I Have Given You a Model

Written by Board Member, Catherine Flanagan

It may feel hard to believe, or it may feel long overdue, but our Lenten journey is coming to a close. We are now entering Holy Week. The celebrations of Palm Sunday, the Triduum, and Easter are the holy remembrances for which the work of Lent—our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—have been preparing us. These are not practices we do for their own sake, but to open our eyes and hearts to God’s presence and activity in our lives. They invite us to prepare ourselves to enter more fully into the mysteries and celebration of Holy Week, which culminates in Christ’s Passion and triumphant Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Regardless of how we fared on our Lenten journey, Holy Week welcomes us into the most sacred time in our church.

There is so much to experience in Holy Week. We are with Jesus as he enters Jerusalem to the “Hosannas” of the crowd, knowing that those cheers will become cruel taunts as Jesus suffers his Passion and dies on the Cross. On Holy Thursday, we share in the Last Supper with Jesus as he celebrates the Passover with his disciples. We witness his suffering in the Garden as he prepares to face his fate. And on Good Friday, we see an innocent man, the son of God, betrayed, tortured, and crucified.

Holy Week is a somber and sacred time, but it is also an opportunity. These last days before Easter give us a chance to exercise the openness and awareness we gained through our Lenten practices; to be more attuned to the final lessons Jesus wanted to impart before his death and resurrection. What were those lessons and how can we apply them to our lives and to the work of Solidarity Bridge?

I believe the answer lies in The Last Supper, which for me has always held a special power and resonance. Jesus knew this would be his last night with his disciples and he used that time to reiterate his message of kinship, service, and humility. Before celebrating the Passover, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, telling them that this is how they must go forth—in humble and loving service. He shared a meal with his beloved friends, emphasizing for them, and us, the importance of community, kinship, and sharing in traditions. And lastly, before his capture, he prayed.

How would I spend my last night? How would you? We would probably spend it with loved ones, imparting whatever wisdom we had to share and cherishing our time together. We would likely turn to our God in prayer, seeking God’s benevolent mercy. That’s exactly what Jesus did, and on his last night, he embodied the lesson he most wanted his disciples to remember and carry forward. “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

Our work at Solidarity Bridge is an attempt to follow this example of service, love, and human connection. While not everyone can or is called to travel to Bolivia or Paraguay to do the physical work of providing needed medical care and healing surgery, we can all work to promote health care equity and to narrow the gap in access to surgical care. We can all reach out to another human being in love and humility, offering kinship and care. We can all pray for an end to needless suffering.

Before he left his disciples, Jesus had a final instruction, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34). As we enter Holy Week and share in Jesus’ final days, let us hold fast to the example he set forth for us and offer ourselves in service and prayer. But most importantly, let us love one another.

Holy Week Reflection 2023

I Have Given You a Model