Reflections on Holy Week: The Spirit is Willing, But the Flesh is Weak

In todays gospel with Peter says he will lay down his life for Jesus, Peter doesn’t know what he’s saying. His spirit was willing, he wanted to be able to do it, but his flesh was weak, he had not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to do it. Additionally, Jesus had not yet shown Peter “the Way”. Jesus had not yet gone before him to His death. So when Peter said he would lay down his life for Jesus, he truly did not know what that meant; although one day he would know and would have the grace to be able to take up his cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus always goes before us. We cannot forge ahead without first being led and shown the way forward. After this conversation with Peter, it was Jesus who then went and showed Peter, and all of us, “the Way” through his passion, death and resurrection. Our own suffering and death is inevitable, but our God goes before us. Christ went to His death for our sake. Not so we won’t have to suffer or die, but so we would know the way and so we would not be alone. The Word made Flesh entered into our humanity, fully unto death, and we are saved and brought to our eternal destiny through Him. This great mystery is our hope, the light unto our path. Jesus is our way.

In addition to Jesus showing us the way, as limited human beings, we must recognize that we cannot truly lay down our life for Jesus without the power of the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit can give us the fortitude and self-surrender to be able to do such a thing. It is through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that we are able to do the divine, to choose God’s will over our own. The flesh is weak.

It wasn’t until Pentecost, when Peter received the power from the Holy Spirit, that he was able to risk his life and eventually die for Jesus. It’s important for us to recognize that only in our weakness, God’s power is made manifest. We operate in the power of the Holy Spirit to the degree in which we are first willing to lay down our own selfish will and let God’s will reign in and through us.

Peter had to first lay down his will in order for the Spirit to descend upon him in such a way that would give him the power to eventually lay down his life. This came with Peter’s full recognition of his weakness at the very moment the cock crowed and Jesus’ prophetic words pierced his heart. Peter’s weakness was revealed and he wept bitterly over it. In this moment Peter was finally able to lay down his will and surrender his weakness to the Father. It is in this spiritual laying down of our will, in the handing over our weaknesses, that the coming of God’s divine assistance is ushered in. The Holy Spirit comes in our weakness, in order to give us the grace to do the impossible.

While Jesus shows us the way, and the Spirit comes to us and gives us divine grace from within to motivate and sustain our actions, our Guardian Angel follows behind us, keeping us from looking back or giving up. We are truly protected and guarded on all sides in order for God to do the impossible in and through us; all in order for us to be a praise of His glory.

As we walk through the paschal mystery this week, let us remember that it is only through divine help that we are able to strive toward our Heavenly Father. With Christ ever before us, the Spirit ever within us, and our Guardian Angel ever behind us, we are surrounded by Divine Love. It is this love of our Heavenly Father that makes it possible for us to truly follow Jesus. His love is always for us, as it continually urges us on. Happy Holy Week!