A Holy Week Thought

I went to church today for confession with my family. The church was packed with parishioners going about their holy week rituals. Many were doing stations of the cross, some where obviously not from our parish and was on visita iglesia, but a great majority were lined up for confession.

The queue was rather long and a little disorganized. When we arrived we didn’t know where the “line” started and ended. Good thing that a layperson noticed the confusion and immediately put the line in order.

Now, since it is Holy Week, let me talk about something appropriate to the occasion---SACRIFICE. Lent calls for fasting and abstinence as part of the regular Catholic sacrifice to remember Christ own sacrifice for our sins. Christ endured the scourging, the weight of the cross, and His crucifixion. However, there are other forms of sacrifice that one can do to commemorate the season and that includes waiting in long lines. Unfortunately, not all people see it that way.

We lined up for confession with an elderly woman. She was all made up with a good layer of make-up and matching cherry red lipstick. She had her ash-grey hair combed back with what seemed to be a wet-look gel. She did look frail but her movement would say that looks could be deceiving. Well, she looked like she was under the impression that her age merited a NO LINE passes and moved her way up the head of the line! I can see her discussion her case to the young man she was trying to insert her way in. The man was explaining to her that it would be unfair to those in line (not to mention to the other elderly people patiently waiting in line). Well, she was either dumb or just plain unscrupulous to know the difference since she inserted herself anyway! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! What a waste of years! One thing I can say about this matter is---THERE IS NO SHORTCUT TO HEAVEN! Amen.