In his new book, Andrew Hamilton SJ explores the many paths we take on our Easter journey, inviting us to let memory be our guide. Reviewed by Tracey Edstein.
Decades ago, in our parish in the Hunter Valley, the message on the front of the bulletin for the first Sunday of Lent would be titled, ‘What? No flowers at the altar?’
From memory, it was repeated for several years and became something of a touchstone for me – not in a good way.
I thought then, and I think today, that the characterisation of Lent as a gloomy time (especially when beginning soon after the Christmas holidays), as a time to ‘give up’ rather than ‘take on’, as a time of reckoning, was always a shallow, stereotypical and oh-so-predictable understanding.
There had to be more.
Of course, Lenten programs abound, but in my experience, even if the program is fresh and challenging, the conversations arising are not necessarily so.
Enter Many paths lead to Easter by renowned commentator Andrew Hamilton SJ.
Image: Garratt Publishing.
Even the look and feel of the booklet, produced by Garratt Publishing, are lighter, with stock that is pleasing to the eye and the touch, plenty of colour, varying point sizes and pages that are anything but text heavy.
To this end, the Lenten readings appear in full as an appendix, rather than weighing down the flow of the weekly offerings.
So how does Hamilton approach this rich time of the liturgical year?
The dominant metaphor is ‘journey’ with repeated illustration of the overlaps between the scriptural journeys captured in the Liturgy of the Word each week, and the journeys – and overarching journey – each of us undertakes as pilgrims in Christ’s footsteps.
We often imagine Lent as about ourselves.
It is a time to drink less or pray more, for example.
It is about ourselves. But more importantly
it reminds us that as we head towards Easter our
journey is one of many. It is a time to remember
freshly what we have seen and wondered at in all
these journeys. (p 5)
One of the elements of Lent – and of many aspects of the liturgical year and the life of faith ‒ is familiarity. As the adage goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt” or, in this case, perhaps indifference is a better term.
We know the prayers.
We know the scriptural stories.
In many cases, we know the homilies!
While remaining firmly within the tradition, I believe Hamilton manages to bring freshness and a certain groundedness that is very Australian. In a short section titled ‘The Making of Lent’ he writes, “From the beginning, the feast (of Passover) … involved a month of fasting. … Fasting marked seriousness. It was associated with acknowledging sin and communal renewal of faith.” (p 3)
Fasting is probably the single most identifiable aspect of Lent, at least in the minds of Catholics of a certain age – yet these days, it’s more readily associated with weight loss or cultivating personal discipline than acknowledging sin.
For many, ‘fasting’ from the morning coffee en route to work might be highly significant, and suitably sacrificial!
In fact, Hamilton clearly acknowledges the reality of familiarity when he writes, “The Gospels and ceremonies of Lent invite us to remember sharply the story of Jesus that can easily grow dull.” (p 5)
I found particularly compelling Hamilton’s treatment of the parable of the prodigal son – sometimes called the prodigal father. He writes:
“… his father loses the dignity expected of men
of substance by running out to him, embracing him
as his son, putting the heir’s ring on him, and ordering
a banquet in his honour. In Jewish society this was
all totally undignified, imprudent, touchy-feely,
over the top, and certainly ungodlike. (p 23)
What better illustration of the prodigality of our God?
Each Lenten Sunday is given a thought-provoking reflection, a commentary on the scriptures and reflection starters. The images, a mix of traditional and contemporary, enhance the text, sometimes in particularly striking ways. For example, commentary on the gospel of the woman caught in adultery is accompanied by a tender close-up of the woman’s head resting on the feet of Jesus.
As you would expect, the threads of the journey metaphor are brought together at Easter, but not in a neat, ‘tying up all the loose ends’ way; after all, the journey is not over!
Hamilton writes, “The story ends with Jesus’ friends between doubt and belief, a place in which we shall often find ourselves. Like Peter, our hearts and minds wait to be touched by the risen Christ.”
Many paths lead to Easter, Andrew Hamilton SJ (Garratt Publishing, 2024). RRP: $8.95. To order copies, click here.
