The Journey: Walking through Holy Week

What is your favorite Holy Day?  Most think of Christmas -the joy, the family time, the music, the celebration of Jesus’ birth. 

But for me, it’s Holy Week - especially the Holy Tridiuum.

Holy Week, is quieter - a time of reflection, solitude and  gratitude. It is important to take the time and think about what is happening during this week.

Imaginative prayer is a beautiful way to enter into Holy Week.  On Palm Sunday, we hear the Passion Gospel for the first time.  As you listen, choose a person and stay with them throughout the week.  

See what they saw. Smell  what they smelled.  Cry the tears that they cried.  Feel what they felt.  

Will you walk with Peter, who denied knowing Jesus three times.  Or will  your heart be drawn to Mary, hearing Simeon’s words echo in her mind “A sword will pierce through your own soul also” ?

In my own life I experienced a life-changing Holy Tridium, after the death of my baby daughter. I was drawn to Mary, somehow finding comfort in knowing  she understood my grief - and I began to understand hers.  

The tears I shed that year were not only for my own loss, but for Mary, our Blessed Mother, who endured the suffering of her Son. 

My relationship with Mary changed after that year, she was not just the Mother of my Savior, our Blessed Mother.  She is my sister in grief.

Take the time to partake in the celebrations of the Holy Tridium, feel the pain of Jesus and all he suffered for each of us.  Feel the emotions of his close companions, Peter, John or even Judas.  Maybe you are drawn to someone not mentioned in the passion but whose life was changed by Jesus, such as Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha, or the women at the well.

Whoever you decide to follow during this time, make sure to take the time this week to enter into the Passion with them.

Read all 4 accounts of the Passion found in  the Gospel, walk with those who were there. You might even write what you experience in a journal.  

Then pause and reflect on your own relationship with Jesus - His love for you , then, now and always.

My prayer for you is that this Holy Week gives you the space to pause, to reflect, and to encounter Jesus in a deeper way than ever before.

Choose Joy Always

Jane

Joy in Prayer: An Invitation to Divine Mercy

There are times in our life when we feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply tired. It is often in those moments that we need to be reminded of something very simple and very powerful: Jesus, I trust in You.

Divine Mercy is not something complicated. It is an invitation—an invitation to trust that Jesus meets us exactly where we are, with love, compassion, and mercy.

This devotion comes from an extraordinary story. Jesus appeared to a humble Polish nun, Saint Faustina, and asked her to share His message of mercy with the world. Through these apparitions, He gave her the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the image of Divine Mercy, and the Divine Mercy Novena.

The novena begins on Good Friday and continues for nine days, ending on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter. It is a beautiful way to walk with the heart of Christ’s mercy during the most sacred time of the Church year.

Jesus promised extraordinary graces through this devotion—not as something to be earned, but as a gift freely given to those who trust in Him and come to Him with open hearts.

I took this photo on Divine Mercy Sunday during the holy hour of 3:00 PM. I was in awe seeing the way the reflection of light shined through the window. It reminded me of the rays of mercy pouring out into the world—quietly, gently, and constantly. It was a simple moment, but one that felt full of meaning and love.

That is what I am beginning to understand about Divine Mercy. It is often found in the quiet moments. It does not demand our perfection. It simply asks for our trust.

Jesus is not distant from us. He comes toward us—especially in the moments when we feel most unsure, most broken, or most in need. His mercy is not reserved for when we “have it all together.” It is given freely, right in the middle of our everyday lives.

This message of mercy was later brought to the whole Church by Pope John Paul II, who had a deep devotion to Divine Mercy. He canonized St. Faustina and re-established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast for the entire Church.

If you would like to learn more about this powerful story, I highly recommend watching Divine Mercy in The Second Greatest Story Ever Told with Father Michael Gaitley.  You will be amazed at how this story of Divine Mercy weaves together St. Faustina, Pope St. John Paul II, World War II, and St. Maximillian Kolbe.  It’s a beautiful story of watching God’s mercy in action.

Also, if you want to learn more about Divine Mercy, how to say the chaplet or how to say the novena https://www.thedivinemercy.org/   is a great site that is filled with all kinds of information on the Divine Mercy.

So where do you begin so you have Divne Mercy in your life?

It is as simple as pausing for a moment at 3:00 PM, the holy hour, even briefly, and turning our hearts toward Him. 

It is as simple as repeating the words, “Jesus, I trust in You,” especially when trusting him feels difficult. 

It is as simple as allowing ourselves to receive mercy—and then offering that same mercy to others.

It is as simple as praying the Divine Mercy Novena starting on Good Friday.

We don’t need to overcomplicate it.

We are simply invited to trust.

As we move toward Divine Mercy Sunday, I invite you to begin the Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday and walk these nine days with Jesus.

Each day is just a few moments of prayer—but over time, it becomes something much deeper: a quiet journey of trust.

This week, take a small moment each day to pause and remember that you are not alone. Let these words become a gentle prayer in your heart:

Jesus, I trust in You.

You may be surprised how gently He meets you there.

Choose Joy Always

Jane

Love in Action: Simple Ways to Live Holy Week

Holy Week is one of the most sacred times of the year.

We walk with Jesus through His suffering, His death, and ultimately His Resurrection. While we attend Mass and reflect on these mysteries, there are also simple, meaningful traditions that can help us live this week more deeply in our homes and daily lives.

When my kids were younger, I often found myself trying to do everything—wanting to make every moment meaningful, sometimes going a little overboard, and often creating more stress than intention.

That’s not what this is meant to be.

These are simply ideas—gentle ways to help you share your faith within your home, beyond just attending Mass on Sunday.

Our Catholic faith is a living faith. We are called to let our faith shape our lives, not just have our faith be one small part of it.

Take a look at these traditions and choose what feels right for your family.

Let this be an invitation to slow down, to be present, and to spend time with Jesus during this holiest of weeks.

📖 Deepening the Week

One meaningful way to enter into Holy Week is by choosing a book to read—either on your own or together as a family.

.It doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Even reading a few pages each day can help slow you down and draw you more deeply into the meaning of this week.

This year, my husband and I are reading Seven Last Words: An Invitation to a Deeper Friendship with Jesus by Fr. James Martin. It has been a beautiful way to reflect on the words of Jesus and grow in our relationship with Him.

You might consider finding a book that speaks to you and making it part of your Holy Week rhythm.

These traditions don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the most meaningful ones are often the simplest. Here are a few ways to bring your faith into your daily life this week:

🌿 Palm Sunday → Beginning the Journey

After Mass, take your blessed palms and make small crosses.

Place one in each bedroom as a quiet reminder of the love Jesus has for each of us.

🕊 Holy Thursday → Love and Service

Attend Holy Thursday Mass and reflect on the Last Supper.

If you are able, spend time at the altar of repose. Visiting even one or two churches can be a beautiful way to enter into the quiet watch with Jesus.

At home, you might also:

• share a simple meal inspired by the Passover

• gather as a family and wash one another’s feet

These acts remind us that love is humble, personal, and sacrificial.

✝️ Good Friday → Reverence and Reflection

Attend Good Friday services and, if possible, pray the Stations of the Cross.

In your home, you can create a visual reminder of the solemnity of the day by covering crosses and religious images until Easter Sunday.

Allow the day to be quieter, more reflective—a space to sit with the depth of Christ’s love.

At 3:00pm, consider beginning the Divine Mercy Novena. This simple prayer marks the hour of Jesus’ death and is a beautiful way to enter into His mercy. The novena continues each day through Divine Mercy Sunday.

🌅 Holy Saturday → Waiting with Hope

Holy Saturday is a day of waiting.

It can also be a day of quiet acts of love:

• visit someone who is elderly or sick and bring them a small sign of Easter joy

• prepare your Easter meal and, if possible, have your food blessed

• make “good deed beads” or small tokens for those entering the Church at the Easter VigiL

You might also bring joy into your home by:

• dyeing Easter eggs using natural dyes

• making Resurrection rolls as a reminder of the empty tomb

Continue the Divine Mercy Novena today, allowing it to become a quiet rhythm of prayer as you wait in hope.

✨ Easter Vigil & Easter Sunday → Celebration

Attend the Easter Vigil Mass if you are able—it is one of the most beautiful liturgies of the year.

Then celebrate Easter Sunday with gratitude and joy, remembering that everything we have walked through this week leads to new life.

Continue the Divine Mercy Novena today, carrying the joy of the Resurrection into this prayer of trust

🌿 Closing These traditions. are not about doing everything perfectly. They are simply invitations—small ways to enter more fully into the story of our faith. Choose one or two that speak to you. Let them guide your heart. And allow this Holy Week to become not just something you observe…but something you truly live.

Choose Joy Always

Jane

Grateful Living: Finding God in All Things

Gratitude is a beautiful way to live.

I have noticed that people who live with gratitude are often the happiest. When I am around someone who has that gift, I always think, “I want that too.” People who practice gratitude are able to find God in all things.

I had the wonderful opportunity to work at a Jesuit high school for 12 years. It was there that I learned about the Ignatian practice of finding God in all things. It is the cornerstone of Jesuit spirituality, and it has become the foundation of the spirituality I try to live each day.

When you begin to see the world through this lens—looking for God in all things—your perspective shifts. You begin to feel more thankful, more aware, and more connected to the life unfolding around you.

But how do we remember to “put on those glasses”?

We begin by noticing the details—especially the small ones. Over time, you will start to recognize God actively present in your life. For me, it can be something simple, like missing someone and then hearing a song on the radio that reminds me of them.

God dwells in all things, and we are called to respect and have gratitude for all of creation. This is where trust becomes important. God’s creations can be complex, beautiful, confusing, and even frightening. We may not always feel gratitude right away—but we are invited to trust.

I remember when my son’s dorm was struck by lightning in the middle of the night, fire destroying the building. All of the students made it out safely, but they lost everything. In the midst of that loss, there was so much gratitude—gratitude for lives saved, and for the overwhelming love from the community, who came together to support them in incredible ways. Even in something difficult, we were able to find God’s presence.

God is not confined to a church building. While Mass is essential—where we receive the Holy Eucharist—God also lives in our daily lives, in our relationships, and in one another. We are His hands, His feet, His voice, and His heart to the world.

Practices like the Daily Examen, journaling, and simply being present can help us stay open to seeing God in all areas of our lives.

This week, try putting on those “glasses.”

Look for God in the unexpected and write down where you see Him moving.

You may be surprised at just how active He is in your life.

Choose Joy Always

Jane