HOLY WEEK PRAYER

Lord Jesus,

this week we walk with you into Holy Week:

Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

Holy Thursday: we hear Last Supper words

of love and bearing fruit,

as well as hints of denial and betrayal.

With washed feet we receive you:

bread and wine, body and blood.

We walk with you one last time,

this time hearing the call for Garden prayer.

We fall asleep unable to watch

and pray one hour with you.

We run away from you,

as you are being betrayed by a kiss.

Dark Friday: we hide there

the next day in the shadows,

trying to get glimpses of you,

crucified on wood with words

and spit and nails.

You die -- bleeding words of thirst,

forgiveness and letting go.

Empty Saturday: we sulk there in the silence,

filled with doubts -- doubts that any of this

has any meaning,

not yet knowing resurrection. 

We began this week with palm branches

and Hosannas;

we end this week with anxious empty silence. 

Our upper rooms, our minds,

are filled with fear and lack of peace

Sunday: we walk backwards

talking only about yesterday,

not yet knowing the meaning of today! 

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

You break through our walls;

you walk into our thoughts;

you stand on our shores;

you break bread and words with us again. 

Slowly, the whole story

begins to take on meaning. 

Slowly, we rise from our sleep,

beginning to know that all of this

had to happen this way. 

We begin to see that life

is celebration and Hosannas,

passion and pain, death and resurrection. 

Life is love and bearing fruit;

life is betrayals and denials;

life is death and then

the hope of resurrection. 

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

©  Markings Prayers, Andy Costello