COMMITMENT

Many years ago our Community at the Abbey formulated a HOLY WEEK sequence which I will present throughout this week starting with today which we call COMMITMENT Saturday.

Today's gospel has the priests and Pharisees asking: what are we to do with this Man? Caiaphas, the high priest for that year, prophesies that Jesus will die for the nation and for all the dispersed children of God to be gathered into one. Jesus, knowing His time is near, no longer openly walks about in public but withdraws to a place near the desert.  Jesus has now committed Himself to move forward into His last week on this earth.

Brace yourselves: it’s going to be a rough week!  Jesus has arrived in Bethany and is getting ready to launch a demonstration tomorrow: a demonstration of the power of humility, of rightful indignation at injustice, and of courage in the face of certain death. What will happen when that death finally comes?

On this day Mother Prioress  commits our Community to a focus for the year. This Commitment takes place at the prayers of the faithful during Mass. This past year our focus has been on HOPE. (See Blog April 22, 2012).  For 2013, in the spirit of our new Pope Francis, we will take up his challenge to become a "people of  HOPE" in the spirit of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI (Emeritus) writes: thus we journey on in hope, walking towards the oneness of the one God, revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.

Stephen Whatley - England