You may lead us to where you call… these are the final words from the Prayer after Communion for Palm Sunday. Although I had read them in preparation for celebrating Mass, I was especially struck by these words as I prayed them during the Masses of Palm Sunday. In fact, I was so moved by them I included these words in my remarks to the congregation during the announcements after Communion!

You may lead us to where you call… where does the Lord lead us this Holy Week? In the midst of a broken world, Christ leads us to be His hands and feet as we strive to be agents of unity rather than division. This week, as we hear the story of our salvation in Christ, He calls us to embrace our Faith in a completely new way and to live our Faith without compromise. 

When do we compromise our Faith?

We compromise our Faith each time we fail to see Christ in our brothers and sisters who are different from us; we compromise our Faith when we allow the false gods of consumerism to block our charity and care for the poor; we compromise our Faith whenever we choose to live in resentment and anger, rather than embracing the freedom of forgiveness and letting go; we compromise our Faith each time the almighty “ME” comes before God and the other. We compromise our Faith each time we fail to pray because “we are just too busy.”

This Holy Week, may we not only be led by Christ to the fullness of His call for each one of us, but even more, may we accept His invitation to lead us now, and ultimately, to the eternal Easter in the Kingdom of God!

Fr. Jordan Kelly, O.P. is a Dominican Friar of the Province of Saint Joseph and pastor at the Church of St. Sebastian in Providence, RI.