Dear Parishioners,
As we prepare to live and celebrate the most holy week of our Christian calendar in new and difficult circumstances, I pray for you and your families at this time.
Could Jesus’ disciples have imagined how their world would change for them within 5 days? With Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, celebrated this Sunday, Palm Sunday, the disciples must have been on top of the world with Jesus their friend and teacher, hailed as ‘the Son of David’ and acclaimed as ‘the prophet Jesus from Nazareth’ by all the people. They would have basked in his extended glory. By Thursday night Jesus was a hunted man, arrested, tortured and crucified on Friday, Good
Friday. Their world fell apart, they were fearful, despondent, drained of all hope, and hiding behind locked doors and frightened to go out lest they be arrested. There are some themes in our Christian Celebration of
Holy Week that are relevant to us in the current Corona crisis. In some respects our world has changed within a few weeks, many certain?es have been shaWered; we can become fearful for our safety and indeed our lives, we can be ‘shut in’ physically and emo?onally by fear of the
present and the future.
With the hindsight that the disciples did not have, we know the suffering led to glory, new life and new hope. That good news has been celebrated every year since Jesus rose from the dead, by faithful Christians. We in our own lives live through various deaths and new beginnings, indeed we do so every day in small ways and at other times more dramatic ways. Jesus is with us, His spirit strengthens, renews and inspires us each new day.
‘I am with you always’.
May we prayerfully unite ourselves and our families with the journey of Jesus to new life over this Holy Week. So I encourage you to take ?me to pray as a family, maybe light a candle, open up your family bible, share the Holy Week story with each other. You might get your children to sow some seeds in your flower or vege gardens and together await and look forward to the new life they herald, as we all journey towards the celebration of new life in Christ next Sunday, Easter Sunday.
As we cannot gather as a community of faith in our beautiful churches over these sacred days, let our homes be the sacred building where we pray, celebrate and discover the presence of the crucified and risen Lord. There will be many ceremonies celebrated online for us to participate in. Please check our Facebook and webpage for details (see back page of this bulletin).
Though we are separated physically let us remember we are
always united as one in faith and prayer.
Wishing you every blessing for Holy Week.
Fr Owen
