The Taking of Christ

14c.
The roof fresco, from the rock-hewn church "Sv.Bogoroditsa" (Holy Theotokos), near Ivanovo, Bulgaria

Christ before Pilate

Basilica di Santapollinare Nuovo
6th century
Ravenna Italy

Deposition of Christ from the Cross

Pietro Lorenzetti (1280-1348)
Basilica di San Francesco, Lower Church, Assisi

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Philippians 2:6-11

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

He emptied himself. (Philippians 2:7)

On this special grace-filled day, let’s spend some time dwelling on this one simple verse from today’s second reading. What did St. Paul mean when he said that Jesus “emptied himself”?

First, Paul tells us that Jesus has always been God. He wasn’t created in the image and likeness of God, as we have been. No, he enjoyed “equality with God” (Philippians 2:6). And yet he chose to become a man. He emptied himself of all the “benefits” he had in heaven. By taking on a human body, he submitted to physical limitations. He knew hunger, tiredness, and pain. He accepted the limitation of being in one place at a time. He who once enjoyed the praise of the angels in heaven now relied on prayer himself to discern his Father’s will.

Jesus went even further than that. He chose not to come as a powerful king with many servants, a palatial home, and a mighty army. Instead, he was born into a poor, simple family. He became a tradesman in a humble little village in occupied territory. He owned very little. Even his tomb was borrowed!

Jesus gave up everything—and he did it for us. He came from heaven to earth so that we could go from earth to heaven. He was hated so that we could know love. He was condemned so that we could be pardoned. He died so that we could have eternal life. In every way, he emptied himself so that we could be filled.

Now Jesus is asking us to become like him. He is asking us to choose to serve rather than to be served. He is asking us to humble ourselves and care for the Church, the poor, and the needy. May we never forget what Jesus did for us on the cross. May the love and humility of his own self-emptying move us to ask how we can give more of ourselves to him and his people.

“Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice of love! Teach me to love other people as deeply as you have loved me.”

Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24
Luke 22:14–23:56

A Christian Pilgrim

THE MERCY OF JESUS IN SPITE OF HIS OWN SUFFERINGS

19 Mar

THE MERCY OF JESUS IN SPITE OF HIS OWN SUFFERINGS

(A biblical refection on PALM (PASSION) SUNDAY [YEAR C] – 20 March 2016)

Gospel Reading during Procession: Luke 19:28-40; First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalms: Psalm 22:8-9,17-20,23-24; Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11; Gospel Reading: Luke 22:14-23:56 (Luke 23:1-49)

Today’s Gospel reading, preparing us for the week ahead, is the passion account by Saint Luke. Although similar to the other Gospels, it makes unique contributions to enrich our faith in the suffering of Jesus. The following, for example, are some unparalleled Lucan passages. He alone mentions the sweating of blood (Luke 22:44); the shuffling Jesus between Pilate and Herod (Luke 23:1-25); the conversations of Jesus and the two criminals as they hang on the crosses (Luke 23:39-43). Also peculiar to Luke is the discourse between Jesus and the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-28), and the healing of the servant’s ear which had been cut off by a sword in the garden Luke 22:50-51).

It appears that Luke was trying to show the ministering mercy of Jesus to the very end, in spite of His own personal sufferings. He views Jesus as the man in the middle, serving, uniting and bringing peace to all who come into contact with Him. It’s ironic how His trial brought a sense of unity to the country of Israel, by establishing friendship between the Roman, Pilate, ruler of the South and the Northern leader, Herod the Jew. Jesus too was the midst of the Jerusalem women, giving them courage on His road to death.

Dying between two criminals, one jeering, the other supporting, He ministered with the promise of paradise. He hung between earth and sky, between God and humanity, with the rough wooden beams crossing between His head and heart. Both realistically and symbolically, Jesus was and is the center of salvation history – never faltering but manifesting courageous love under pressure.

One final unique contribution by Luke is the passage about the agony in the garden, where an angel came to minister to Jesus. The angel is unnamed and unknown and perhaps, we think, unnecessary – for what can one insignificant angel do for the Son of God? His visit does help Jesus, giving Him needed strength and support simply by his presence. The human fall in the Garden of Paradise had necessitated the Garden of Gethsemane, with a new Adam and a new beginning. Jesus was tempted to side-step the approaching agony, praying: “Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42 RSV). But, perhaps aided by the presence of the unknown angel, He accepted the bitter choice.

Like angels, we can minister to others – even those more powerful and intelligent – simply by our presence in times of need. On Holy Thursday we recall the Last Supper, the First Mass, the institution of the Priesthood, and the washing of the feet, but don’t forget that it’s also the anniversary of the agony in the garden. Can we, like the nameless angel, spend some quiet time with the Lord that night by our physical presence in church? Can we also stand near His cross the next day? We may hear Him whisper our name with a promise of paradise.

Note: Adapted from Rev. James McKarns, GO TELL EVERYONE – A Commentary on Sunday Readings Cycles A-B-C, Makati, Philippines: St. Paul Publications, 1985, pages 211-213.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, only through Your mercy could You have sent Your Son to save us. Jesus, only through Your love for the Father could You have emptied Yourself for our salvation. Holy Spirit, only in love between the Father and the Son could You have carried out our salvation. We are in awe of Your glory, O God the Holy Trinity; we worship and thank You. Amen.

Pastor’s Column

Holy Week, 2016

I have never been to Calvary. This event happened 2000 years ago. Our faith takes us there; the liturgy and scripture of Palm Sunday and Good Friday take us there. And we need to go there to experience for ourselves in whatever way we can just how much God loves us, how much our salvation cost.

In some ways, however, I have been to Calvary in person, almost an eyewitness. For example, Auschwitz, Poland. Here, I found Christ. He died with the innocents there. Here were so many who were put to death for no other reason than their Jewish faith. When our pilgrimage was there some years ago, a Jewish group was going from barracks to barracks with a Star of David flag, which moved me to tears.

I have also been to Dachau. Dachau is near Munich, Germany, and was the prototype for all the later death camps. It was somewhat less harsh… instead cremating the prisoners, they simply worked most of them to death. This is where most of the priests were put to death as well (there were many), and as I stood on the spot where they were barracked, I found that Christ had also been there: this too was Calvary. This past Friday, I and about 30 parishioners who were able to get away on a Friday afternoon, prayed the rosary in front of Planned Parenthood. We simply stood there, peacefully saying the rosary. No signs. No theatrics. Just prayer. Opposite us at some distance was a guard watching us intently. Here too, we found Christ, for he is surely with every single innocent life that leaves this earth in this modern version of a legal death camp for children who are unwanted.

Jesus waits to forgive us, for this and other sins we may have committed. This is why he was allowed to die the way he did; though without sin, he bore all of ours, everything forward, through time, in these examples and in every other person who has suffered, innocent or guilty. All we have to do is accept him, believe in him, and ask his forgiveness (especially in the Sacrament of Confession). He will do the rest.

Father Gary

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Passion of the Christ: Scott Hahn Reflects on Passion Sunday

March 14, 2016

Download Audio File

Readings:

Isaiah 50:4-7

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24

Philippians 2:6-11

Luke 22:14-23:56

What is written about Me is coming to fulfillment," Jesus says in today's Gospel (see Luke 22:37).

Indeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled.

By the close of today's long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished, the new covenant will be written in the blood of His broken body hanging on the cross at the place called the Skull.

In His Passion, Jesus is "counted among the wicked," as Isaiah had foretold (see Isaiah 53:12). He is revealed definitively as the Suffering Servant the prophet announced, the long-awaited Messiah whose words of obedience and faith ring out in today's First Reading and Psalm.

The taunts and torments we hear in these two readings punctuate the Gospel as Jesus is beaten and mocked (see Luke 22:63-65; 23:10-11,16), as His hands and feet are pierced (see Luke 23:33), as enemies gamble for His clothes ( see Luke 23:34), and as three times they dare Him to prove His divinity by saving Himself from suffering (see Luke 23:35,37,39)

He remains faithful to God's will to the end, does not turn back in His trial. He gives Himself freely to His torturers, confident that, as He speaks in today's First Reading: "The Lord God is My help...I shall not be put to shame."

Destined to sin and death as children of Adam's disobedience, we have been set free for holiness and life by Christ's perfect obedience to the Father's will (see Romans 5:12-14,17-19; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6).

This is why God greatly exalted Him. This is why we have salvation in His Name. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken, that one day we too will be with Him in Paradise (see Luke 23:42). Seeing and Believing.

"He emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

coming in human weakness."

(Phil 2: 6-11)

Palm Sunday Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032016.cfm

Almighty ever-living God,

who as an example of humility

for the human race to follow

caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross,

graciously grant that we may heed his lesson

of patient suffering

and so merit a share in his Resurrection.

(Opening Collect of Mass)

Our Lent, as it always does, begins with palms and ends with palms. So, the palms we hold today are not just “leaves” from bushes grown for this purpose. Five weeks ago, we were marked with ashes on our foreheads and those ashes came from the burned palm leaves as the ones we received today. And so this week we mark the end of Lent and the beginning of a week made holy by the events that we will remember.

But, the palms, or likely also olive branches with silvery-green leaves, were waived by the adoring crowds as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey not long after he had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. It’s not a scene of sadness or betrayal, which will come in a few days, but rather a scene of praise; a royal moment in which the frenzied population shouted and acclaimed Jesus as their King! With all this acclamation how could anything be better or go wrong? But, we know that not all were wild with admiration. In fact, their wish was anything but supportive; it was ominous and sinister.

So, our liturgy this week takes us through praise, betrayal, rejection, abandonment, sacrifice, service, a life poured out in pain and suffering, and final glory and miracle. On Wednesday of this week we hear of Judas, http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032316.cfm a trusted Apostle, who turned dark and whose spirit became corrupted with greed.

He turns Jesus in to the authorities who are seeking to know where he hides out with his trusted circle. “In the olive garden below Jerusalem - in that valley at night,” states Judas. Did he know what the real motive for Jesus’ capture would be? It is hard to imagine that Judas would have secretly plotted for Jesus’ demise and death after following him for such a long time. Judas witnessed his miracles; heard his teaching; he saw the rapt admiration of the crowds. How could he have gone so far to have conspired with his captors for Jesus destruction?

It is more likely a plot gone badly. Judas was betrayed as well. Maybe his misguided intention was to allow Jesus the opportunity to be questioned by the Jewish authorities, all the while hoping that Jesus would use his miraculous power to align in overturning the Roman forces of occupation? Yet, he may have not known that the Jewish authorities was also using him for their own dark intentions.

Nonetheless, it was a betrayal indeed. Judas despaired, which in the least shows his remorse but inability to seek forgiveness from the one who surely would have offered it to him.

Even sadder, we know of Jesus’ “rock” – Peter who perhaps even more than Judas betrayed our Lord outright. Not in a secret plot but boldly, out loud, three times that he even knew Jesus at all! At least Judas did not deny that he knew Jesus quite well. Peter, in cowardly weakness, disavowed himself and turned so regrettably to an action that brought him to weep and deeply regret but thankfully, not to despair. And Jesus forgave him along the Sea of Galilee after he appeared in risen form – “Peter, do you love me?” Three times to redeem Peter and prepare him for the mission ahead, the risen Lord commanded Peter: “Feed my sheep”

Thursday, called Holy, we see the profound humility of God we hear of on Palm Sunday in our Second reading from Philippians 2: 6-11: “He humbled himself, taking on the form of a slave . . .” And so Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, among whom we could assume Judas was included. God washed their feet as an unforgettable example of love poured out for others. Then he further gave him his body and blood in the Eucharist and forever commissioned them to “Do this in memory of me.”

We move then to the central image of the Christian faith, the cross, known in ancient times as the most tortuous and barbaric death reserved for the most hardened criminals. Why did Jesus die in spite of his innocence? Scholars tell us it was the charge of blasphemy brought against him; that he claimed to be equal to God, and implied that indeed he is God among us. The greatest violation of the First Commandment was to claim to be God or equal to him; a charge deserving of death. And so, this death was for that eternal truth and so the Cross is forever a sign of hope and salvation for humanity.

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Our dramatic week reaches its ultimate peak next Saturday at the Evening Vigil – the central celebration of the entire Liturgical Year is that sacred night at which new members are washed in baptism and anointed with the Chrism in Confirmation, then feed on Christ himself in the Holy Eucharist. We hear the stories of salvation from the Old Testament and the unexpected confusion turned to joy from the empty tomb of Jesus to his appearance to Mary Magdalen and all Easter season to the awestruck Apostles.

It is unlike any other time of year. If you can, plan to attend all the Holy Week Services. Yes, you will spend more time in Church this week and yes the services will be longer than normal. Remember no one ever died of “terminal Church.” Your family or relatives or neighbors might brand you as somehow overly religious if you do so – or even if you come to Good Friday in addition to Easter Vigil or Sunday. But, it is an opportunity to evangelize and to show the depth to which God gave his life on the Cross for you and for them. Invite them to come with you.

So, let’s give thanks and pray for the grace to come to resurrection – a Sunday of miracle and renewed faith along with our newest members.

Peace to all. More will come . . .

Insight Scoop

Three gifts offered by Jesus on His way to the Cross

Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, painted in 1871.

Three gifts offered by Jesus on His way to the Cross | Carl E. Olson

On the Readings for March 20, 2016, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Readings:
• At the procession with palms, Gospel: Lk 19:28-4
• Is 50:4-7
• Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
• Phil 2:6-11
• Lk 22:14—23:56

"It is done. We have judged our God and have ordered Him slain.
We will not have Christ with us more—He is in the way.”

Those lines open Paul Claudel’s poem, “The Way of the Cross”, a lyrical, moving reflection on the fourteen Stations. Claudel, who is one of my favorite poets, had a profound love and knowledge of the Bible (he wrote a book titled, The Essence of the Bible). His poetry has often opened up new and wonderful perspectives in my study of sacred Scripture.

In writing that Christ “is in the way,” Claudel emphasizes the two choices before each one of us: to embrace Jesus as The Way or to try to remove him from our way.

Those choices are evident throughout today’s reading from St. Luke’s Gospel. There is, in this reading, a series of gifts offered by Jesus as he, the King of kings, makes his way to his throne, the Cross. These gifts involve choices, not only on the part of man, but also on the part of the God-man.

In the Upper Room, reclining with the apostles, Jesus took the bread and blessed it, and said, “This is my body, which will be given for you…” He took the cup, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.” This, of course, is the gift of the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life,” the Body and Blood which nourishes the sons and daughters of God. This gift was offered along with the gift of the priesthood, through which this perfect and holy sacrifice has been perpetually offered (CCC, 611).

Yet one of the Twelve rejected the gifts. Judas—grasping and greedy—had spitefully judged Jesus and believed he was now in the way. Judas refused to accept and be part of a kingdom rooted in self-sacrifice, suffering, and redemptive love. “But woe,” said Jesus, “to that man by whom he is betrayed.”

The gift of the cup of the New Covenant, the Catechism remarks, “is afterwards accepted by him from his Father's hands in his agony in the garden at Gethsemani…” (par. 612). This gift of Jesus—offering himself, his fears, and his horror of death—is a profound mystery, for it is bound up in mystery of the Incarnation. The second person of the Trinity, St. Paul states in today’s Epistle, had “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” and had “humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death…” The first Adam had failed the test of love in the Garden of Eden when faced with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But the new Adam, whose sweat in the Garden of Gethsemani “became like drops of blood,” humbly embraced the torturous trial of the tree of Golgotha. The anguish endured in private prayer in the Garden would soon be a public lamentation: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

The third gift is that of love, redemption, salvation, reconciliation. It is the gift of the Cross, the gift of the Incarnate Word who did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. “The shame of his passion was not the fruit of his own will,” wrote St. Cyril of Alexandria, “but he still consented to undergo it that he might save the earth.” Arms stretched wide, Jesus embraced the world. He embraced the thief, who asked to be remembered in Paradise. He embraced the centurion, who gloried God. He embraces each one of us as we kneel in silence and contemplate those humble words of trust and filial devotion: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Jesus, for many people, is in the way. But for those who gaze upon the gift of the Cross, Jesus is the Way. In the beautiful words of Claudel:

“There is no cross of our living where His body will not fit.
There is no sin of ours for which He has not a wound.”

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the March 28, 2010, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

King of Hearts

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

March 20, 2016 - Palm Sunday of the Lord´s Passion

Luke 23:1-49

Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king." Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty." But they were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here." On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon learning that he was under Herod´s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Even Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us." (Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.) Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ´Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.´ At that time people will say to the mountains, ´Fall upon us!´ and to the hills, ´Cover us!´ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the Temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt." When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.

Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, I look to you with great confidence as I set out this week to walk the path to Calvary accompanying your Beloved Son on his way to redeeming us. I know this period is an opportunity to see my difficulties and trials as ways to conform my life better to that of your Son. Here I am Lord, ready and desiring to learn from you and imitate you.

Petition: Lord Jesus, let my thirst for happiness be quenched by your love.

The Search for Happiness: Everyone is passionately fond of liberty, but there is one thing we crave even more, and without which existence and even liberty is painful: happiness. It is one of life’s greatest paradoxes that as much as people seek to be free, they still wish to be a slave; not a slave in the sense that their liberty is denied to them, but in the sense that they yearn for something they can worship, something that will solicit their will, pull at their heartstrings, tempt their energies and command their affections. They want to be free to choose between various kinds of happiness, but they do not want to be free from happiness; they wish to be its slave.

Two Ways: There are two ways of responding to this hunger of the soul and this thirst of the heart: one is the way of the world, the other is the way of Christ. Before we indulge in the pleasures of the world, they seem desirable and appear to be all that we will need to make us happy. But after we have them, they become disappointing and sometimes even disgusting. The contrary is true of the pleasures of Christ. Before we have them, they are hard, unattractive, and even repulsive. But after we possess them, they are satisfying and become all our heart could ever desire.

Jesus Christ Is the Answer: What the world deems success is really failure and unhappiness. What the world deems failure and defeat is really success and victory. This reality is played out in Our Lord’s Passion. Jesus is the happiness we seek and the answer to all our desires. His way is the way of the cross, and therefore, as his followers, we must follow the same path. Jesus assures us that the poor shall not always be poor; the crucified shall not be always on a cross; the poor shall be rich; the lowly shall be exalted; those who sow in tears shall reap in joy; those who mourn shall be comforted; and those who suffer with Christ shall reign with him. In the words of the poet Francis Thompson, Christ says to you, “All which I took from thee I did but take, not for thy harms, but just that thou might’st seek it in my arms. All which thy child’s mistake fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: Rise, clasp my hand, and come!”

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, come and be the king of my heart. During this week of your Passion I want to grow in my love and appreciation for you and all you do for me. Help me with your grace to be a faithful follower and give me the strength to take up my cross with love and generosity.

Resolution: I will visit Our Lord in the Eucharist, renewing my desire to be totally his and praying that Jesus be totally mine.

God’s Messenger to the Weary

Dr. Mark Giszczak

Derry_St_Columb's_Cathedral_Side_Chapel_Bishop_William_Alexander_Memorial_Window_Lower_Lights_2013_09_17

March 20, 2016
Palm Sunday
First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032016.cfm

Life can be a grind. Getting up early, staying up late, working hard—all of it can take its toll and cause us to lose sight of what our life is supposed to be about. The grind can actually wear us out, make us weary. In those moments, we need a certain spiritual encouragement, some help to get up and keep going. Our own inner self-encouragements aren’t enough to get us back on track. That’s when we need a messenger from God.

God’s Messengers

In the Bible, God sends lots of messengers: The “angel of the Lord” appears to many people. God sends the angel Gabriel to Mary. He sends Moses to the Hebrews. He sends Samuel to Saul. He sends the prophets to Israel and Judah. He even sends a donkey to Balaam. But here in Isaiah, God promises to send a different kind of messenger—one who will not only bear his word, but who will also suffer on behalf of the people. This messenger is often referred to as the Suffering Servant. Our first reading constitutes the third of the four Servant Songs in Isaiah (42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13–53:12). Often we feel left alone, apart from God, lost in the vastness of the universe, but in fact he repeatedly reveals himself to us through a multitude of messengers like the Suffering Servant who comes with “the tongue of those who are taught” (Isa 50:4 RSV). We don’t think about tongues much, but the ancient Hebrews viewed the tongue as the organ of speech. The Servant’s tongue has received special training so that he can bring God’s message to his people.

Confronting Weariness

In particular, his message is for the “weary” (Isa 50:4). He comes to lift up, help, sustain the weary. By his very speech, he will encourage them, awaken them. His project of waking up others parallels his own experience of the word of the Lord coming to him “morning by morning.” The Servant gives what he has received from the Lord and its effect is similar. It wakes him up and he uses it to rouse others from their weariness. The rare Hebrew word for “weary,” yaseph, is only used once elsewhere by Isaiah: “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isa 40:29 RSV). The ancient Jews were weary from the oppression of foreign empires, Assyria and Babylon, and from their experience of exile from their homeland. These ancient conflicts prefigure the great conflict of sin. Our oppressor, sin, finds ways to enslave us, to drag us down, to trap us into addictive patterns, but the Servant preaches a word to us that can free us from the “weariness” of sin.

Suffering for Sin

The Servant does not stop with mere words, but puts his money where his mouth is. He takes the awful weight of sin—not his own sin, but the people’s sin—upon himself. He insists upon his fidelity to the Lord. He does not “turn back” nor is he “rebellious.” But in the face of grave opposition:

I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isa 50:6 RSV)

The Servant is willing to undergo physical harm and public shame for the sake of his message. The angry crowds who oppose him will not hold back his mission of proclaiming the Lord’s word to the weary. The punishments Isaiah lists match up remarkably well with Jesus’ experience on Good Friday when his back is whipped (Mark 15:15) and the soldiers spit on him and hit him (Matt 26:67). The Suffering Servant bears the sins of the people and takes their deserved suffering upon himself, though he is innocent and undeserving.

The Unshameable Servant

All of the punishments that he suffers are designed to shame him, to humiliate him, to dishonor him. Notably, ancient peoples were far more concerned about honor and shame than we are, yet we can still feel the sting of embarrassment that comes from losing your cool, having your name attached to something smarmy, or having a piece of broccoli stuck in your teeth during your end-of-the-year sales presentation. In the case of the Servant, those seeking to shame him into capitulation or inner crisis will fail. They won’t be able to destroy his confidence. Why? Because his hope, his honor, does not reside in mere public opinion. His hope is in the Lord. He looks forward to the day when the Lord will “vindicate” him:

For the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been confounded;
therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
(Isa 50:7 RSV)

With his confidence totally in the Lord, public shaming cannot stick. It falls away as he trusts in the Lord’s vindication. What seems like failure today will prove to be victory tomorrow. What looks like a disaster for his message on Good Friday will be shown to be a triumph on the third day. The Servant, with his rock-solid reliance on the Lord, will prove unshameable.

While many forces constantly advertise to us, teach us, inform us, or “notify” us, the messengers of God are the ones we really want to be listening to. In fact, in the end, God sent just one ultimate messenger, his very own son. He comes with a message of repentance, healing and encouragement, which in fact fulfills another Isaian passage: “a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench” (Isa 42:3 RSV). The Servant hears from the Lord, speaks to the people, and offers a rousing word to the weary. He persists in proclaiming, despite persecution, and, in the end, he is vindicated. When we feel weary from the burdens of this life, we can listen again to his inviting words and find the strength to endure: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28 RSV).

Scripture Speaks: Palm Sunday

Gayle Somers

“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt 21:9)

Gospel (Read Lk 22:14-23:56)

On Palm Sunday, Catholics all over the globe, in every nation and time zone, in public and sometimes in secret, stand at attention to hear the longest Gospel narrative of the entire liturgical year. This riveting episode needs no interpretation. Young and old, male and female, educated and uneducated, sophisticated and simple—all of us are caught up in the story and understand it. Why is it so universally accessible? The answer must be because it is a truly human drama, with the kinds of characters, action, plots and subplots, emotions, twists and turns that all of us know. Who among us has not experienced something of betrayal, fear, humiliation, misrepresentation, powerlessness, malice from others, remorse, and dark foreboding? This Passion story is not one told in philosophical, theological, or metaphorical language. No, this story is our story, full of the truths of life that no one ever has to teach us.

Because of its length and density of details, a comprehensive commentary is not possible here (see Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for a truly glorious examination of all the Passion Scriptures). Still, many of us can be helped to stay attentive (we need help because, alas, we are like the apostles who kept dozing while Jesus agonized in Gethsemane) as it is read at Mass by pondering beforehand several of the story’s most fascinating themes: isolation, innocence, and irony.

Isolation: Although Jesus was nearly always surrounded by people in the various Passion scenes, we see how increasingly isolated He became, perhaps most startlingly even when He’s with His friends. At the Last Supper, although Jesus told the apostles He eagerly “desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer,” they were so unfocused and self-centered that “an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.” How far away from Him they were in their hearts and minds! Jesus knew this, of course. When Peter vowed that he was ready to die with the Lord, Jesus warned him that before the morning arrived, he would three times deny even knowing Him. It wasn’t only Peter, either. The apostles completely misunderstood Jesus’ instructions about preparing themselves to continue His mission without Him and to be ready for long and arduous spiritual battle. They thought He wanted them to take up arms and fight for Him with swords. As He prayed in His agony on the Mount of Olives, His friends could not stay awake with Him. His betrayal was by one of His own; a kiss that should have meant friendship meant death instead. When Jesus had to carry His cross to “the place called the Skull,” a stranger, Simon of Cyrene, had to be pressed into service to help Him, so far were His friends from Him. In death, His isolation was complete. We know from other Gospel accounts that Jesus felt utterly, completely forsaken.

Innocence: There is no avoiding the repeated testimonies, from all sorts of people, that Jesus was innocent of any crime. He was the first to profess it, saying to those who arrested Him, “Have you come out against a robber, with swords and clubs?” When Pilate interrogated Him, he told the crowd three times, “I found Him guilty of no capital crime.” Herod, too, acquitted Him. Even in His dying moments, one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus recognized that “this man has done nothing criminal.” Finally, a Roman centurion who had “witnessed what had happened” proclaimed, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” The Son of God, the Son of Perfect Justice, became the willing victim of supreme injustice.

Irony: By the time we get to the Passion narratives in the Gospels, we ought to be used to seeing irony (words or events that seem to mean one thing but actually mean something else) aplenty in our salvation story. We know that Peter believed himself ready to go to prison and die for Jesus. Yet, as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has suggested, it was Peter’s “heroism” that caused his downfall:

“But [Peter] must learn that even martyrdom is no heroic achievement: rather, it is a grace to be able to suffer for Jesus… His desire to rush in—his heroism—leads to his denial. In order to secure his place by the fire in the forecourt of the high priest’s palace, and in order to keep abreast of every development in Jesus’ destiny as it happens, he claims not to know Him. His heroism falls to pieces in a small-minded tactic… He must learn the way of the disciple in order to be led, when his hour comes, to the place where he does not want to go (cf. Jn 21:18) and to receive the grace of martyrdom.” (Jesus of Nazareth, Part II, pg 71-72).

The crowd before Pilate clamored for Barabbas, a rebel murderer, to be freed instead of Jesus. So, the guilty “son of the father” (the meaning of his name) was set free by the Divine Son of the Father, an ironic playing out of the meaning of the Crucifixion. Finally, what Herod, the usurper king of the Jews, did in mockery as he put Jesus in “resplendent garb,” and what the Romans, likewise in mockery, wrote on His Cross, “The King of the Jews,” actually presented Jesus to the world as He really is—the true King over a kingdom that can only be gained through humility. The authorities (those with power) all ridiculed this King; only a dying criminal could see the truth: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

As we make our way through Holy Week to the glory of Easter, let us resolve not to isolate Jesus by our lack of focus, our density, or our sloth; to remember that the Innocent One stepped in to redeem us, the guilty; to embrace all the ironies of living the Christian life, as baffling as they can sometimes be.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, please keep Your eye fixed on me this week. I have it in me to fail You.

First Reading (Read Isa 50:4-7)

The prophet, Isaiah, because he lived during a time of great covenant unfaithfulness in God’s people (about the 8^th century B.C.), had to deliver dire warnings of coming catastrophe unless the people repented. He prophesied that judgment would inevitably fall, but Isaiah also spoke of a coming restoration, when their punishment would end, and the people would once again flourish in their land. Remarkably, Isaiah’s prophecies included detailed descriptions of a Suffering Servant who would play a significant role in this restoration. Through his innocent, willing suffering, the sin of the people would be forgiven. Here, of course, we have an astounding Messianic prophecy of Jesus, the Innocent One Who suffered on behalf of all people, making our redemption possible. There are several “songs” in Isaiah about this Suffering Servant. Today’s reading highlights the determination of the Servant to stay the course set out for him, regardless of the physical violence and acts of degradation against him. This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, Who “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51) and quietly endured contemptuous brutality, as we see in the Gospel reading. Although Jesus wrestled in the Garden with His natural desire to avoid suffering, He rose from His agonized prayer to fulfill Isaiah’s words: “I have not rebelled, have not turned back” (Isa 50:5).

Possible response: LORD, I need the courage and perseverance of the Suffering Servant to do Your will when I face opposition. Please grant me that grace in the Eucharist today.

Psalm (Read Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24)

We can’t read this psalm without being amazed at how accurately it describes some of the details of the Crucifixion. That is why we understand it as a Messianic psalm, written by David, King of Israel, hundreds of years earlier. David, like Jesus, was persecuted unjustly. His enemies wanted to destroy him, and his suffering made him cry out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” However, in a verse not included in our reading, David acknowledges that God has not forsaken him: “For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and He has not hid His face from him, but has heard when he cried out to Him” (Ps 22:24). This is the turning point of the psalm. David goes on to see a time when he will be restored and be able to “proclaim Your Name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly” (Ps 2:25), even being able to “eat and be satisfied” (Ps 22:26). In other words, David sees life after his suffering, something wonderful from God on the other side of it that will cause all Israel to “give glory to Him…revere Him” (Ps 22:23). Is it any wonder, then, that this psalm was on the lips of Jesus as he was dying on the Cross? The separation from God He experienced as He bore the full weight of all humanity’s sin made Him feel abandoned, as did David, but He had the hope of the psalmist, too: “Posterity shall serve Him; men shall tell of the LORD to the coming generation, and proclaim His deliverance to a people yet unborn” (Ps 22:30). We cannot doubt that this psalm, known so well to Jesus, gave Him courage as He drank His cup of suffering to its bitter end.

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Phil 2:6-11)

St. Paul gives us a summary of the Incarnation and, with it, a preview of what lies beyond the sober details of today’s Gospel narrative. Jesus left His glory in heaven to become one of us, yet He became more “us” than we are ourselves. God made us for obedience to Him, which would enable us to live in His “image and likeness” and be truly happy. We, however, always choose disobedience, so, on our own, we never really reach who we actually are. Jesus chose perfect obedience for us, even unto death. Therefore, God gave Him the Name that will eventually cause every knee to bend and every tongue confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” In all our other readings today, we see the Suffering Servant, stripped of power and glory, the very image of weakness and defeat. In this epistle, we see King Jesus, exalted and glorified and worthy of praise—the perfect anticipation of the joy of Easter!

Possible response: King Jesus, help me to believe that the way of humility and obedience is always the path to glory.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 2

<< Sunday, March 20, 2016 >>

Passion (Palm) Sunday

Luke 19:28-40 (Entrance Processional)
Isaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
View Readings

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24
Luke 22:14—23:56
Similar Reflections

A SINGULAR LOVE

"This is My body to be given for you." —Luke 22:19

For love of you, Jesus gave His "back to those who beat" Him (Is 50:6). For love of you, Jesus did not shield His face "from buffets and spitting" (Is 50:6). For love of you, Jesus obediently accepted "even death, death on a cross!" (Phil 2:8) Jesus suffered and died for love of you!

Almost everyone believes Jesus died on a cross. This is a matter of historical record. Well over a billion people have said they believe Jesus died on a cross for love of humanity. Yet how many Christians believe Jesus died on a cross for love of each one of them individually and personally? Do you believe that when Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was thinking of you specifically? Do you think He was saying your name? (see Is 43:1) Do you believe that He had your own name written on the palms of His nailed hands? (see Is 49:16)

It is hard for us to believe that Jesus was focused on each one of us when He died on the cross, for we ourselves cannot be conscious specifically of more than a very few people. But Jesus is not only a human being; He is God. He can and did die for you specifically. Jesus would have died for you if you were the only person in the world. He loves you specifically, individually, personally, and singularly. Love Him in the same way.

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving Your Son to love me singularly (see Jn 3:16).

Promise: "Pray that you may not be subjected to the trial." —Lk 22:46

Praise: All praise and honor to You, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be glorified in the world today and forever.

Parents' Prayer

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving. Amen.