On the night he was handed over, [Jesus] took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:24-25)
Our spiritual lives play out in the rhythm of the Liturgical Year. We live in concert with the changes of its Seasons as we welcome the birth of the Christ Child, celebrate new life through him, honor his Passion and Death, then celebrate the joy of his Resurrection. Our lives seem to follow a similar pattern. Christmas brings us the joy of something new. A new year, new possibilities, a fresh new start. The season of Ordinary Time brings us the opportunity to learn more, to grow more, to better develop and form our Catholic faith and Christian identity. Lent, on the other hand, is a season to slow down the pace. It is a time to detach more, to pray more, to reflect more and to reevaluate our lives. It is a great opportunity to take an introspective look within our hearts and within our lives and to determine what is hurtful or not helpful to our spiritual lives. It is an opportunity to let go. To be stripped of the things that distract us, that harm our spiritual growth and that keep us from more fully living out our living and dying in Christ. It is the definitive time of the year to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus to Jerusalem. It is there where we mourn and suffer the hurt, the pain and the effects of our sin. It is a moment of joyous hope and joyful expectation at the thought of being transformed into the risen Christ through the help of God’s grace. Of being transformed into a new creation and into a new life in Christ. We conclude the year by taking a retrospective look back to measure how we did. We identify what needs to change and determine if we are better prepared for the moment when Christ comes again in glory. The entire year is certainly important and critical to our spiritual journey. But in a special way we hold Holy Week close to our hearts as a the most sacred part of the Liturgical Year and the Season of Grace. It is at the heart of our Christian faith. In the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, we come to understand the source and summit of our faith. Jesus literally becoming food for us. Not just spiritual food but “True Food and True Drink” that we simply cannot live without. Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”