Palm Sunday Ecumenical Procession with donkey draws crowd

Marylin and Cliff with Joseph as he arrives at St Thomas More's

A record number of Christians took part in the Ecumenical Procession, Prayers and Blessing of the Palms at Finsbury Park in north London on Palm Sunday.

Parishioners from St Thomas More RC church, Manor House, St John the Evangelist CoE church Brownswood Park, St Olave's, Woodberry Down and the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox churches, took part in this beautiful event. Passers by stopped and to watch as our procession with Joseph the donkey passed through the residential streets near the park.

At the park gates, after the crowds sang Give Me Joy in My Heart, accompanied by accordionist Bartley. Rev Prebendary Tunde Roberts from St Olave's gave a warm welcome to everyone gathered. He said: "For five weeks of Lent we have been preparing by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of Our Lord's paschal mystery. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the whole church throughout the world. Christ entered in triumph in his own city to complete his work was our Messiah: to suffer , to die and to rise again. Let us remember with devotion this entry which began his saving work. And follow him with a lively faith. United with Him in his suffering on the cross may we share his resurrection and new life."

After the Blessing of Palms, Fr Clive Lee gave the following homily"

"Before Palm Sunday Jesus had had a long association with donkeys. He might not have remembered it but there was a donkey with him in the stable when he was born. It reminds us of Balaam's Ass who suddenly stops and starts neighing in the middle of the road because it recognises the presence of God. It was a donkey that carried Jesus to safety in Egypt when King Herod decided to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem. And today on Palm Sunday it is a donkey that carries Jesus into Jerusalem. The crowd wild with Joy shout; 'Hosanna in the highest. blessed is he who comes is the name of the Lord. They want to proclaim him King.

Do you like riddles? Why are we like donkeys? Because at the end of mass when the priest says 'Go in Peace' we go out of the Church carrying Christ to the world.

Holy week is a mess. Yes, there are horrible things people in the world . We see horrible things happening all around the world in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and violence on the streets of London. Terrible things. Unholy things But the events of Holy Week tell us that God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. God in Christ is entering deeply into the reality of our world. He is entering into all the unholy things, so that he can expose them and defeat them. God in Christ shows that the things which bring us so much sadness will not win.

This is why Holy Week is holy. Because love triumphs over hate. Life defeats death. And loving mercy breaks down the barriers between God and his people.

This struggle is played out before our eyes. Holy Week is holy because of those who take part in it. Chiefly Jesus himself, bloodied but unbowed on the cross, not hating but loving the world. But there is also Mary, watching and waiting, with a mother's strength and courage, knowing that she could never abandon the one who came from her womb. There are the disciples: terrified, confused, lost. Yet for them too there awaits a new beginning once Christ has opened their eyes. He is the one who does not run away from suffering, but shows us a path through it. A Holy Week, indeed."

The crowds then processed to their own churches for Palm Sunday services. There was standing room only at the Mass in St Thomas More's. Countertenor Allessandro Romano, from Rose Opera sang beautifully at the end of Mass before people departed in silence.

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FURTHER LINKS

St Thomas More's Church Manor House: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/manorhouse/

Cobwebbs Donkeys Alpacas, Suffolk: email: ccollins801@btinternet.com tel: 01473 658 801 07796 290 885

Rose Opera: www.roseopera.co.uk