The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033026.cfm
Holy Week is not merely a historical commemoration; it is a sacred invitation to enter the deepest regions of intimacy with Jesus and Mary. As Fr. Daniel Klimek, PhD, powerfully reminds us, this is the week when Jesus gives Himself for the life of the world in total vulnerability. It is the week He institutes the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood, and ultimately, the week He dies to open the gates of Heaven. Yet, amidst the hatred, blasphemy, and violence of the Passion, there were moments of profound mercy. Jesus encountered His Mother, St. Veronica, and St. Simon of Cyrene. These encounters remind us that even in the darkest valley, the Lord allows the light of compassion to shine.
The central challenge of this week is a question posed by the homily: Will Jesus see your face on the path of Calvary? Will He receive your embrace? We are called to offer “retroactive consolation.” This profound spiritual truth means that our prayers, sacrifices, and Holy Hours offered today can transcend time and space. They can reach Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane or Mary at the foot of the Cross, offering them comfort in their moments of greatest agony. When the Angel appeared to strengthen Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, part of that consolation was the foreknowledge of your love and your prayers from the 21st century. You can tell Him, “Lord, You do not have to be alone.”
Father Daniel urges us to strip away the distractions of the modern age. We must turn off the shining screens, turn away from the false idols of technology, and enter into silence and solitude. This is the time to read the mystical writings in the Church’s heritage, such as the works of St. Bridget of Sweden or of Ven. Mary of Agreda, which provide a vivid window into the sufferings of Christ. These texts are not mere stories; they are spiritual maps leading us into the abyss of divine love. While it is easy to be a friend in good times, true intimacy is forged in the fire of suffering. It is in our participation in and commemoration of the abandonment of Gethsemane and the silence of Calvary that we prove our love.
If Lent has felt like a failure, treat Holy Week as a clean slate. Do not let the past weigh you down. Instead, stand in spirit with St. John the Apostle, St. Mary Magdalene, and Our Lady at the foot of the Cross. Offer your presence at Mass, at the foot of the altar (which is the foot of the Cross) as a gift. Let your silence speak louder than words. Jesus waits for you in the Garden; Mary waits for you at the Cross. Do not leave them alone. Your presence is the greatest consolation you can offer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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