The Easter Triduum

Tomorrow begins the holiest days of the liturgical year, the Easter Triduum. I always reach this time wishing I had made a better Lent. This year was an especially busy time with a visit to Texas for a granddaughter's Confirmation. As a matter of fact we only returned home this afternoon in time to celebrate the Holy Week services at our own parish, the place we really wanted to be.

As much as I love spending time with our two Texas families in Houston and Austin, I find visiting and Lent a hard combination. Larry and I generally go to daily Mass, but during our two weeks on the road we managed to make daily Mass only a handful of times.

In the car we always have time for multiple rosaries, our Legion of Mary prayers, and selections from the Liturgy of the Hours, but our Lenten fasting commitments get more difficult. Throw in my Lenten birthday and several others among our children, and Lenten fasting is a challenge indeed.

So here I am at the end of another Lent, once again wishing I'd done more than I have and praying that the Lord will accept my meager sacrifices knowing how weak I am. I think the only time I really resemble the apostles is when they are sleeping in the garden and running away and hiding. But the grace of God can transform even a miserable apostle like me, so I throw myself on Christ's mercy and ask for the grace to become a saint. Help me, Lord, especially during these last few days of Lent, to be conformed more closely to Your holy will.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.