Hi, Jesus!
April 13, 2003 | 12:00am
Where will you be during Holy Week? More importantly, what will you be doing? All too often, this holiday has been viewed by many as a happy time-off to go to the beach, to hie off to your favorite shopping destination offshore, or just simply stay home. Now there is nothing wrong with that. However, we get so caught up with the relief of having some respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we miss out on the main reason this holiday came about. I don’t mean to sound preachy here but it would do all of us (and the world we live in) some good if we were to take sure steps to once again touch base with what truly matters – having a personal relationship with Christ. And there is no better time to start than now.
I’m not saying we should be prohibited from smiling and being happy, considering that we are observing a solemn season. But I can’t point out often enough how sincere, baby steps on our part can make The Great Guy Up There truly happy. After all, this, too is a season of thankfulness and hope. Let us reflect on how good He has been to us the whole year and take this opportunity to resolve to give back to Him what we know in our hearts He rightfully deserves.
Two activities that you can start doing (if you haven’t yet) are spending time with Him and offering some sort of sacrifice. Back when I was in high school, my teacher in religion told us about this little boy who popped by church every day on his way to school. He would be there for but a moment, always with a happy smile on his face to say "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry." Now Jerry grew up to be a young man, went on to marry and have kids, and in time became a grandfather, too. All throughout, he kept his daily habit. "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry," his friends and loved ones would often hear him say. When Jerry reached a ripe, old age and it became physically impossible for him to go to church daily, he would joyfully cast his eyes to heaven each morning as he woke up and repeat that most mundane of phrases "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry." And when he finally breathed his last, he found himself being welcomed in the presence of his personal friend who said, "Hi Jerry! It’s me Jesus."
When was the last time you went to the Blessed Sacrament? Try the experience. When you are ecstatically happy, pop in to say "thank you." When you are at a crossroads, go there to ask for guidance. Even when your pain is beyond words, simply be comforted in and be embraced His presence. You don’t even have to say a thing. Trust me, He knows. And I guarantee that you will walk out feeling lighter and more positive about everything. A magical quick fix, it really is.
For close to 10 years now, every time the Lenten season rolls by, it has become a habit for me to offer some sort of sacrifice. I can’t remember where I picked up the habit but I know I was influenced by my sister Caren. From Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday we don’t eat meat (that’s roughly 40 days). It may be no big deal to some but for us meat- lovers it really is a sacrifice. Some people give up softdrinks, others give up sweets for a whole week before Easter Sunday. Regardless though of what your sacrifice is and how you choose to go about it, what’s important is how true your intentions are. You don’t have to ask for anything. It can simply be your way of thanking Him.
Most of us vow to be better persons at the start of the New Year but for those who have not stuck to that vow or have somehow sidetracked a bit, the Holy Week is a good time to stay in the running. No matter where this holiday finds you, may you uncover, in the pockets of your heart, time to thank Him and truly love Him. It doesn’t have to be a contrived effort, neither does it have to happen at a specific time of the day. Your way of loving Him can be expressed in little acts of love spread out during the course of one day – exercising your patience even when your kids are driving you mad, refusing to snap back at the rude salesgirl, masking out that instant when you want to strike back at that person who hurt you, not picking a fight with your boyfriend or husband, and generally just being kind to others.
I once read an article about how one man was consistently nice to everybody, no matter what situation he was in. I don’t quite remember the specifics of the story but what I distinctly remember was what he called his "secret formula." Simply put, he said he always made a conscious effort to see Jesus in everyone he met, further emphasizing how absolutely impossible it is to blow your top and lose your temper with a person like Him. But Jesus would not hurt or irritate you, I wanted to tell him, and that being so, you would have no reason to get mad. But that ceases to be the point and I’ve come to realize that it is enough of a grace to be able to rise above the situation and not level up to the temper or attitude of the one who irritates you. Easier said than done, I know. But wanting to be that kind of person is already half the battle won. Let’s start today. And let’s keep at it long after the Holy Week is over.
I’m not saying we should be prohibited from smiling and being happy, considering that we are observing a solemn season. But I can’t point out often enough how sincere, baby steps on our part can make The Great Guy Up There truly happy. After all, this, too is a season of thankfulness and hope. Let us reflect on how good He has been to us the whole year and take this opportunity to resolve to give back to Him what we know in our hearts He rightfully deserves.
Two activities that you can start doing (if you haven’t yet) are spending time with Him and offering some sort of sacrifice. Back when I was in high school, my teacher in religion told us about this little boy who popped by church every day on his way to school. He would be there for but a moment, always with a happy smile on his face to say "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry." Now Jerry grew up to be a young man, went on to marry and have kids, and in time became a grandfather, too. All throughout, he kept his daily habit. "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry," his friends and loved ones would often hear him say. When Jerry reached a ripe, old age and it became physically impossible for him to go to church daily, he would joyfully cast his eyes to heaven each morning as he woke up and repeat that most mundane of phrases "Hi, Jesus! It’s me Jerry." And when he finally breathed his last, he found himself being welcomed in the presence of his personal friend who said, "Hi Jerry! It’s me Jesus."
When was the last time you went to the Blessed Sacrament? Try the experience. When you are ecstatically happy, pop in to say "thank you." When you are at a crossroads, go there to ask for guidance. Even when your pain is beyond words, simply be comforted in and be embraced His presence. You don’t even have to say a thing. Trust me, He knows. And I guarantee that you will walk out feeling lighter and more positive about everything. A magical quick fix, it really is.
For close to 10 years now, every time the Lenten season rolls by, it has become a habit for me to offer some sort of sacrifice. I can’t remember where I picked up the habit but I know I was influenced by my sister Caren. From Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday we don’t eat meat (that’s roughly 40 days). It may be no big deal to some but for us meat- lovers it really is a sacrifice. Some people give up softdrinks, others give up sweets for a whole week before Easter Sunday. Regardless though of what your sacrifice is and how you choose to go about it, what’s important is how true your intentions are. You don’t have to ask for anything. It can simply be your way of thanking Him.
Most of us vow to be better persons at the start of the New Year but for those who have not stuck to that vow or have somehow sidetracked a bit, the Holy Week is a good time to stay in the running. No matter where this holiday finds you, may you uncover, in the pockets of your heart, time to thank Him and truly love Him. It doesn’t have to be a contrived effort, neither does it have to happen at a specific time of the day. Your way of loving Him can be expressed in little acts of love spread out during the course of one day – exercising your patience even when your kids are driving you mad, refusing to snap back at the rude salesgirl, masking out that instant when you want to strike back at that person who hurt you, not picking a fight with your boyfriend or husband, and generally just being kind to others.
I once read an article about how one man was consistently nice to everybody, no matter what situation he was in. I don’t quite remember the specifics of the story but what I distinctly remember was what he called his "secret formula." Simply put, he said he always made a conscious effort to see Jesus in everyone he met, further emphasizing how absolutely impossible it is to blow your top and lose your temper with a person like Him. But Jesus would not hurt or irritate you, I wanted to tell him, and that being so, you would have no reason to get mad. But that ceases to be the point and I’ve come to realize that it is enough of a grace to be able to rise above the situation and not level up to the temper or attitude of the one who irritates you. Easier said than done, I know. But wanting to be that kind of person is already half the battle won. Let’s start today. And let’s keep at it long after the Holy Week is over.
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