HOSANNA!

The 40th word in my Lent lexicon--a reflection by Sr Judith, Turvey Abbey

Palm Sunday resounds with hosannas as Jesus entered Jerusalem surrounded by joyful and hopeful followers. The joy reflects the ancient hope that has sustained the people through generations of occupation and suffering: "Blessed is he who comes to free us, David's son our Lord and King! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, all your love and worship bring."

Yet we know how quickly those hosannas turn to the jeers that leads to crucifixion and death. The people have come out full of hope and expectation. When their need isn't instantly met in the way they expect it soon turns to anger and frustration.

This movement is mirrored in our liturgy where we move almost immediately from celebrating this triumphal entry to listening to the reading of the Passion. All this can make it tempting to dismiss those Palm Sunday hosannas as superficial, even false.

This misses an important point. The hosannas of Palm Sunday remind us that we don't have to wait until life is perfect to praise God. Even when life is fragile, uncertain, even when we are angry and frustrated and our needs are not being met we can sing hosanna.

Beginning Holy Week singing hosannas helps us to focus. It reminds us that although in this week we face the worst we can do and the worst we can be that is not the end of the story. We can carry those Palm Sunday hosannas in our hearts as we move through the darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday until we come out into the new light of resurrection.

What hosanna are you being invited to carry through this Holy Week?

Every year at on the Eve of Palm Sunday we listen to a beautiful reading from the writings of St Andrew of Crete. It sums up Palm Sunday for me, opening the way to Holy Week and setting the tone for it. I return again and again to these words:

"Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms in his path, but spreading ourselves before him as best we can, with humility of soul and upright purpose. So may we welcome the Word as he comes, so may God, who cannot be contained within any bounds, be contained within us."

We are living in uncertain and challenging times. In the midst of much hardship we're discovering much about the God who cannot be contained and about the myriad of ways that God can transform our lives. We've also learned much about the boundaries and limitations we are tempted to try to erect around God.

We're moving into Holy Week aware of the sufferings and uncertainties in our fragile and broken lives and world, knowing that it's beyond our power to fix it. With all that in our hearts we can move into Holy Week aware of our need for the transforming presence of "God who cannot be contained within any bounds" nurturing us in the depths of our hearts.

As we move into Holy Week where are you discovering the God "who cannot be contained within any bounds"?

Taken from turveyabbey.org.uk