We have now arrived at Holy Week, most solemn week of the year. The Book of Common Prayer is a great resource for your family devotions through this week. Beginning on page 163 there are specific collects, epistle and gospel lessons for every day this week. The lessons are especially long this week as they guide us through the passion narratives from each one of the Gospel accounts. The ‘epistle’ lessons come from Isaiah’s prophecy and the Letter to the Hebrews. Each of these interpret the great events of Jesus’ passion as the moment that all of God’s promises to Israel came true. The return from exile, the forgiveness of sins, would occur when Israel’s king would go into the greatest exile, death itself, on behalf of his people. He would rise again and defeat death. But it was not for Israel alone, but now the Gentiles would be welcomed into God’s family. Those who were far off were now brought near. (Eph. 2.13,14)
The services this week are:
– Maundy Thursday, 7pm – Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar
– Good Friday, 12pm – Great Litany, Ante-Communion and sermon
– Holy Saturday – no service, sacrament of confession by appointment
– Our Easter service will be at 9am as usual. We will have a reception in the courtyard following the service.
