Note: This post is longer than normal.
Today is the Monday of Holy week - the week before Good Friday & Easter Sunday; Crucifixion & Resurrection.
This week gives a unique opportunity to allow a different pattern of prayer and listening to God to be part of our lives. Holy Week gives an opportunity to listen to the stories of Jesus, the followers of Jesus and others in the lead up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday - and to allow those stories to speak to us in a way that is different to the normal pattern through the rest of the year.
However for many of us to do this well means adopting a different model and habit of prayer.
Here are some steps or habits you might consider for this week.
1. Set aside a chunk of quality, uninterrupted time every day.
Intentionally put this in your diary or daily routine. Give more time to this habit than normal - you might want to try 30-45 minutes. Doing this in the morning allows the readings, prayers and thoughts to speak often during the day. Switch off email, mobile phone, landline and TGIF (Twitter, Google, iPhone, Facebook) and find a quiet place where you will not be distracted or interrupted. It sounds easy, but for many of us doing it is much harder.
2. Gather some necessities before you start.
A Bible, the readings for the day (see below), pen or pencil and journal. You might want to have a small cross you can hold in your hand or a Palm Sunday flax cross or some other item that helps you focus your prayer. Tissues might come in handy too, as the stories of this week touch the deepest emotions we have! If you use the suggestions below, you will want a device to play the reflections (iPod/mp3 player/cd player). Setting an alarm means you won't need to look at a clock or watch constantly. You might choose to sit or kneel - helpful if you have a prayer stool!
Creating a ‘prayer space’ is a good way of entering this prayer – a specific corner of a room in your house. Collect images, icons, pictures and other items through which the meaning of this time can be made more real for you. Some of these might be contemporary pictures from the newspaper, remembering that the passion of Christ is for the world.
For some people, their prayer space may be a familiar, quiet walking route – maybe repeating a simple prayer phrase like “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom”
3. Find a ritual to start your prayer time
Light a candle; take a couple of deep, slow breaths; pick up your pen, write the date in your journal and then put the pen and journal down - Anything that engages your heart and mind into ‘changing gear’ and being in a different space.
4. Bring yourself to the scriptures
Approach the scriptures with an attitude that allows them to speak to your heart. Read the scripture out loud, slowly, a couple of times. This is not sermon preparation time, but a space for God to reach deep into your head, heart and emotions. Prayer enlarges our consciousness of God and the world, and deepens compassion; it changes the one who prays.
5. Get together with others who pray
Look out for a church that offers a Tenebrae service (Service of Shadows, normally held on Holy Thursday) and Good Friday service. Attending a service that someone else is leading allows you to relax and experience the story for yourself.
Ways to pray and meditate in Holy Week
1. Gospel Readings
You might want to listen to the introduction to Holy Week from Pray As You Go; "The best way to pray this week is simply to follow it, content to receive what God wants to give us. Allow yourself to be taken on a journey - 'thy will be done'. Let scripture take you on this road. Be attentive to the details of scripture and trust yourself to it. Don’t fill up your prayer with too many words - let each period of prayer begin simply by asking for the grace of this week, to be close to Christ as he does his father's will - to touch something of the mystery of his life and love."
The Gospel readings for Holy week are
March 25, 2013
March 26, 2013
March 27, 2013
March 28, 2013
Holy Thursday
March 29, 2013
March 30, 2013
or
Holy Week Audio
I'm a fan of seeing and hearing. I often use the daily reflections from the (Irish) Jesuits, which can be found at Pray As You Go. You can download individual reflections or the whole week to your computer. Or, if you have iTunes (Mac or Windows) or Juice, you can subscribe and have them come automatically. Instructions for this are on the website.
The link for the Holy Week reflections is http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/. This week the reflections are 12-15 minutes long, with Good Friday being almost 17 minutes.
2. Stations of the Cross
Another pattern of scripture at this time are the Stations of the Cross. These can be used in worship services and personal worship. These stations are best engaged on Thursday or Friday of Holy week.
Again, the Jesuits have some very useful resources for personal prayer and reflection. Here they provide 10 stations. Alternatively a local Catholic Church will probably be open, with Stations available for contemplation.
3. Other Lenten Reflections
Another resource of short thoughts and reflections through the day is
I wish you well in your journey with the passion of Christ through Holy Week.
A blessing
May you have ears and eyes to see God at work in yourselves and others
And hands and words ready to serve and witness.
And may the stories of Holy Week speak deeply to your heart and mind, leaving you changed and hope-ful.
