St Augustine’s Church, Grove Park 336 Baring Road, SE12 0DX  Vicar: Rev. Gavin Berriman

St Augustine’s Church, Grove Park

336 Baring Road, London SE12 0DX

Rev Gavin Berriman, Vicar

Tel: 020 8857 4941 Email: gavin.staug@hotmail.co.uk




Holy Week 2024



Dear Friends,


This week we enter into the sacred time of Holy Week. It is the most significant week of the year for Christians as it takes us on a journey through the final days, hours, and events of our Lord’s life. Holy Week and Easter takes us on a journey which brings us face to face with both life’s pain and joy. I hope you will be able to attend as much of the worship as you can, particularly from Maundy Thursday through to Easter, and allow the redemptive act of Christ to imprint itself on your life afresh.


The week begins reflectively with Compline on Monday and Tuesday evening at 8pm; and on Wednesday we have our Eucharist at 10am and Stations of the Cross at 8pm. Stations of the Cross are meditations on the journey of Jesus to the cross, beginning with his trial before Pilate. Most of the Stations are Biblical events, though some are from tradition. For these meditations we process around the church stopping at each station for a short reflection.                   


On Maundy Thursday we move into the major liturgies of Holy Week. At 8pm in the evening we celebrate the Mass of the last Supper.  This service includes the washing of hands (which we do in remembrance of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet); and remembering the Last Supper Jesus celebrated with his disciples. The service ends with the stripping of the altar and as the mood of week begins to change and Jesus’ arrest and trial approaches. Following the Eucharist vigil is kept in the Lady Chapel until Midnight, remembering the time Jesus spent in the Garden of Gethsemane, and his betrayal and arrest. You can come and go as you wish for any part of this vigil. The silence will be broken by prayers at 10pm; Compline at 11pm; and ends with a reading of scripture at Midnight.


Good Friday is probably the most significant and sacred day of the Christian year. At Noon the church is open for silent prayer and at 12.45pm we once again have Stations on the Cross. The central act of worship of the day is the Good Friday Liturgy at 2pm. The liturgy ends as it begins in silence. I hope you will be there if you possibly can.

                  

Holy Saturday is a beautiful day of anticipation. We have gone through the painful events of Good Friday and we begin to look forward to the joy of Easter. In the morning at 11am we have a workshop and egg rolling for the children at which decorated hard boiled eggs are rolled down a slope to see who can get the furthest – it gets quite competitive! The egg rolling symbolises the stone rolling away from the tomb as we begin to look forward to the resurrection of Christ.


In the evening at 8pm is probably my favourite part of the week as we light the New Easter Fire; process into a darkened church; with the newly lit Easter candle; listen to the beautiful Easter proclamation being sung; hear readings of God’s saving acts and renew our baptismal vows at the font. The service ends with the sharing of the Peace and an eager anticipation of the wonder that is still to come.

               

The week is completed, of course, with the glorious celebration of the Risen Christ at our Easter Family Eucharist. Easter morning is a full on celebration of joy, wonder and hope. But I hope you will get the full impact of that joy by joining in as much as you can in the other worship of this very significant and Holy week.   


May God bless you and your families in the sacred mystery of love that we share together at this Holy time.

                                                                                                   

Best wishes


Gavin        








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