My friend and I were walking around the lake. We walked slowly and very carefully because of the uneven ground. I was focusing on my steps and engaging in conversation with my friend. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Look!” “Uh-uh!” I responded. “Look! Turn around, pleeease!” she insisted.

On Jan. 28, 1969, a Union Oil well six miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, blew out, spilling over three million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean. The ecological disaster that followed was catastrophic in scale, killing over 10,000 dolphins, seabirds, seals and sea lions.

Around this time each year in campus ministry, there is much to celebrate and praise God for his blessings. Easter has come (Alleluia!), graduation season approaches, and we begin to wrap up the academic year full of God’s abundant graces.

As we approach Divine Mercy Sunday on April 16, the new Order of Penance will go into effect, replacing the version that has been in use since 1973. The promulgation of the new ritual text on Divine Mercy Sunday is fitting, as it emphasizes the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and God’s Mercy in the life of every Catholic.

In Holy Week and Easter, all the activity, preaching, healing, Good News, and miracles of Jesus are synthesized and intensified in Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus was and is always for His Father and for us — this service, this servitude, has reached its climax. The hour comes, and He enters it with complete freedom. He beckons us to follow.

For Holy Week, the Texas Catholic Herald is sharing several online meditations, guides and related reflections to help the faithful more fully embrace this solemn time in the Church's Liturgical season. Ranging from 4 minutes to 23 minutes, use these links to help deepen your experience of Holy Week this year.