#515 Holy Week (corrected)
Good evening: Bertie the Church Mouse here. I was away from the Rector’s desk for a little while and unfortunately a few errors crept into the first attempt at this newsletter. Please disregard the earlier edition. The main correction is that Maundy Thursday’s service is at 8pm, with an organ meditation starting at 7.45pm.
Additionally, heads up! This Sunday the clocks go forward. Don’t be late for the Palm procession…
Fr Sam writes
After the long preparation of Lent, we have finally come to Holy Week. These are the most intense and important days of the whole church year, when we encounter the mystery and grief and glory of our salvation. I would strongly urge you to take part in the worship of this week as much as you are able. Nowhere else will you discover so much of what the Christian faith means.
The royal banners forward go,
the cross shines forth in mystic glow;
where he in flesh, our flesh who made,
our sentence bore, our ransom paid.
Image: “The Descent from the Cross”, Jean-Baptiste Regnault
This Sunday: hosanna!
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. We begin with the triumphant Entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21.1-11) and our palm procession. After the shouts and excitement of this solemn moment, however, the mood changes, and the mass focuses on the Cross.
In our first reading from the Epistle to the Philippians, St Paul gives us his great Christological hymn “let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”, calling us to humility and obedience (Philippians 2.5-11). The second reading is the Passion according to St Matthew, taking us from the betrayal of Judas to Christ’s death on the Cross (Matthew 27.1-54).
On Sunday evening, there is the Passiontide service of readings and music: a beautiful and reflective way to begin this extraordinary week.
Image: “Christ entering Jerusalem” by Pietro Lorenzetti
Services this Sunday
| 9.15am | St Paul’s School (Oxford Road) | Palm Procession | |
| 9.30am | St Paul’s | Parish Mass | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
| Anthem: Ride on, ride on in majesty! – Ives Voluntary: Choral fugue on ‘Hosanna filio David’ – Demessieux | |||
| 10am | Woosehill Church | Café Church | Revd Cara Smart & Elaine Steere |
| 11am | St Nicholas’ | Community Eucharist | Revd Judi Hattaway |
| 6.15pm | St Paul’s | Passiontide service | Fr Sam Tanna-Korn |
Holy Week services
Services are taking place every day during Holy Week. Do come to them if you are able: it is very much the case that the more you put into this week, the more you are likely to get from it!
| Monday | 8pm | St Paul’s | Mass |
| Tuesday | 8pm | St Paul’s | Mass |
| Wednesday | 8pm | Woosehill Church | Night Prayer |
| Maundy Thursday | 7.45pm (organ meditation) 8pm (service) | St Paul’s | Mass of the Lord’s Supper with the washing of feet, stripping of the altars and solemn watch until midnight |
| Good Friday | 2pm | St Paul’s | Liturgy of Good Friday with adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion |
| 3.30pm | St Nicholas | Good Friday service followed by tea and hot cross buns | |
| Holy Saturday | 8pm | St Paul’s | Easter Vigil a service of readings and psalms to await the Risen Christ |
St Nicholas community showcase
We had a successful Showcase Event in Emmbrook Village Hall on Saturday 21 March. Everyone at St Nicholas’ would like to thank our friends at St Paul’s who came along to help and support the event.
This week’s calendar: Spy Wednesday
The days of Holy Week all have their special character, especially Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. But did you know that the Wednesday of Holy Week also has its special character? It is sometimes known as “Spy Wednesday” as a recognition of the traitor Judas, spying amongs the faithful disciples and betraying Jesus to those who would do him harm.
Image: “The Kiss of Judas” by Giotto
