“I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
“I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
Many Christians may be surprised to realise that this Sunday, 5 April, is Palm Sunday which marks the start of Holy Week. All of us have been caught up in the events and news of each passing day which has perhaps drawn our collective attention away from the usual rhythms and cycles of life. Added to this, we are facing the reality of the coming Easter period as being one in which we can neither gather in our churches for communal worship nor even gather in large family groups at home to mark the most holy and important days of the Christian calendar.
Crucifixion
Despite this, our faith compels us to trust in our God who is for us “the Lord, the Giver of Life.” The events that all Christians commemorate during Holy Week are for us the essence of our faith. And the events of Holy Week guide us on the journey from death to new life; from falling to rising.
These are the rhythms and the cycle of Holy Week:
– Palm Sunday (Jesus proclaimed as the one who lives life to the fullest)
– Last Supper (Jesus offering to us the gift of his eternal presence)
– Good Friday (Jesus surrendering his own life so that we may have eternal life)
– Easter Sunday (Jesus being raised from the dead to affirm life)
These are also the rhythms and the cycle of life for all who believe in Jesus. Jesus calls us to fulness of life. Jesus calls us to be in his presence and to know that he walks the journey with us. Jesus calls us to surrender those parts of our self that prevent us from being fully human. Jesus calls us to be fully alive by our placing our lives, our hope, and our trust in him.
During times of surrender—just like during this COVID-19 experience—we come to a greater understanding of the beatitude that proclaims, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” To be poor in spirit means to know one’s place and to not be proud or boastful. To be poor in spirit means to be able to surrender to God’s will. And surrender requires trust. God’s promise to those who believe in Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit is that we have nothing to fear. “Be not afraid!” the Lord proclaims.
The Easter Message is clear: to live life in Christ is to be fully alive. To be fully alive is to walk life’s journey with Jesus, trusting that however life unfolds for us, we are in the care and protection of a loving Saviour who knows our human frailty as well as our human potential for greatness.
Angelo Gattone - Mission Coordinator
