|
 |
|
Just off the coast of Holy Island (Lindisfarne) there is a small strip of land which becomes an island when the tide comes in. It was here that St. Cuthbert used to go when he wanted to get away from his busy monastic life. For about six hours he could guarantee relative seclusion from the crowds who demanded so much ministry from him. It is known today affectionately as ‘Cuddy’s Isle’ and there is the remains of a medieval prayer cell. The tiny island is crowned with a wooden cross. Today the Church enters Holy Week once again and, as usual, it coincides with the activity of getting ready for Easter. It is not yet as ‘commercial’ as Christmas but with visitors pending, shopping to do and so much more it can feel like a week of whirlwind activity. The secular world has taken over Christian festivals and turned them into secular jamborees driven by consumerism and by downgrading the festival with trite celebrations. There was a time when the Christian Church took over pagan festivals and overlaid them with Christian meaning. The Word ‘Easter’ is from an Anglo-Saxon word ‘Eaostre’ who was a pagan goddess of Spring. (Which is why most of the Christian Church opts for a version of ‘Pascha’ - meaning ‘Passover’. Jesus is the new Lamb of the Passover through whom we get our deliverance from sin and death.) When the Christian Church superimposed its ‘new Passover Festival’ on the pagan spring festival it chose, in Anglo-Saxon lands to keep the old title. That way it helped people make the transition from ‘old’ faith to new. Oddly it seems that today the reverse is happening. Paganism has taken the Christian festival and with subtle stealth has all but robbed it of any real meaning. Which is why Christians need to re-assert their belief in Jesus Christ as the Crucified and Risen Lord who saves us and delivers us from darkness and sin and opens for us the gateway to Eternal Life. Of course, we shall do this next Sunday especially but if Easter is to have any real meaning, we need to keep Holy week as a time of special devotion. Which brings me back to St. Cuthbert. He withdrew for a while to be with God. His was a very busy life but he knew that it was a meaningless life if he didn’t have a special time with God. Only so could he be rooted in the true meaning and purpose of life itself. This week we have many opportunities to withdraw to be with God. Our Holy Week calendar offers something for everyone. All it requires of us is that we make time to be with Jesus on his Holy Week journey. Just by doing that we are reversing the trend of modern-day paganism. Much more, of course, we are rooting our souls and lives in God and in our Crucified and Risen Lord. The Cross on ‘Cuddy’s Isle’ kept him firmly fixed on God. May the Cross do the same for you this week. |