Next week is Holy Week throughout the Church. All over the world Christians will spend time marking the final journey of Jesus through growing resistance to him and his message, betrayal for money, an unjust trial and, finally, his wrongful execution by the state by crucifixion.
For many, Holy Week is just another week of being busy. In fact, it is extra busy because we have Easter baskets to make, Easter Eggs to boil and color, family Easter celebrations to arrange, new Easter outfits to try on and purchase. Holy Week sometimes feels to folks as “hellish” week because of all that has to happen before the weekend.
I want to invite you to try a different way.
I invite you simply being. Simply be present in the weekday liturgies offered Monday through Friday at St. George. Simply be a participant in our Stations of the Cross with others or as a personal devotion. Simply read the Gospel lessons appointed for each day in Holy Week. Find a quiet place to sit (Courtyard, All Souls’ Chapel, the Sanctuary, etc) and simply be in communion with God.
On Ash Wednesday we are invited by the Church to enter into the Lenten season. Holy Week extends its own invitation for us to come a enter the final days of Jesus leading us to his arrest and crucifixion. We are invited to journey with Jesus through the deeply troubling hours before his suffering and death. We are invited to experience the depths of his sorrow and struggle. We are invited to set aside everything we are doing, all we are thinking, all which we have been taught about what is important in life. In its place we are invited to take hold of the Sacrifice of God in whose death we find power and victory over death in all the forms it takes in our daily lives.
Below my signature are the worship times this week. I hope to see you often this week as we come together as a family to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
Peace,
Ram+
