EACH year at this time we honour and reflect on the age-old tradition of commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which millions of people of faith across the world acknowledge as one of the most important events on the Christian calendar.

In doing so we accept that there are significant numbers of people who do not embrace the Easter story. However, as we have argued before, one doesn’t have to be a Christian to appreciate the concept of giving one’s life for another — the ultimate sacrifice that symbolises the love and value of a person and the regard in which that person is held.

It is a concept that challenges all mankind, regardless of status. If the crucifixion offers us nothing else it is, perhaps, the greatest story of courage — courage that, we hold, needs to be summoned, not only in Jamaica but across the world, especially at this time of strife and great uncertainty.

The Christian tradition requires that today, Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, is spent in reflection, prayer and contemplation on the themes of humility, service, and salvation; on Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love and the start of the journey towards Easter.

So, as people of faith gather in churches this morning we invite you to pray for our world which is teetering on the brink of adversity. Pray, we plead, for our sister Caribbean country Haiti, where death — now numbering in the hundreds of thousands — through violence and other heinous crimes, stalks a people who have never been allowed to enjoy the freedom for which their ancestors boldly fought more than 200 years ago; where hunger and severe, acute malnutrition pose threats to lives, particularly children; where armed brutes rape women and children and have made life miserable for the population.

We also ask that you pray for our fellow human beings in other strife-torn parts of the world; that the tireless efforts of peacemakers will prevail, thus returning stability to those nations. Ukraine, which has been forced to defend itself from Russian aggression, and the continuing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza come quickly to mind.

Here in Jamaica, our cherished and beloved homeland, we invite prayer for, and reflection on our people, especially those who are most vulnerable, hoping that more of those in need will benefit from the impressive improvements in the economy.

Of course, we accept that more needs to be done to create the kind of society that makes us comfortable living here and investing in our future, even as we acknowledge improvements to the health and education sectors, as well as the gains being made in reducing major crimes due to strategies implemented by the security forces, made possible by the provision of resources by the Government.

That said, we appreciate that improvements do not normally come in large waves; they are achieved by strategic, deliberate steps carefully taken so as to avoid convulsion that would counter any gains.

With that in mind, we remind our fellow Jamaicans that Holy Week should instil in us the principles of sacrifice, compassion, humility and love. We are told that in the Greek and Roman liturgical books, Holy Week is called the Great Week because great deeds were done by God during this week.

We, therefore, should aspire to do great deeds, not only this week, but throughout the year.

We extend to all our valuable readers and advertisers, here and across the world, a peaceful and Holy Easter filled with compassion, gratitude, faith, hope, and love.