Dear Friends,
“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” President Abraham Lincoln was heard to say these words after the Union Army’s devastating loss at the Second Battle of Bull Run in 1862. How poignant, honest and heartfelt is the sentiment spoken by a president longing for peace in a time of bitterness and pain. In our present time of deep division, broken promises, economic upheaval, the threat of tariff and job loss, we long for the same sincerity.
This quote of President Lincoln sets the clip for how we approach the week that is upon us: on our knees. The journey of Holy Week beckons us to watch, to listen and to pray our way. The cheers of Palm Sunday become jeers of disappointment. Feet are washed and the bread and cup are shared to deepen the ways of servanthood. The Garden of Gethsemane becomes the place where anguish is turned into resolve. Pontius Pilate washes his hands. The crowd shouts, crucify him! The hammer drives the point through flesh and wood. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, echoes from the cross. He breathes his last. The curtain is torn asunder. His body is retrieved and placed in the tomb… And beyond our comprehension and wisdom, what happens on Easter Day changes everything for good!
Clear your calendar this week. Make room and time for the liturgies of Holy Week. Pray your way from Sunday to Sunday. Attend to the want and hope that is in you. This is the week that restores our memory. This is the week when a dead end becomes the beginning.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
P.S. To accompany you on the way, we have produced a series of videos that will be released at important moments during the week. You can access them here.
