Dear friends in Christ
We begin Holy Week this weekend listening to Saint Matthew’s account of the Passion of Our Lord. As we listen, there can be a virtue or lesson we can learn for ourselves. Above all, we can reflect that Jesus underwent all of it for love of each of us. This is the greatest Week of the year and Christians everywhere follow the last days and hours of Jesus’ life with faith and devotion. The Church through her liturgy makes present again those events. We come to church often this week, not to view a drama, but to participate in those acts of our redemption as they are made present again, through the action of the Holy Spirit. Palm Sunday re-presents to us the entry of Jesus into His City where He begins the work of our salvation. On Wednesday morning at 11am in Brentwood Cathedral, our Priests will gather with our Bishop for the Mass of Chrism; this is the moment for the Blessing of the Holy Oils used in the Sacraments for the coming year, and priests renew their Priestly Commitment—all are welcome to attend this. Thursday evening is the commemoration of the Last Supper—the first Mass—and the institution of the Priesthood of the New Covenant. On Good Friday we keep the solemn and sacred day of the Lord’s Passion and Death; we make an effort to attend one of the services that day in church. On Holy Saturday, the Church keeps an expectant vigil at the tomb of Jesus and in the evening of Saturday the Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter is celebrated; during the Vigil several new members will be admitted to the life of the Church and receive Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Easter Sunday is the most important Day of the year as we rejoice that Christ has overcome the final enemy—death—and given us the hope of eternal life with Him. So, a full Week ahead and one which brings us to the very core of our Faith.
Some thoughts from a sermon of Pope St Leo the Great set the mood for us:
True reverence for the Lord’s passion means fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus crucified and recognising in Him our own humanity.The earth—our earthly nature—should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. The rocks – the hearts of unbelievers – should burst asunder...No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against Him. How much more does it bring to those who turn to him in repentance...The business of this life should not preoccupy us with its anxiety and pride, so that we no longer strive with all the love of our heart to be like our Redeemer, and to follow His example. Everything that He did or suffered was for our salvation: He wanted His body to share the goodness of its head...Again, who cannot recognise in Christ his own infirmities? Who would not recognise that Christ’s eating and sleeping, his sadness and his shedding of tears of love are marks of the nature of a slave? The body that lay lifeless in the tomb is ours. The body that rose again on the third day is ours. The body that ascended above all the heights of heaven to the right hand of the Father’s glory is ours. If then we walk in the way of his commandments, and are not ashamed to acknowledge the price he paid for our salvation in a lowly body, we too are to rise to share his glory. The promise He made will be fulfilled in the sight of all: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I too will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven."
God bless us all as we walk with Him this Week.
Msgr Kevin Hale