Thought for the week beginning 27 March 2023: Passiontide and Compassion

Opening prayer

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,

to you be praise and glory for ever.

As a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

your only Son was lifted up

that he might draw the whole world to himself.

May we walk this day in the way of the cross

and always be ready to share its weight,

declaring your love for all the world.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God for ever.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

How many days must we suffer? For how long must we endure Long Covid, arthritic pain, grief, increasing food and fuel costs and cold, grey weather? We grieve when we lose a loved one; we suffer when we are in pain and we are sorry when we recognise our own weakness and failure, the weakness and failure of our family of the Church and of wider society.

To whom do we turn when we are in a low and hurting place? To whom did Peter turn when he had denied even knowing Jesus, his best friend and Rabbi, the one who he had recognised as ‘The Christ, the holy one of God’?

Mark 14:66-72

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

⁶⁸ But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway. 

⁶⁹ When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

⁷¹ He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

⁷² Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice  you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

When we are suffering, we don’t seek out the rich, the famous, the successful or the over-confident. We seek out one who has suffered, just as we do. We are in the midst of the season in the church which we call Passiontide. In this fifth week of Lent we are walking the way of the cross, reading, thinking and praying about Christ’s steadfast walk towards the pain and suffering of crucifixion, but also carrying the hope within us that death doesn’t have the final word.

The word ‘passion’ can be translated as ‘suffering’. So ‘compassion’ literally means to suffer with or alongside. When we suffer, we go to the one who has com-passion, who listens attentively and who loves unconditionally. The one who walks alongside us.

‘Churches, too, don’t usually look for broken and suffering shepherds, but it is the broken and suffering they get, whoever they ask for. They make the best shepherds of Christ’s flock’ (Graham James).

Psalm 79

Remember not against us our former sins; 

let your compassion make haste to meet us,

for we are brought very low.

9

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;

deliver us, and wipe away our sins for your name’s sake.

10

Why should the heathen say, 

Where is now their God?’

13

May the taunts with which our neighbours taunted you, Lord, 

return sevenfold into their bosom.

14

But we that are your people and the sheep of your pasture

will give you thanks for ever, 

and tell of your praise from generation to generation.

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name.

Lord of love and suffering and compassion,

draw alongside us today during Passiontide,

as individuals, communities and church.

Holding our grief and failure,

bring us to abundant life

in this world and the next.

Amen