Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?” (Jn 11:55-56)
Family vacations were a two-edged sword. They were fun, yes. However, they also involved a certain amount of “pain” at the beginning and the end of the vacation.
You guessed it. We always drove.
Having a family with four boys, my parents could not afford to fly us anywhere. If we went on vacation, it was always by car with my dad doing most of the driving.
The trips were always arduous.
No matter how much we wanted or needed to stop along the way, dad tried to get us one exit further before stopping. When we stopped, it was “strictly business”: fill the car with gas and run the kids to the bathroom. We did not spend a whole lot of time stretching or relaxing. It was back into the car and begin again.
Thus, when our destination drew closer, we were all tired and frazzled. We began to look for the exit, hoping that it would arrive and wondering what sorts of things would be waiting for us when we finally stopped.
Lent is a lot like that.
We have been “on the road” for quite some time now, preparing for the exit of Easter.
We are fast approaching.
At the Masses tonight and tomorrow, we will celebrate the Passion of the Lord at Palm Sunday. Thus begins our final days of Lent before the celebration of the Triduum. We know it is close. We might be tired and frazzled because of our Lenten journey. However, we know that the journey will soon end at the destination of Easter.
It is time to refocus our attention and energy to what lies ahead.
FAITH ACTION: Take the time to read the account of the Lord’s passion so that you may be prepared for the beginning of Holy Week tomorrow with the celebration of Palm Sunday.