Thought for the week (we 9th March 14)

Maria Von Trap, the last of the singing children immortalised in the film ‘The Sound of Music’ died last week at the age of 99.

Maria was the third oldest child of Captain Georg Von Trapp whose second wife, also named Maria wrote the book ‘The Story of the Trapp Family singers’ which inspired the 1965 film which remains one of the most popular musicals of all time.

Who can ever forget the youthful Julie Andrews singing the opening song against the backdrop of the beautiful Austrian scenery. The wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein score, a story based on true events, bright and canny children running circles around their governess – the mix was just right.

There is, of course, another side to the story. Captain Von Trapp refused a commission that was being forced upon him to serve in the German navy. Along with his second wife also called Maria (played in the film by Julie Andrews) the decision was made to flee Nazi occupied Austria in 1938 as it was unthinkable that he could serve a regime he considered abhorrent and had totally opposed. There was to be no compromise and the family then settled in America and the young Maria eventually became a missionary in Papua New Guinea.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent when many Christians begin a time of self seeking and sacrifice. Jesus uncompromisingly resisted and overcame all the taunts and temptations that came upon him during his forty days in the wilderness.

His example can help us to live our faith so that when the going gets tough and we are tempted to do wrong we will have the will and power to do what we know is right, even if that means we become unpopular or even have to suffer for our beliefs.

Jesus came through those forty days of the extremes of the physical and emotional temptations knowing that even in those darkest hours he was not alone and neither are we.