Weekend Wisdom - March 24th, 2024

What will the Lord write on your heart this Holy Week?

My aunt is a 2nd generation American-Ukrainian. Her grandparents immigrated to Canada. My dad’s brother lived with us for a period of time prior to their marriage and we were blessed to spend some time with Ivanka’s parents Zenab and Romana. They introduced us to Ukrainian foods and Ukrainian culture. One of the things that my sisters and I loved was the tradition of pysanky – writing eggs during Lent and Holy week.

Much like icon culture in the eastern rite Catholic churches, pysanky are created by “writing”. Layers of dye are applied with details written over each color with beeswax which preserves the designs in that color. Eventually the wax is melted off to reveal intricate pieces of art and faith in time for Easter celebrations. Traditional pysanky use colors and features as symbols. The process requires a combination of focus and patience.

Ukraine on my heart, I borrowed my dad’s pysanky tools and refreshed my hand at the art in preparation for Easter. The process requires me to slow down, but allows me to be creative. What struck me during my creative journey is that pysanky are a lot like the human condition. We are born a blank canvas and over the course of our years we are colored and marked by the experiences and lessons and symbols we encounter. The only point at which we can see the final art of God is at the end.

As we enter into this Holy Week, I encourage you to think about Jesus’ journey in layers of color and wax. What will you notice on Palm Sunday and write on your mind and heart? What will you notice on Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s supper? Good Friday as we walk with Jesus to His death on the Cross? Holy Saturday as we wait and wait, unsure of God’s good movement in the darkness? Imagine for a moment what the disciples were writing on their lives during that week? God’s speaks in colors and symbols and experiences in our worship and prayer and we are invited to write those things on our own lives.

Please join us for the sacred Triduum at both churches. These are three days of Word and Sacrament that truly define our walk as Christians and we are so blessed to be able to share the journey together. From triumph on Palm Sunday, to confusion on Holy Thursday, to the despair on Good Friday, and the joy of the Easter dawn, a lot can happen in three days.

Amberly Boerschinger, Director of Communications and Technology