It is the beginning of Holy Week once more. It seems only a blink from last year. Even though for most of us we know the story of the passion so well, perhaps we have allowed it to lose its power from our lives. So we have this wonderful opportunity to encounter God in a new way.
I am looking forward to working alongside all of you and particularly Canon Paul Hoey who will join us over this week. I know that if we are open and interested we will certainly be blessed. I encourage you to come and participate in this special week in our Parish. Details of the programme for Holy Week will be in the centre pages of this edition, which is designed as a pull-out so it can be put up on your fridge door. Our theme this year is His Story/Our Story and it is a challenging and thoughtful title.
Reading for the Arrow course over the last few months has been really fascinating. To read about some of the most intriguing people who ever lived is so amazing and so sad too. One of the books I have been reading is called The Call by Os Guinness. It was hard going but also really refreshing as he uses so many brilliant examples. In the course of reading the book I was introduced to numerous characters and their struggle for making their mark in life. They too were on a quest in search for significance. Leonardo Da Vinci, for example, confessed that he had so little time and yet so much undone.
It is the beginning of Holy Week once more. It is easy to go though life unclear where we are heading. Life is full of commitments to lots of things and people, but I wonder have we stopped dreaming, wandered off from our God given purpose, leaving behind so many unfinished projects.
1519, one month before Leonardo Da Vinci died he went to see his painting of the Last Supper and it was in a shocking condition – “unfinished”. How sad to read of such a breathtakingly gifted man’s misery, that he felt so much was incomplete. Exceptionally talented but distracted by so much, perhaps we too can relate to Leonardo Da Vinci.
Or perhaps we feel we can share Mozart’s struggles. He was a man whose gifts were unparalleled in his field. He died so young at the age of 35 not knowing how much his work was thought of, not feeling appreciated. His short life was plagued by self-doubt, unkind and jealous criticism and a faithless marriage.
Perhaps we have long since lost our drive and passion living with indifferent casually dipping in and out, uncommitted, disinterested and apathetic. Maybe we are characterised by restlessness, boredom or even deep self doubt like Mozart I do not know what stirs your heart or ignites your courage but I hope that we at least have the will to have things different. This is a great beginning and Jesus shows us by his own life a revolutionary way of being revolutionary. Take up the challenge again to truly live. May God change all of us and help us FOCUS on the Lord of life and all He has given we could live.
With Love
Diane