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Good morning. When Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, decided to transport to Rome the very steps, according to tradition, that Jesus had climbed in Jerusalem to face Pontius Pilate, she could barely have imagined that, centuries later, they would still be a place of spiritual significance for pilgrims around the world - as they re-opened this week for a short time in the run up to Easter. Since the 18th century the Scala Santa , or holy steps, have been encased in wood but they can now, once again, be climbed by the faithful, on their knees, saying a prayer, step by step, as they reflect on the enormity of Jesus’ human suffering on each of the final days of his earthly life. To this day re-enactments play a huge part for Christians in the calling to mind of events leading up to Easter; Palm Sunday processions, Stations of the Cross, and increasingly popular community passion plays. It’s as if they are actually taking part in real life events. Indeed the Greek word Anamnesis means more than a simple re-enactment of what happened in a story. It’s better, perhaps, understood as re-experiencing the original event- making it, for those gathered, as if they are present. A key to taking part and understanding the events of Holy Week, according to Catholic Priest Ronald Rolheiser, is identifying with a pervading sense of helplessness. He describes the helplessness Jesus had to endure during the last hours of his life as “extremely fruitful for him and for us.” Helplessness is, of course, something which we all experience at least at some point in our lives. There has been a lot of anecdotal chat both in the media and in conversations I have on an almost daily basis about how helpless many feel in the light of recent events not only in Britain but in other parts of the world too. But, at a very personal level, we might also face moments of acute helplessness along with the anxiety and stress that often accompanies it. It’s particularly tough when we witness a loved one going through this following, for instance, a diagnosis or bereavement. Their helplessness is a challenge for us to do what we can and, if we can help, it’s rewarding to see our efforts bear fruit. When we face our own metaphorical stairs and we experience the support from people or something greater than ourselves I can understand what St. Paul means when he writes to the Corinthians “My strength is made perfect in weakness. When I am weak, then I am strong.”