Holy Week thoughts

These flowers were my long-overdue reward for making it another 2 months of consecutive workouts (9 months!). I walked in the door and David said, "You bought flowers for yourself??" and I just looked at him and said he could buy flowers for himself the next time he hits a workout goal. Not the point of this post...they just make a pretty intro photo.

These flowers were also half a reward for making it to confession yesterday afternoon. Although it was one of my New Year's resolutions to go every month, let's just all be honest here and say that hasn't really happened. I've made a few more stops at the local adoration chapel than normal due to that resolution (Pink Sisters ftw!), but coordinating a time when I have our one car + Kate is at home + there are confessions available somewhere has not been as easy as I had hoped.

But I promised myself I'd go before Easter - and I made it happen, thank goodness. I headed down to the Newman Center because I figured it was spring break and there wouldn't be a lot of people in line (compared to last Holy Week when I went to our home parish and stood in line for 45 minutes and then didn't even get to receive before they shut it down!). I showed up plenty early, and then...waited. and waited. and waited.

Confessions were scheduled to start at 4:45. I was the first confession at 5:09. (monkey covering mouth emoji here plz)

Now, I shouldn't be surprised. Our chaplain at the Newman Center has a tendency to be late, but I figured since it was Holy Week he'd make more of an effort to be on time. And I'm sure he had a valid excuse - he runs one of the biggest Newman Centers in the U.S. and is a very busy priest. But for a little bit I was annoyed. I made the effort to come here on time, Jesus! So I could get my sacrament and get out! What gives?

But all that extra time waiting gave me a great chance to actually read the Passion from Palm Sunday (since our Mass last Sunday was focused on keeping a very fidgety toddler away from mischief) and the daily readings for all this week, as well as plenty of time for a good examination of conscience.

And it gave me a chance to notice the silence.

Ohhhh, the silence. It was heavenly (literally).

I sat in the church, the only person there, and just soaked up the silence. And I realized that was the best gift He could have given me during this Holy Week - however unintentional on my part, completely planned by Him, this long stretch of silence (that I just do not get enough of as a work-from-home mama).

What a great start to Holy Week, if you ask me.
Hope yours is going equally as well, and if it's not, well, He's still there anyway.
HG