Here’s the sermon given by Mother Anne-Marie at our Good Friday Liturgy. This service followed on at 2pm from the series of sermons, hymns and reflections that began at 12 noon. It includes the reading of the whole of the Passion from Saint John’s Gospel.

John 18.1-19.42

In the talks that preceded this liturgy, we have, with the help of Paula Gooder’s book “Journey to the Empty Tomb”, looked at some of the biblical passages about the last week of Jesus’ life and some of the characters that emerge from the text. We saw how some of those closest to Jesus failed him – notably Judas and Peter; and how some people, totally unknown, emerged to help him or affirm who he was – Simon of Cyrene and the Centurion. Continue reading →

Mark 16.1-8

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

The Empty Tomb

If you have been here since 12 noon, you will know that in the four previous talks, as well as looking at some interesting points in the gospel texts, we have focused on certain disciples or sympathizers of Jesus. We have looked at the Palm Sunday crowd, at Judas Iscariot, at Peter, at Simon of Cyrene and the Centurion. So far we have been very male orientated, even though the Palm Sunday crowd would have had women in it. Continue reading →

Matthew 27.32-37, 45-54

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

The Crucifixion

In this talk I am going to introduce immediately the two disciples (and they are disciples with a question mark) to whom I want to draw our attention. They are both mentioned in the reading we have just heard – Simon of Cyrene and the Centurion.

Simon of Cyrene is an intriguing and somewhat mysterious figure. He appears from nowhere – seemingly commandeered into service – and then he disappears again from the story. Continue reading →

Mark 14.26-34

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

Gethsemane and the trials

In our mind’s eye Gethsemane is a garden, but neither Mark nor Matthew who give us the name Gethsemane mention a garden. John says Jesus went to a garden but does not say it is Gethsemane. In the tradition we have combined the two and it has become the Garden of Gethsemane. Continue reading →

Luke 22.14-23

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

The Last Supper

Our image of the Last Supper is highly influenced by the pictures we have seen – Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting is probably the most notable influence. In our mind’s eye, the twelve disciples are sitting in a long line on one side of the table with Jesus in the middle. It is what happens in TV drama. If you are watching one of the soaps, the family sit around the table with a gap on one side so that the camera can move in and everyone can be seen in one shot. Continue reading →

On Good Friday we have a series of talks followed by the Good Friday Liturgy. This year Mother Anne-Marie gave the talks and they were based on Paula Gooder’s book Journey to the Empty Tomb. Each talk was preceded by a modern hymn and then a Scripture reading.

Mark 11.1-2, 7-10

Talk by Mother Anne-Marie

Introduction and Towards Jerusalem

“Journey to the Empty Tomb”, the book that is the inspiration for these Good Friday talks, is a book that looks at the biblical accounts of the last week of Jesus’s life. It is scholarly, in that it looks at the Gospel texts and examines them closely, especially their similarities and differences. But it is also a book that draws us into prayerful reflection, so it is designed to be both informative and devotional. The expectation is that it will be read during Lent or in Holy Week.

Paula Gooder, the author, is a freelance lecturer and writer in Biblical Studies. A fuller biography is on the back of the sheet. I have heard Paula speak on several occasions. Continue reading →