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Almost immediately after 9/11 happened, discussions started about making the date a national holiday in the United States.
And almost without hesitation, another sentiment rebutted.
That sentiment was, let’s NOT make it a national holiday. Let’s NOT make it a day that becomes about a barbecue and a party.
Rather, let’s keep it a day where we go to work and remember those who lost their lives that day doing just that.
Let’s remember the heroes that died in order to save so many other lives in a way that is respectful and shows tremendous gratitude.
As Americans, my fellow citizens saw what can become of a day that was covered in tragedy and great loss.
Many Americans saw that certain atrocities best be remembered in other ways than parties, parades and barbecues.
And the loss of life that day was tragic and done out of horrifying hate.
If we as modern people can see that it would not be honorable to go to a party to celebrate 9/11, we should also be able to see another day that should not be characterized by parties and get togethers, but rather moments of silence and prayer.
That day is Good Friday.
Many of us truly love Jesus. We as Christians know that He is Our Lord God and Savior. One of three divine persons in the Most Holy Trinity.
The Son of God who came to this world to save us from our own sin. To die for us as if we were the only person in the world.
Let us honor Jesus with moments of silence and prayer.
So yes, indeed, we should make plans for Good Friday.
We should plan to participate in silence – longer moments than other days.
We should plan especially for the time between 12 and 3. If a moment of silence is important enough that a law was passed in New York for public schools to hold a moment of silence every September 11th, our hearts should also see the need to give intentional silence and respect to Our Lord who died for us.
We should plan to fast and abstain.
Christ made the ultimate sacrifice out of love for us. Let us make a sacrifice out of love for Him. Let’s sacrifice eating three full meals. Let’s sacrifice eating meat. Let’s sacrifice social media between 12 and 3.
I love how this article discusses why we fast and how powerful fasting can be:
“The whole purpose of fasting is to put the created order and our spiritual life in a proper balance,” Carnazzo said.
As “bodily creatures in a post-fallen state,” it’s easy to let our “lower passions” for physical goods supersede our higher intellect, he explained. We take good things for granted and reach for them whenever we feel like it, “without thinking, without reference to the One Who gives us the food, and without reference to the question of whether it’s good for us or not,” he added.
Thus, fasting helps “make more room for God in our life,” Monsignor Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter/St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. said.
The article later answers the question, Why is fasting so powerful?
Why fasting is so powerful
“The fast is the weapon of protection against demons,” taught St. Basil the Great. “Our Guardian Angels more really stay with those who have cleansed our souls through fasting.”
Why is fasting so powerful? “By setting aside this (created) realm where the devil works, we put ourselves into communion with another realm where the devil does not work, he cannot touch us,” Carnazzo explained.
It better disposes us for prayer . . .
We should plan to visit a church, attend a service or participate in Stations of the Cross
This may not be possible for everyone. Many people have to work that day – and many work for parishes. Emily Ricci, founder of Gloriam Marketing, suggests if you work at a parish:
Remember everyone you work with that day is going to be fasting, and so fuses can be a little short – make a concerted effort not to take things personally.
In terms of keeping it spiritual, I would always recommend attending a service elsewhere or later in the day just for your own edification to keep work and adoration separate. That goes for any holy day really, but especially Good Friday…there’s a lot of behind the scenes coordination going on and all of that scheduling can really take away from being in the moment
What if you have a full day’s work, and kids, etc.?
Follow the rules of abstinence and fasting.
Treat your lunch break differently. Make it look different. Eat less. Leave your work area. Sara from To Jesus, Sincerely suggests to do “anything else that helps you enter into the Passion”.
Deanna Bartalini, host of Live Not Lukewarm podcast said that when her children were teens, they would watch Jesus Christ Superstar, but now her and husband watch The Passion.
If you have smaller children, plan to read them a book about holy week (The Week that Led to Easter) or child’s version of The Stations of the Cross. Catholic Family Crate offers a free Holy Week Kit!
We can do this!
We can remember that Jesus died for us in order to save us! We can live this Good Friday in a way that is respectful and shows tremendous gratitude.
We can do this joyfully, because ultimately, Jesus did this and it is good that He did.
