22 March 2024 Out of the Darkness

Opening Prayer

Give us this day

Give us this day

Our daily bread

Peace in our hearts

Calm in our heads

Give us this day

Whatever the struggle

Peace in our world

Whatever the trouble

Give us all faith

In each other​

Martin Wroe, Julian of Norwich’s Teabag, Poems and prayers from morning to night, Wildgoose

John 1:5 ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’

As we approach Holy Week let’s spend this time in reverence – acknowledging the darkness coming, but enriched with hope for the rising of Christ from the dead

Readings

Probing the Darkness

DARKNESS- IS IT JUST THE EMPTY, FRUITLESS TIME between dusk and dawn? The place of ignorance where we have no signs by which to steer our course? The measure of our own lack of enlightenment, our profound need of God?

Do we see it more readily in others than in ourselves? Can we believe that God is also in the darkness with us, alongside us, perhaps especially in the times when we cannot see our own hand in front of our eyes? Can we recognize God as that unfailing presence that, usually, we can see only with the gift of hindsight?

But things grow in the darkness: seeds, bulbs, dreams, babies. Can we trust that if we dare to probe the darkness we may discover things about ourselves that we might prefer not to know, but need to learn? Can we believe that the seeds of all we can become are already gestating in the darkness we would gladly deny? In the East, a new dawn waits just below the horizon.

Silf, Margaret. Compass Points: Meeting God Every Day at Every Turn (pp. 55-56). Loyola Press.

Holy Week

Before we enter our silence I would like to recall my first ever Holy Week in 2019 – which had an incredible impact on me. I will read a few parts of what I wrote at the time.

Up to now Easter has been about weighing up my desire for copious amounts of Easter eggs versus how much weight gain this would involve… Monday’s Stations of the Cross was not a good start for me. The reason? I was focussing on me instead of Christ. Walking around the church and standing at each Station was hard for me with my back and I had to sit down quite a bit. I was totally embroiled with my embarrassment of having to sit down instead of focusing on what I should have – Christ’s journey towards Crucifixion. It was all about ‘me’ instead of being all about ‘Him’.

This ‘all about me’ sentiment stayed with me until Thursday’s Midnight Vigil and the Altar of Repose. Something then changed inside of me. As I sat in silence I was totally immersed in the vision of the Altar of Repose – the beauty, the sadness, the dark, the light, the stillness, the movement... The ‘facts’ then changed to ‘feelings.’ Holy Week and the Crucifixion truly entered my heart.

Then we came to Easter Sunday – oh what joy – He is Risen! An early 6am start with bonfire and lighting of the Paschal Candle. Then there was the point in the service that it was proclaimed that Christ is Risen – and sunlight streamed into the Church! My mood changed from sadness, silence and contemplation to one of joyous celebration. That joy has stayed ever since.

I entered Holy Week with Jesus living in books and stories. I ended Holy Week with Jesus living in my heart and a feeling of deep joy.

Karen G

Introduction to Silence 30 minutes - followed by sharing

Iona Liturgy

We tell your story

We follow in your footsteps

LEAD US INTO HOLY WEEK

We walk towards the city

We wait in the garden

LEAD US ONTO HOLY GROUND

We journey towards death

We hope for resurrection

LEAD US INTO HOLY JOY

R Burgess C Polhill, Eggs and Ashes - Pract & liturgical res. for Lent & Holy Week, Wildgoose

Blessing

So may we know

the hope

that is not just

for someday

but for this day--

here, now,

in this moment

that opens to us:

hope not made

of wishes

but of substance,

hope made of sinew

and muscle

and bone,

hope that has breath

and a beating heart,

hope that will not

keep quiet

and be polite,

hope that knows

how to holler

when it is called for,

hope that knows

how to sing

when there seems

little cause,

hope that raises us

from the dead--

not someday

but this day,

every day,

again and

again and

again.

Jan Richardson, The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief

Thoughts to ponder:

The Other Side of Sorrow

Silf, Margaret. Compass Points: Meeting God Every Day at Every Turn (p. 214). Loyola Press.

Following the Dream

Silf, Margaret. Compass Points: Meeting God Every Day at Every Turn (pp. 79-80). Loyola Press.

For courage

O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (Kindle Locations 1693-1722). Transworld

For Suffering

O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (Kindle Locations 1960-1978). Transworld

Luke 24:13-16 and 30-32 On the Road to Emmaus

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him….

…. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Matthew 27:50-54

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

​

Hoping

O'Donohue, John. Benedictus: A Book Of Blessings (Kindle Locations 3255-3289). Transworld. Kindle