Anna and I entered the Holy Week while staying with a family who have been our friends for a long time. The day began with us being served freshly brewed coffee! We sat in high chairs around the fruit bowl and shared our thoughts on the narrative in the gospels of the journey of Jesus riding on a donkey, listening to the chorus of Hosanna, sung by children with palms in their hands.
Following this we were drawn by the painting on the wall, done by one of them, of a woman reading from the Scripture. The painting is rich in details of the background and the expression on the woman's face. The whole story of the Holy Week scattered in the four gospels of the and new testament is a rich source of information for meditation and reflection. This painting invited us to create time to read the narration of the events, people, and situations from the gospels to get familiar with the fulfilment of the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. At Christmas, Jesus began his journey from a manger and moved on to Golgotha during his short life time! The Old Testament references about the suffering servant is another valuable source for this meditative reading.
When we turned away from this painting, what we saw was the the flower vase with dried flowers and a wall text, 'We walk by Faith, not by sight'! That summarised the way we can receive the message of crucifixion and resurrection! The experience of entering into and the meaning and message of this mystery of the vicarious suffering and victorious resurrection of Jesus can only be realised by faith in God who makes the light to shine upon in our hearts.
This Holy Week began with a sense of joy and peace! It was good to be in a home where the paintings and wall texts initiated us to a preparatory mind set for the week ahead!
To behold the life and and mission of Jesus of Nazareth is a spiritual experience, which is what times of meditation can offer during the Holy Week!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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