Stations of Revelation

We went over to see friends on Holy island today.  Lunch and gossip, which is always good.  With a bit of time to spare between tides, we dropped into see an exhibition there ( http://www.holyisland-stcuthbert.org/events.htm ) based on the Stations of the Cross.  The images (photo's) were only of hands.  Now, I have seen something similar before - painted stations of the cross in Holy Trinity & St Barnabas' Paisley.  But the texts accompanying them made the difference.  The one that struck me were uplifted hands, reflecting on the Jesus meeting the women of Jerusalem (Station VIII).  The text (which I will paraphrase somewhat) was "The women were wailing.  It's always the women who wail.  For their men, their children".

A terrible truth that.  When war or hunger strikes, it's the women who wail.  In Mali, Syria or Afghanistan.  Wherever.  But the text concluded each of the Stations by turning the agony on its head and reminding us that in Christ, even the most desperate agony and tragedy is transformed by his suffering love into Love. That is a Christian belief and truth. A terrible mystery, a wonderful if bizarre paradox to be sure.  But it also lies at the very heart of the Lenten journey - we pass through contemplating horrors which all too often are not mysterious but easily explicable phenomena to any student of human nature and history.  The mystery, the hope is the transforming love of the suffering, self offering God we encounter in the person of Jesus Christ.  Who we draw closer to in this Holy Season as we approach the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection.

Lenten Differences.

(St Basil the Great, whose Liturgy is celebrated in Lent)

This little bit of info intrigued me recently:

"On weekdays of Great Lent, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated, because the joy of the Eucharist (literally "Thanksgiving") is contrary to the attitude of repentance which predominates on these days. However, since it is considered especially important to receive the Holy Mysteries (Holy Communion) during this season, the Liturgy of the Presanctified—also called the Liturgy of St Gregory the Dialogist— may be celebrated on weekdays. Technically, this is not actually a Divine Liturgy, but rather a Vespers service at which a portion of the Body and Blood of Christ, which was reserved the previous Sunday, are distributed to the faithful. Most parishes and monasteries celebrate this Liturgy only on Wednesdays, Fridays and feast days, but it may be celebrated on any weekday of Great Lent. Because the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays, it is replaced with the Typica, even on days when the Presanctified Liturgy is celebrated. On Saturday and Sunday the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated as usual. On Saturdays, the usual St John Chrysostom is celebrated; on Sundays the more solemn and penitential Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great is used. "  (with grateful thanks to Wikipedia).

How fascinating.  Imagine if we stopped all weekday  celebrations in the SEC for the duration and had Reserved Sacrament Communions only.  We could use the nice shiny new Blue Book on Saturdays and only the 1929 Prayer Book on Sundays.  Doubtless this would utterly appal some - but might drive home the difference between Lent and the rest of the Liturgical Year to the majority of the people with some force.  I personally kinda regret the "sameness" of our liturgy in most parishes.  Yes, we change colour and drop the Gloria, but the music rarely really marks the difference nor does the severity of the penitential Rite.  Like it or loathe it, the old Prayer Book Confession came into its own in Lent.

Just a thought!

Into Lent.

I'm not sure if this is a Holy Lent yet - it sure is beginning as a busy one! Yesterday (Ash Wednesday) was a working day but I simply skipped brekkie and lunch, nibbled a cheese sarnie in the RC Cathedral cafe on the way home, purchasing some Lent material to fuel my devotions.  Evening Prayer was followed by High Mass and Ashing at St Michael's, a late but tasty supper of smoked fish and rice and Compline.  Today was work then the blessing of the Holy Hut (the Emmaus House Chapel) by +Brian.  Festal munching followed - well, in Scotland it is the Solemnity of St John Ogilvie (nice pikkie of his national Shrine in the Jesuit Church in Garnethill, Glasgow below).  I know it's really an RC festival, but he wouldn't have been martyred if the Pisky Archbishop of Glasgow hadn't insisted on it, so I claim a share of his festival for usage!  In a faintly Lenten spirit, I stuck to Lemon and dill poached salmon, potato salad, roasted vegetable and goats cheese pizza, fruit salad and apple juice.  I haven't eaten meat so far this Lent but this is purely conincidental.

 

My personal lenten discipline will be to try and read daily bible notes and do the Stations of the Cross every Friday.  This, I hope, will deepen my journey.  Anyone else out there up to anything more exciting?  (If it involves flagellation, you're probably taking this whole penance thing far too seriously - the blood that should be shed is Christ's not yours.)

Admin etc

Well, that's the parish roll edited! The dead removed etc. Still, at least a live one appeared at the 10am service which was nice. Ex pisky convert to RC church looking to return to his spiritual mother!! Nice to know the traffic isn't all one way!

Tonight is the 1st Lent Group - dealing with "temptations"!! Could be fun! Especially given that at the ministry team meeting the other day, I used the phrase "LGBT" and then had to explain to my Presby colleagues that I wasn't talking about a sandwich!!

And tomorrow? The World Day of Prayer at the Sally Ann where the worship and food are derived from Papua New Guinea. Which slightly worries me, as it's not so long ago that they gave up cannibalism! Perhaps I'll avoid the Shepherd's Pie?