Holy Week 2016

We enter into a very holy and sacred time in the liturgical life of the Roman Catholic Church as Holy Week begins. Holy Week may be somewhat stressful and busy for priests, but it is also an opportunity to affirm and be blessed int he vocation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Growing up at St. James Church, I always looked forward, as an Altar Server, to Holy Week because I enjoyed the liturgies and activities. Serving on the Altar and assisting the priests gave me such joy; I had to study  hard and prepare to do my part with the Holy Week liturgies.

The Holy Week that truly impacted my life as a Roman Catholic was in the year 1988. At that time, I was a seminarian at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana. (This is where St. Joseph Abbey, home of the Benedictine Community, is located.) The Benedictine monks did a magnificent job of conducting the Holy Week liturgies in a prayerful, referent, and sacred manner. The experience of Holy Week with the Benedictine monks made a lasting impression on me that has stayed with me forever.

May Holy Week 2016 be a blessed and spiritually fruitful experience for you and your loved ones as well as a renewal of faith.

Have you ever had a moving, soul-stirring, spiritually influencing Holy Week experience in your lifetime? Share your stories in the comments below.

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