Holy Week - A Participation, Not an Observance

I'm going to take a temporary break from my "Monday Morning in the Desert" series and offer a meditation  about Holy Week from a modern-day spiritual master: Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh (1914-2003).  He was not only the Russian Orthodox Bishop of Great Britain and Ireland, but a noted author of several books on prayer and the spiritual life.

Regarding Holy Week, Metropolitan Anthony wrote:

"[W]e are entering Holy Week.  How can we face these events?  I think we must enter into Holy Week not as observers, not reading the passages of Gospel that are relevant.  We must enter Holy Week as though we were participants in the events, indeed read of them but then mix in the crowd that surrounds Christ and ask ourselves, Where am I in this crowd? Am I one of those who said 'Hosanna to the Son of David!'? And am I now on the fringe of saying, 'Crucify him'? Am I one of the disciples who were faithful until the moments of ultimate danger came upon them? ....... And then we will be able to meet the day of the Resurrection together with those to whom it was life and resurrection indeed, when despair had gone, new hope had come, God had conquered."

(From pp. 172-73, 175 of "Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: Essential Writings").