The first week of the Easter holiday is one of the busiest in the Church’s year and so I am trying to get time to rest and recover after Easter. I need to remind myself that this was not an indulgence: taking time to look after my mental health is important.During the Easter season we have the option of singing the Vidi Aquam which is based on Ezekiel 47. The Vidi Aquam is a picture of water from God’s temple bring healing (or salvation). Vidi áquam egrediéntem de témplo, a látere déxtro, allelúia: I saw water coming forth from the temple on the right side, alleluia: et ómnes, ad quos pervénit áqua ísta, sálvi fácti sunt, and all those to whom this water came were healed, et dícent, allelúia, allelúia.and shall say: alleluia, alleluia. Confitémini Dómino quóniam bónus: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: quoniam in saeculum misericórdia éjus. For his mercy endureth forever. The Vidi Aquam and the healing miracles in the bible speak to us of God desire for each one of us to find mental and physical wellbeing. If God is concerned about our mental and physical health, we don’t need excuses to take care to look after our own health.Exams will make this term very stressful for both students and staff: we would be wise to look after our own (and others) wellbeing.
This is Fr Gerry's 15th station. It is not about suffering and death. This is about the Resurrection of Jesus. Christians see the resurrection of Jesus as victory over all that is wrong in the world. That doesn’t mean that the bad things have gone away. There are still wars in Yemen, Tigray, Ukraine and many palces. Christians belive that we can overcome these things because Jesus rose from the dead.For Christians Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus, victory over death and hope for the future. In this picture you can see victory, celebration and hope.
The Stations of the Cross also help us to reflect on human suffering in the world today. Let’s look at station 1 so I can explain what I mean.You might notice that the picture has an Ancient Egyptian theme. That’s deliberate, in the bible Moses helped the Jewish people escape slavery in Egypt. There are other ways people can be slaves, they can be slaves by being addicted, for example addicted to drugs, gambling or the internet.In this Station of the Cross, the Roman governor, whose name was Pontius Pilate, is sentencing Jesus to be death by being mailed to a cross and left there till he died: we call that crucifixion. Jesus did not deserve to die, he had done nothing wrong, his death sentence was unjust. When we look at this picture, we can think of all the people who are sentenced unjustly and all the injustice in the world. An example would be Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe who was imprisoned in Iran.You will also see that Jesus is in chains. Christians believe that Jesus allowed himself to be captured, chained, and executed. He sacrificed himself for the good of the world. When I reflect the picture of Jesus being captured and chained, I remember sometimes we all need to sacrifice the things we want for the good of everyone.
Sunday 10th Palm Sunday Mass 10.00 a.m. (With distribution of palms) Tuesday April 12th Service of Healing and Reconciliation 7.30 p.m. with music from Taizé The Easter Triduum April 14th Maundy Thursday Choral Mass 7.30 p.m. (With Washing of Feet and procession to the altar of Repose, where the Watch willbe kept, finishing with Tenebræ at 11.30 p.m.) April 15th Good Friday Stations of the Cross 10.30 a.m. (Lasting about 45 minutes for those requiring a shorter Liturgy)Liturgy 12.00 noon (Singing of the Passion, Veneration of the Cross and Mass of the Presanctified) April 16th Holy Saturday Easter Vigil 9.00 p.m. Blessing of the New Fire, Liturgy of the Word, Renewal of Baptismal vows, First Mass of Easter. April 17th Easter Sunday Choral Mass 10.00 a.m.
