It was a privilege to welcome to Mirfield those who came to spend Holy Week with us. Among them were, vocational explorers, ordinands, serving clergy on sabbatical leave, and retired clergy. We were grateful too for the companionship of all those who were walking the way of the cross alongside us.
What we shared was not the polished performance of of a cathedral choir, but the worship of a Religious Community and its theological college hosting an assembled company of guests, many of whom were new to Mirfield.
We formed a community of pilgrims as we met and got to know one another over meals and the experience of walking through the week together. Gradually, the conversation moved on from who we are and where we come from, to what we are experiencing together through listening to God in prayer, in scripture, through the liturgy and in Holy Week addresses.
May God continue to bless our keeping of Holy Week.
– Bishop Mark Sowerby, Principal
A guest’s view of Palm Sunday:
Our guest Ruth M writes:
“Palm Sunday for me was visually beautiful (the palmed processional cross and red vestments), the dropping of Jesus to His knees in the passion narrative, the singular cry of “crucify him!” (seemed poignant and what I was praying for- lets face it, none of us really want to admit we’re part of that daily and cry it aloud twice), and the deserting of the disciples after their ernest pressing of Jesus to hear who amongst them would betray Him – when in fact is was all of them who deserted after having ‘dipped bread in the oil’ with Him.
The evensong address was provoking and honest – it was good to hear the case for Judas and put aside the common judgement of ‘us and him whom we should not be like’, all knowing that is us often”.
Here is another reflection, on the readings and events of Holy Monday;
Our guest Ruth M writes:
“Holy Monday – a day rich with talks of liturgy, music and vocation, and rounded with a sense of deepening prayer as we begin to settle into the company of those we are with this week and become our ‘retreat community’.
There were three elements which particularly caught me on this day:
The Holy Week and Easter liturgies lecture drawing the past, present, future and eternity into the ‘one action of God’ for the Kingdom;
The address outlining the principles of vocation through following Jesus in sacrifice; adaptability and openness to following the ever changing nudgings of ministry; and prayer;
And the Gospel reading- for the first time for me, noticing Lazarus’s presence at the table to eat with Jesus after his death for which Jesus had wept.
Here they are this family, these three friends of Jesus, working through the hospitality of Martha, the generous outpouring of love and sacrifice of not just nard but of humility and recognition from Mary, and Lazarus – living after death and feasting at the table with Jesus, – there these three were already portraying the Kingdom of God in the here and now.”
Here is a further reflection on the Holy Week experience for Helen:
Helen wrote:
