MONDAYS MAKE ME miss Karen and Richard Carpenter, particularly their pop hit “Rainy Days and Mondays,” especially today that Egay has not yet become the typhoon that PAGASA has forecast him to be. The message of the song uplifts that, however rain is appreciated, for the boon it pours down on plants, and irrigation systems, and watersheds, its cessation restarts the fun, joy, and merriment of getting together which cannot be possible amid downpours and, worse, typhoons. Mondays also start a busy week, fresh from a blessed Sunday visit with the Lord, of families huddled in warm companionship, and friendships celebrated after loved ones have been prioritized. Nothing is taken for granted. Unlike the wishful song, we always find a place where there’s room to grow. A room, we pray, where we will fit and belong, and find somebody who loves us.
In our Catholic tradition, Mondays are devoted to the Holy Spirit, and the souls in purgatory. It’s great to continue the work week with extra devotion to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, to whom we pray for enlightenment, wisdom, and the right (ways and) words to help others.
At the end of Divine Services on Monday, the dismissal (partly from St. John Crysostom) begins with the words: “May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of his most-pure Mother, by the might of the precious and life-giving Cross, of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, (saint/s of the day), and of all the saints, have mercy on us, for as much as He is good, and loves mankind. So ardent is our faith that, next to the start of the week, we pray that the second and the rest of the week be as blessed.
Those who think Monday as the week start give it a bad rap. When it unfolds, many cringe at the thought of the day ahead. Some start sweating Monday’s arrival on Friday! The idea of having to start a long, tiring, work week all over again after a few days of downtime, gives Mondays direct symbolic ties to chaos, fatigue, and the blues. But, an in-depth look into the rich symbolism and meaning of this much aligned weekday might be just the thing we need to see the start of every week in a far more favorable light!
While people in Western cultures (and influenced by them) often place Monday at the start of the week, this custom is not always the case in other parts of the world. Ancient Hebrew tradition, as well as the Catholic faith, place Sunday as the first day of the week. Monday is the second, and so on.
On a personal level, many people find Monday challenging, not just because the weekend is over, but because of the moon’s association and energetic influence. The lunar sphere is said to stir up emotions, making one moodier than usual. So, one of the most critical parts of Monday is starting the day with positive thoughts. Little things you can do on Mondays (not that you are moony) for keeping your outlook upbeat include:
Pray to your Patron or Patroness. Meditate to still overwhelming thoughts.
Visualize bright, motivational life pouring into your aura. Stretch before you get out of bed; it’s good for your body and decreases stress. Breathing: Take three cleansing breaths from deep in your stomach. Don’t rush (if possible). Hurrying exasperates anxiety and muddles focused thinking.
Use your Mondays as motivation days. Launch yourself forward into a glorious week.
In Christianity, the Eastern Orthodox Church sets aside Mondays for commemorating angels. In the monastery, Monday is a day for fasting because monks strive to live their life in a way that follows the angels’ model.
The angel Gabriel oversees Monday. His focus is keeping us maintain our divine connection, not just on Monday, but every day. Let us cultivate calling on Gabriel on a Monday for getting messages out and having them well-received.
Monday is a time of expectation and ramping up for the following days. Don’t get off track with dark and stormy anticipation Monday holds. Let us get in touch with our intuitive, spiritual, inner self. Embrace the rest of our week with all the blessed potential it, like the previous, productive Sunday, brought into our reality. Let’s set our sights on Monday with our intentions aligned with piety, positivity, productivity, and happiness.
Amen.
