Palm Sunday is an International Day of social justice. Across Australia action for refugees is in the spotlight and the most prominent refugee advocate, Julian Burnside, in the country will be on the border speaking about the need for a change in government policy.
As well as palms and donkeys All people are invited to St Matthews Albury for a show of community support and Federal, State and Local Government representatives have been invited.
This is part of a real Easter initiative where the timeless themes of transformation are on the agenda at St Matthews. Holy Week is a journey of transformation but we ‘are not doing the time warp’ again. Community themes of justice, compassion and inclusion give a new life to stories about betrayal, service, sacrifice, suffering and new beginnings. It is sobering to think that religious institutions have used ceremonies to hide from our neighbours and the damage done through faith based discrimination. That make refugees out of children within their own families and cultures If Easter is not about celebrating a changing world where slavery, the subjection of women and discrimination based on race, religion and sexuality are no longer assumed and tolerated. A new world where climate change is addressed, a new Australia where refugees are welcomed and “there are boundless plains” that are shared and we don’t encourage children to set lies to music and sing them under a flag.
Maundy Thursday 13th at 7pm will feature members of communities that have been wronged or been made refugees by the Christian tradition having their feet washed as a sign of service and apology -those of other faiths ,indigenous people ,LGTBI people ,those who have been divorced ,those with mental health issues ,the voices of women and children who have been silence by the church …and others
Good Friday at 3pm will be a musical meditation from darkness light including excerpts from the messiah with Greg Brown operatic tenor from Opera Australia and Easter day Sunday 16th April at 9am will be a community celebration of change transformation and hope for all ages and backgrounds including Easter eggs ,champagne and Equality rings and hot cross buns
If Easter is not good news for all in 2017 there isn’t much to celebrate except Dr Who and Barbie Easter eggs ,If it’s not about compassion and a new start we may have got stuck on an old guilt trip ,missed the point and probably missed the bus that’s going toward a better future .Collections for holy week toward st Matthews crisis care and Carevans partnership for the homeless in setting up a laundry facility for the homeless in central Albury
All invited all welcome
Fr Peter
