The Tribune

By Rev Angela C

Bosfield Palacious

THROUGHOUT our lives we go through the rhythm of sorrow and joy, dread of suffering, relief when delivered, and the agonised waiting that can accompany situations that are out of control. The holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter can teach us how to face whatever life brings.

Before we get to the end of the week, however, we should begin our reflections with Palm Sunday. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey, and not a war-horse, creates the backdrop for what is to unfold. He is hailed as a king but He is no ordinary king. There is no display of military might. He wears no armour and seems rather subdued.

Then comes the overturning of the tables of the money changers and the expulsion of the animals being sold for sacrifice within the temple. His righteous indignation serves as an affront to the religious authorities, and their pact with Judas, the betrayer, will soon be established.

Maundy Thursday introduces the concept of servant ministry with our Lord washing the feet of His disciples, the institution of the Eucharist as the constant reminder of the sacrifice made once for all for us by Jesus our crucified Saviour, and the command that we should love one another. It also reminds us of the need to face our inevitable death and to prepare our loved ones to remember the best lessons we have learnt from life. It speaks to moments of awful anticipation of some terrible event that is unavoidable and how to turn to God in passionate prayer in order to discern or confirm God’s will. We are drawn into the betrayal, abandonment and condemnation, and inspired to continue to love with the patient self-denying love of the Lord.

Good Friday is ushered in with a kangaroo court, trumped up charges and a mob incited to near riot in order to force Pilate to condemn Jesus to torture and a most cruel execution. This is a day of horror that ends with what appears to be defeat by death. Our Lord’s crucifixion involves every level of suffering imaginable, and this assures us that He feels with and for us whenever we suffer, even as we can identify, to some small degree, with His own pain. His last words of forgiveness, salvation, family accommodation, and personal experiences are models for us to follow when we are hurt or in great distress.

Holy Saturday captures the essence of waiting for the unknown future to meet us in the present. It parallels, the time of an aftermath when we are fearful, tearful, anxious or just numb. Shocked and dazed, we find it difficult to function. We are entombed in a cocoon of inactivity because we really do not know what to do.

Easter Sunday represents the epitome of celebration and fulfilled hopes and dreams beyond their (and our) wildest expectations. The resurrection is the supreme moment of God’s power on display. Up from the grave He rises, and this means that death is defeated and Satan has been routed.

As we recall the example of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we can prepare ourselves to find a blessing in every situation as God brings us through them. We can trust that God will never leave or forsake us, and we can pray for others to experience the same calming assurance.

The holiest of days are a life-long reflection of God’s grace and mercy, of God’s unconditional and sacrificial love for each one of us. They help our anchors to hold as we face uncertain days.