This is the day which the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia.
From the Dean
Dear Easter people,
As in dark drops the pitting rain
Falls on a dusty street,
So tears shall fall and fall again
To wash thy wounded feet.
Well, we had a rainy Holy Week this
year with unexpected, but nonetheless welcome, late Summer rains. The gloomy
weather matched the sombre and thoughtful mood of our services as we followed
Jesus on his journey from the hysteria of the Palm Sunday hosanna-crowd, to the
sleepy disciples in the garden, to the violence of the crucify-him-mob, through
the silence of the tomb, to the joy of Easter Day and our reassurance that it
was done, all accomplished on the cross for our life and healing.
We will face pain again, we will see
the woundedness of others again, but the more Holy Weeks we travel the more we
have the confidence that
Thy quick hands to heal are strong,
O love, thy patients we,
Who sing with joy the pilgrims' song
And walk, dear Lord, with thee. *
Surely I was not the only one these
last days in St Cyprian's to find it hard to finish the sentences of our
prayers and hymns as their spiritual truth, and the reality of Jesus' suffering
engaged in my mind and heart with the brokenness of our world, the Church and
the inhumanity of our race. Indeed we travelled a long - and deep - way this
past week.
My thanks are extended, on your
behalf, to everyone who contributed to this year's Holy Week observance: our
cleaning and office staff, sacristans, servers, singers and sidesmen,
confirmation candidates, readers, Lay Ministers and florists. And many more.
Truly a team effort that lifted up Jesus in our midst, allowed us to worship,
reflect and celebrate. Thank you.
Easter is just the start! We look
forward now to Ordinations tomorrow, Confirmations later in April and Corpus Christi
Fr Simon
* These words, sung on Good Friday,
are part of a hymn written by Geoffrey Dearmer, son of the more famous Percy
Dearmer whose practical working out of the principles of the Oxford Movement in
the Church of England encouraged many priests to engage in missionary work in
Southern Africa in the nineteenth century.
Le ke letsatsi le Morena o le dirileng.
Re tla ipela re itumela ka
lone. Aleluya.
