Good Friday

One of my New Year's resolutions was to go to confession once a month. I went in January and February, and then I did not go at all during Lent. I resolved to go to at least one "extra" Mass every month besides Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and so far I've been able to do that, but then again it's still only April. (I don't know about you but when I'm at Mass, there isn't anywhere else I want to be. Even on days when I'm distracted, not paying attention, nodding off during the homily, thinking about all of the things that need to get done--at Mass I'm truly home.) I even told myself I'd go to Holy Thursday Mass, but as usual, that did not happen. We (I) treated Holy Thursday just like any other ordinary day. I dropped the kids off at school and went to work and ran errands and gossiped and worried and made mistakes and took the boys to tae kwon do and did laundry and plopped my lazy self down on the couch when there was work to be done. And every Holy Thursday night, after the Eucharist--which we Catholics believe to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ--is taken from the church and brought to our parish hall until midnight when it's (He's) taken away (laid in the tomb) until Easter Vigil, I always, always, make an effort to go and spend a few minutes with Him, no matter how tired I am from the day. Last night I didn't even do that.

Often I have a hard time sleeping, fussing over things to be done, things I wish I hadn't done, things I wish I had or hadn't hadn't said, things that I've been putting off that should have been done yesterday. I think, if the world ends today all of our troubles will be over. When we all get to Heaven everyone will love each other and nobody will see anyone's faults or past mistakes, only the beauty that God made in each one of us. At times I've even found myself wishing God would speed things up a bit already. But I realize that there is still much work to be done. God wants us to face challenges and learn from our mistakes and love each other and stand up for the weak and feed the poor and clothe the hungry and encourage those who need encouragement.

It's almost Easter. I'm ready. (And I can get on Facebook again. Oh, and I can get on Twitter and tell all my followers to PLEASE vote for Gavin on Dancing With the Stars, 'cuz he's hanging on by the skin of his teeth and I REALLY don't want him to be eliminated this week. The number is 1-800-868-3404.)

All silliness aside, I hope you all have a blessed Easter. Today, Good Friday, may we all be filled with the hope that Christ's resurrection brings. He's alive. He's prepared a place for us. We are His.