Look at the candle. What is it used for? Is it not for giving light? If it is to give light, it must burn and make itself less.

"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Phil 2:6-11)
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

We hear the account of Jesus' Passion and death every Palm (Passion) Sunday and Good Friday. When Jesus entered Jerusalem shortly before His death, the great crowd "got palm branches and came out to meet Him. They kept shouting: 'Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!' " (Jn 12:13) When these praises were first sung, Jesus' admirers changed their tune from "Hosanna!" to "Crucify Him!" (Mk 15:13-14) When Jesus told Peter and the other apostles that they would turn on Him, change their tune, and deny Him repeatedly, they reasserted vehemently that they would die for Him rather than deny Him (Mk 14:31). However, an hour or two later, they "all deserted Him and fled" (Mk 14:50).

What will you do this Holy Week?

Will our Holy Week and our lives be "Holy, holy, holy" or "Crucify, crucify, crucify"? Or will it be both?

The Catholic faith isn’t always the glorious or easy road to follow when measured by worldly standards, but we know without any doubt that it is how we are called to live our lives. In our families, friendships, jobs, marriages, schooling, or wherever we are in our lives, are we seeking to die to ourselves so that Christ may live more fully in our hearts?

We all realize there is no way of us ever attaining the heart of Christ as our own while here on earth. However through our struggles and Gods great mercy and grace, He will make up for what is lacking in us.

Driven by crucified love, let us make the greatest decision of our lives and renew our baptismal promises this Easter Sunday.