There are images that call me to prayer and reflection. These images are often explicitly religious, but not always. God’s Spirit can touch us through any of our experiences, through any image we come across.
The mood of Holy Week is somber, yet hopeful. I wonder what the mood was at the Last Supper. Jesus knew what would happen to him, but what about the others? Was this a Passover just like all the others? We know that Jesus altered the ritual when he pronounced the bread and wine to be his body and blood, and when he told the disciples to do this to remember him, and when he washed their feet. What did they make of all that?
Good Friday was an experience of great pain for Jesus and of tremendous loss for his followers. Even though he knew the end was near, Jesus remained true to his call. Even though he knew the forces of darkness would appear to prevail, he did not give up the light.
The quiet of the tomb on Holy Saturday gave the disciples a chance to grieve and reflect on what had happened to Jesus and what might happen to them. It must have been a very frightening and confusing time for them, as they tried to find comfort in each other’s presence.
I hope you find time this week to reflect on the events of Holy Week, perhaps using images; what these events meant to Jesus and his disciples, and what they mean to you. We know that death is not the end, but we also know it’s important to immerse ourself in the events of this week, for what they teach us about Jesus and faithfulness and ourselves, as we accompany Jesus in his final days on earth.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)
spiritphoto 