Palm Sunday always sets such a beautiful beginning to the holiest of weeks. As we draw our Lenten season to a close and begin the Triduum on Thursday, I am reminded of the sacrifice of our Lord. Yesterday's Gospel reading always reveals something new to me or perhaps I notice something new as a focus area. In the end, it is God who is placing new insights before me. Yesterday it was the Lord asking that His Father allow the chore of the crucifixion to pass Him by. Reading the words triggered the image of our Lord suffering on the cross. The imagery took me to the foot of the cross looking up at Jesus. The sacrifice is enormous but realizing that He is God and could have just as easily chosen another way truly defines the magnitude of the event. It is the ultimate display of obedience. It is what God asks of all of us. God sacrificed His son for us. The immeasurable depths of the love it takes to do something like that is almost unimaginable. But of course, trying to measure it would place limits on God in human ways and He is not constrained in that way. God is so much greater than any human measurement or expectation. He is! I encourage you to take part in the Triduum masses this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They are some of the most beautiful and tranformative celebrations the Church offers us. You cannot help but be moved by the adoration of the cross or the reenactment of the washing of the feet. Easter vigil literally defines anticipation and hope. It is a consuming need that has grown in us over the last 40 days of fast and preparation. And so the week begins.
Kurt Hilgefort, is a Catholic father of six who publishes his thoughts on his blog Shadows of Augustine . He responded to my seven question survey with the following answers. Kurt is the first layperson to respond to the seven question survey and I think that his experience is extremely relevant to me personally and I hope that you are inspired by his thoughts as well. If you would like to respond, please send an email to fellmananthony@gmail.com with your thoughts and I will be happy to publish them as well. 1. What is the biggest challenge to your faith that you have faced so far? The biggest challenge for me has been the whole dying to self thing. On an intellectual level, there are no barriers. It comes down to a matter of accepting the authority of the Church that Christ founded upon Peter. My challenge is not in the intellect, but rather in the will. The challenge for me has always been to continually seek conversion. I want to be transformed, but I want it to be over all ...
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