we reflect on the basic truths of our faith, things that we don't normally reflect on during the rest of the year. The Church has organized its calendar in such a way that it facilitates its followers to focus on the basic truths of the faith throughout the year. As in during Christmas, we reflect on the Incarnation of the Son of God - gratitude for his self-giving. Then we have May and October to reflect on the important role of Mary in our Salvation. We have other feasts like Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart, Immaculate Conception, St. Joseph, Assumption, Ascension, Pentecost, etc. As for having suffered during the rest of the year because of work, it's not like everyone has a choice. Work is indeed hard and one must suffer a lot working hard if we want to earn money. Holy Week is a time to reflect and not necessarily a time of doing extraordinary sacrifices. What the Catholic Church only demands is the fasting and abstinence on Good Friday. Other than that, the Church did not say not to listen to the radio or watch TV. As for going on vacation with your family, there is no problem with that as long as you go to Mass, observe the basic fasting and abstinence on Good Friday, and sobriety on Black Saturday. Can you imagine bingeing and partying the night of Good Friday? I can't. While Mother Mary stands sorrowful at the foot of the cross, I am partying at home? Yikes! Don't I have a conscience?
For the second one: Yes, it is true that we ought to do daily sacrifices and prayers (I wonder if the person who said that actually does it), but the Holy Week - like what I said - is special. If you are not required to do extra hard sacrifices during the rest of the year, during Holy Week, you are asked to do sacrifices which you don't like doing. Do you like to eat just fish on Good Friday? I'm sure you don't. I see a lot of people eat meat on Lenten Fridays. See the wisdom of the Church? They know what the people like.
The Catholic Church is one big tradition. Are you going to be one of those who will destroy the tradition? Will you go on partying on the night of Good Friday? Will you party on Black Saturday? Will you eat your heart out on Good Friday? Will you be one of the bogus New Agers? Will you just choose what aspects of the Catholic Faith you find fitting your lifestyle or will you fit yours to how God has wanted us to live our lives through the Church?
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