Bedwellty Parish travel through Holy Week
“The pre-existent Christ, who existed with God before time began, left the perfect world to enter into the mess of everyday life, and to take our human flesh.”
These words of Bishop Dominic at one of his Lenten lectures became very real for us in Holy Week. We travelled the journey from Palm Sunday with all its celebration and joy, to the last supper with the disciples not only receiving words of warning but also words of comfort, to the events of Good Friday and Easter. We can only imagine the immense feelings of hurt and sadness our Lord must have experienced when betrayed by someone he had been close to and had certainly loved.
The so-called trial by Pilate stripped Christ of his dignity but not of his sovereignty. The sense of loss and grief we felt on Good Friday when he was tortured to death was only a fraction of what his followers and earthly family must have experienced. To be stripped of every hope and dream, and to witness the pain and suffering of a dearly beloved son, friend or teacher, must have torn at the very core of their souls.
[Easter elation shared by a group of parishioners]
“Christ is risen, Alleluia!” is the wonderful proclamation of Easter Sunday, and again our elation is just a fraction of what must have been felt by Mary Magdalene and later on by the other disciples too. To have met with the risen Christ is unimaginable, and a privilege we share with the followers of Jesus everywhere.
Along with every other Christian church, this was our experience in Bedwellty Parish in 2009 – a reality brought home to us in new ways. For some time now, children at the local schools have been working diligently at designing a garden for St Peter's. Throughout Holy Week, their beautiful and creative plans were put on display for all to see. The Church doors were open every day for all, not only to view the exhibition of garden plans and mix socially, but to travel a labyrinth to the cross – a journey set out as a visual aid which adults and children alike found moving and informative.
[Photo - part of the labyrinth]
Jaci Prosser