Fred Cabras

        Holy Week is a time of personal reflection and spiritual growth through prayer. During the Lenten season, we offer up a sacrifice to prepare us for the celebration of Holy week and Easter. This season I choose to sacrifice one of my many vices and that was pop. This personal sacrifice prepared me both spiritually and physically for Holy Week.

        I began the celebration of Holy Week by attending Palm Sunday Mass at the Newman Center on campus. There were many things that moved me during the Mass, starting with entering into the chapel with the palms waving; this really placed me into that prayerful state. For the next couple of days, I tried to be very conscious of my prayer life. On Tuesday, I was able to spend about half an hour with our Lord in Eucharistic adoration at the Newman chapel. I attended church everyday that I could so to continue this state of prayer.

        On Holy Thursday, I was invited to partake in the seder supper with many of the people from the Newman Center. After the seder supper, we went down to Holy Name Cathedral to pray and to participate in the annual church crawl. While waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, I led the group in a Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This really jump-started my prayerful state for the night.

        At the church crawl, we walked and visited nine different churches in the loop and UIC area. At each stop. We spent about ten minutes in prayer in front of the altar of repose. During each church, we would offer up some different type of prayer. On one of the walks we said a rosary. This was a great opportunity to spend time with friends and Jesus.

        On Good Friday, I was invited to attended the veneration service at St. Clements. While waiting for the service to start I was able to say a rosary and get myself into a prayerful state. The service was beautifully done. I can remember at one moment during the service, as the angelic voices of the choir sang in the back ground. I was looking at the cross of our Lord and I began to cry. At that moment I truly felt his presence in me.

        I attended Mass on Easter morning with my sister and parents. We attended Mass at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary located on the Southside. The church is very beautiful and well preserved. The ornate statues and mosaics were breathtaking. They had a replica of the Jesus’ burial tomb. The tomb was very beautiful and really got me into that prayerful state.

        We arrived early enough that I was able to say a rosary with my father. The Mass was very beautiful. The choir really did an amazing job. There were a couple of moments when I truly felt that there was a choir of angels singing in the background. My journey during Holy Week really prepared me for the resurrection of the Lord on Easter. Each day of Holy Week gave me a different experience that placed me into a prayerful euphoria.

Fred Cabras, Senior, Psychology