FROM THE VICAR - HOLY WEEK & EASTER 2002

The 24th March begins with what is usually called Holy Week. It was not always called that, because in the early years of the Christian Church, it was called the Great Week because of the great things that happened in it.

The week starts with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and ends with the glory of His Resurrection, it is a Great Week indeed! To get from one to the other we have to pass through a variety of events and experiences. As I have said in my letter in this magazine over the past years and in the pulpit, it is impossible to understand or celebrate Easter without travelling with our Lord through that great week.

Holy Week is a wonderful spiritual experience for Christians, especially for those of us who are privileged to have the fuller Catholic presentation of the Liturgy, as we do at St George's. There is a sense of excitement about this Great Week because it is so different from all the other weeks of the Christian year. There is so much that is unusual with this Great Week, beautiful music, dramatic ceremonial, lovely readings from Holy Scripture and a great and wonderful anticipation of what is coming at the end.

The Great Week begins with "Hosannah" continues with "Crucify Him" and ends with "Alleluia"! There is a strange and wonderful feeling about it all.

Perhaps what we enjoy most about this Great Week are the wonderful hymns that we have sung during Passiontide over the years. Hymns that contain truths that transcend mere verse and metre:

There is a green hill far away,
without a city wall,
where the dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.

There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin.
He only could unlock the gate
of heaven, and let us in.

O, dearly, dearly has he loved,
and we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.

This Great Week the mystery of our Lord's Passion is summed up in such lines as these from Mrs Alexander. They are not great theological statements of our faith, but they do make us want to kneel down before the crucifix on Good Friday.

Come along then and join us throughout the Great Week in this solemn celebration. Then when Easter comes we shall have confronted the mystery and the glory of the Passion, not as some favour we do for God but in response to his infinite mercy and kindness done for us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Lord, by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world."

My prayers and blessing for a Great Holy Week and a joyful Easter.

Your priest and friend.

MALCOLM FERRIER.

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