Fellow Parishioners
This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday when Christ was greeted with cheers and jubilation as He entered Jerusalem and His path was covered with the palms the crowds tore down from the trees.
Imagine what it would have been like to be part of that crowd, full of hope and looking forward to a new future. We would not have known what was to happen within a short time when the whole picture would change and all would appear to be lost.
As we begin our journey through Holy Week, let us reflect on how Christ suffered cruelly at the hands of the Roman authorities and His journey to the Cross to complete the will of His Father. Christ died for the sins of all mankind so I find myself reflecting on my part in His death, the sins I have committed and the loving forgiveness of Christ and His Heavenly Father.
Recalling our Parish pilgrimage to Oberammergau in 2000, I have never forgotten the sound of the nails being hammered into place – a cruel sentence for my sins. Yet Christ asked His father to forgive his accusers because they know not what they do. How many times have I known not what I do?
It is a sobering thought as Good Friday approaches and we begin our Parish celebration of the Triduum. I have always found Good Friday a time of reflection and hope that some of you will be able to join the Walks of Witness in Walton and Harwich – let us be brave, join with our fellow Christians and show the local community how we feel about our faith – we stand at the foot of the Cross to witness Christs’ death, acknowledge the emptiness without Him and wait until He enters the world again on Easter Day.
I look forward to seeing you all during our Holy Week services as we reignite our personal faith journeys.
Sheila Wright
Thought for the Week: Two thousand years ago on a hilltop in Jerusalem an event happened that was bigger than our whole world – and is still remembered in our time. Anon