A message for Holy Week/Easter

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him.

They crucified him to a cross hanging from a tree, sometimes called The Mercy Tree.

Can you hear those nails? Hammer. Bang. Bang. Bang. The nails driven into His body tearing through his flesh.

Can you hear his cries of pain? Hammer. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Do the soldiers hear his cries? Do they have any remorse? Do they care?

Hammer. Bang, Bang. Bang.

This is a defenseless man. He’s not a soldier. He doesn’t deserve to die. But all they care about are his clothes. They divide them up. They cast lots. Who will win the best share of the spoils?

Hammer. Bang. Bang. Bang.The sound of those nails being driven in goes on and on, and on.

When you hear a hammer and the sound of the nail it hits. Do you think of Jesus? His pain? His suffering? To save you? To save me? To save us? Or is it forgotten? The sound of the nails is only remembered for Holy Week? Do I really want to live his pain? I want to be entertained when I go to church. Not to remember the Cross. Stop that noise. Stop that hammering of those nails. I don’t want to hear that sound. It makes me uncomfortable. Stop it.

Please stop the sound of those nails. Those three nails. Do bad things always come in threes? It is said it does.

Yet, Christ rose in three days.

I can hear that first nail. Hammer. Bang.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

I hear the second nail. Hammer. Bang.

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

I hear the third nail. Hammer. Bang.

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

It is done. It is finished.

The price for all our sin has been paid.

And every time I hear a hammer hit a nail I will learn. As every point of those three nails pierce the wood it must feel it is piercing my soul. I want to be crucified with Christ.There were three wooden crosses. On one side a thief who taunted Jesus. On the other side a thief who rebuked his companion. Which one am I? How many times will I be forgiven for denying Christ?

Will I ever acknowledge my sins?

Yes I will. When I hear that hammer against those three nails I will save my soul. I will forgive. I will love everyone. I will nail all three to my heart.

My heart that goes bang. Bang. Bang.

END

May all of you have a Most Blessed Easter.

Georgina, Colleen, Joan and Colin