Remembering prisoners in Holy Week

In this Jubilee year, we have many extra opportunities to reflect and celebrate many groups of people who are often overlooked or treated as an outcast in society. As we prepare for Easter, over the next three days we have an opportunity to respond to Jesus' death and resurrection by seeing how Jesus asked us to respond to those people.

Even when Jesus was preparing for his death, he reached out to comfort many, to forgive and to show us how we must treat others. We see this throughout Jesus' ministry but for reflection on the Triduum, it starts with the washing of the disciples' feet. In this moment, Jesus shows his humility choosing to wash their feet and reminds everyone that he came to serve. He speaks with Peter about the importance of this action and then he goes on to encourage the disciples to wash each other's feet. It is an important and valuable example of what Jesus asks us to do when we follow him. It is a tradition that we continue to do in Churches throughout the world on Maundy Thursday and in recent years, Pope Francis has even done this action by washing the feet of prisoners. A reminder that Jesus doesn't just ask us to serve those we know but also to go beyond to those who society often forgets.

Pope Francis continued to remind us of this action when he opened the second Jubilee door in a prison. He spoke to all of us about the need to open the doors in our hearts and the concern if we harden them. Pope Francis reminder at the start of this year of the importance of praying for those in prison.

When we return to Church on Friday, the Passion reminds us of the experiences Jesus went through during the final hours of his life. It shows the trial of Jesus before Pilate and leads to the journey he takes as he carries the cross to the place where he died. During the time with Pilate, Jesus was alone knowing that his friends had denied him. It must have been difficult for him to be on trial alone. However, during his journey of carrying the cross to Golgotha, we hear of the encounters Jesus has with his friends and family. He is not alone as he meets his mother, his disciples, the women of Jerusalem, even strangers that were pulled into carry the cross with him. Often those who are on trial have family alongside them as they go through their own journey and those children and family are the ones who visit their loved ones when they are in prison. Research indicates that people with strong family or social connections are 39% less likely to reoffend, which benefits the whole of society. And that is a big part of the reason why Pact does the work that we do. We support the children and families as they connect with their loved one in prison. We do this working in over 60 prisons and with the support of volunteers. We also support those without visitors.

People volunteer for many different reasons but many of our volunteers do so because of their faith that they want to put into action. They are reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 23 'I was in prison, and you came to visit me'. Each of us are called to remember those who are in prison. And Jesus even reminds us of this in his final hours. As he is dying, he is accompanied by two criminals, one on his left and one on this right. One speaks to him out of contempt and says "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, often known as the good thief, St Dismas - the first saint, acknowledges Jesus and says "Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responds with the mercy that we all hope he will show us one day and says, "I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." In his final moments, Jesus shows forgiveness and hope to St Dismas. A hope we all should remember to show those who are in prison and to those who may have some experience of the criminal justice system in our Churches over this Holy Week.

LINKS

PACT Resources: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/faith/resources/

Volunteer with PACT: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/volunteer/