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'Our Lord Jesus Christ desires that we should, for sanctifying ourselves, glorify His all-loving Heart; for it was His Heart that suffered the most in His Sacred Humanity.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Day by Day -- Saints for All, Blessed Peter Gonzalez, 04-14-17

Zenit.org

With the invitation to welcome Christ with Palms of peace and to walk with Him to the Cross of mercy

April 12, 2019 18:01Francesco FolloSunday Readings

Roman Rite
Holy Week
Palm and Passion Sunday- Year C- April 14th, 2019
Is 50:4-7; Ps 22; Phil 2:6-11; Lk 22:14-23:56

Ambrosian Rite
Authentic Week
Sunday of the Palms and of the Lord’s Passion
Is 52: 13-53:12 Ps 87; Heb 12:1b-3; Jn 11:55-12:11

1) To walk with Christ by sharing his passionate love

With Palm Sunday the Church lets us enter Holy Week, the week in which the Lord Jesus moves towards the fulfillment of the mission of his earthly life. The Redeemer goes to Jerusalem to fulfill the Holy Scriptures and to be hung on the cross, the wooden throne from which he will reign forever attracting the humanity of all times and offering to everyone the gift of redemption. The Gospel teaches us that Jesus had started walking towards Jerusalem with the Twelve, and that little by little a growing number of pilgrims had joined them.

What do we really do when we, pilgrims with Christ, join in such a procession and in the ranks of those who went to Jerusalem together with Jesus and acclaimed Him as the king of Israel? It is more than a moving ceremony. Does it have to do with the true reality of our life and of our world? To find the answer to these questions, we must first clarify what Jesus himself had wanted to do and done. After the profession of faith, which Peter had made at Caesarea Philippi located in the north of the Holy Land, the Messiah had set out as a pilgrim to Jerusalem for the feasts of the Passover. He is on his way to the temple in the Holy City, the place that for Israel was the assurance of the closeness of God to his people. The Redeemer is walking towards the celebration of Easter, a memorial of the liberation from Egypt and a sign of hope for the definitive liberation. He knows that a new Easter awaits him and that he will take the place of the sacrificed lambs offering himself on the Cross. He knows that, in the mysterious gifts of bread and wine, he will give himself forever to his friends and will open the door to a new way of liberation and to the communion with the living God. He is on his way to the height of the Cross, towards the moment of love that donates itself. The final term of his pilgrimage is the height of God himself to which he wants to raise the human being. Because of this, he poured his blood to the last drop.

Listening to the bloody Passion of Christ, a warrior pronounced what is one of the strongest sentences that have ever come out from a Christian mouth. While they were reading the Passion, King Clovis was sighting and crying. Suddenly, this warrior king could not take it any longer and brandishing his sword said: “If only I had had been there with my Francs!” These words of a soldier and of a violent person are the opposite of the words that Christ had said to Peter, who also had grabbed the sword and cut the ear of one of those who had come to arrest Jesus. They are naïve words, words of a soldier and of a violent non-convert but they are words that have the beauty of a pure and vigorous love.

It is not enough to cry over the One who has given us not only tears unless our cry is like the one of the Virgin who, having accepted to be pierced by the sword of pain, was able to accept the death of her Son and us as her children, and unless it is like the cry of Peter.

Let’s fight the good battle with Christ and for Christ transforming Peter’s sword (and Clovis’ one) in the Cross.

On the Cross, Jesus, who is Life, has offered himself to death for love so that we may live forever in our Father who is in Heaven;
With the Cross, Jesus gives us the warning of mercy “The one who doesn’t take up his cross and doesn’t follow me, doesn’t deserves me”
Under the Cross, Jesus falls three times so that we can get up and not be dismayed
From the Cross, Jesus is provisionally freed by the man from Cyrene so that we can see in him our neighbor and take the weight of the cross off him. At the same time, He let Veronica dry his face so that we can learn that, when we mercifully dry our neighbor’s pain, the image of the Redeemer is imprinted in us.
Crucified on the Cross, Jesus, who cannot do anything anymore, does all: he signs the Covenant of mercy, frees us from sin and from death and leaves these words to be used as weapons in the battle of life, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” “Woman, behold thy son. Behold thy mother” “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” “I’m thirsty” “All is done” “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”.

2) Remembrance of a tragedy

If I wanted to be more precise, I should call this paragraph the liturgical remembrance of the tragedy of one who enters Jerusalem acclaimed like a king, a few days later exits the city condemned to death but who then returns alive of an eternal life.

It is a remembrance that is also participation in the tragedy. This also happens in the Mass with the liturgy of the Word and with the Eucharistic liturgy.

Today’s liturgy offers us the narration of the Passion according to Luke. He presents it as the final phase of Jesus’ journey (Lk 9,51) that has taken him from Galilee to Jerusalem (Lk 9,31;13,32) and more precisely to the end of his life on earth and of his mission. At the same time, this final phase is the passage to glory, the resurrection. This road implies suffering and the bearing of the cross, both of which are necessities. (Lk 17,25; 24,26). This is the road that Jesus walked first as a model for all Christians. Christ’s passion is also the last, strong contrast with evil who, while stronger at first glance (Lk 22,53), in the end, will be defeated.

In the gospel according to Luke, the meaning of Christ’s death is stated with Hellenistic and not Semitic features: there is no emphasis on the atoning character of the cross but on the victory of the resurrection. The cross is linked not only to death, the place of the Son Jesus’ obedience to the Father (Lk 9,22; 13,33;17,25;22,37;24,7.26) but also of the effusion of the Spirit. Luke tells us that, with his behavior, Jesus has opened a way of salvation for humanity. Moreover, his passion is an invitation to conversion for all men and women (Saint Ambrose calls the gospel according to Luke, Gospel of Mercy). This Evangelist tells some details of the merciful passion of Jesus. Despite the suffering for the cross he is carrying, Jesus is worried for the women that follow him to the Calvary (Lk 23, 27,31), justifies to the Father the ones that are crucifying Him, asks forgiveness for them (Lk 23,34), and promises to the repentant thief a place with Him in heaven (Lk23, 43).

Luke presents Jesus who gives his spirit to the Father confidant in his unfathomable design: “He commended the spirit”. Let’s contemplate the death of Jesus from whose chest water and blood poured out, baptism and Eucharist, the sacraments of redemption. Let’s contemplate him taken down from the cross, in his mother’s womb, so that from the love of her pain she could pour over us all graces. It is like Mass. In fact, from the beginning, the Church saw in this the anticipation of what it is done in the liturgy. “For the first Church “Palm Sunday” was not a thing of the past. As the Lord had entered the Saint City astride a donkey, in the same way, the Church was seeing Him coming again and always under the humble species of bread and wine.

The Church greets the Lord in the holy Eucharistic as the one who comes now and who has come in her. At the same time, she greets Him as the one who lives always, the one who comes and prepares us for his coming. Let’s go to Him like pilgrims. He comes towards us and associates us to his “ascent” toward the Cross and the Resurrection, toward the final Jerusalem that, in communion with his Body, is already growing in this world. (Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, Vol II page 24)

In the Mass we conquer what separates us from Christ, we become one body with Him, new men, and women in sanctity, and we listen to the callback to the truth of his peace and his love. Let’s welcome Christ in our hearts as did the Virgin Mother.

The consecrated Virgins are a testimony of this. They are the example of a life totally given to Christ in their love for Him and in their trust in him and in his strength.

In the Rite of Consecration are present the incense (the sign of the continuous prayer the consecrated person is called to make), the cross (the sign to be carried always as a reminder to self and to the others of the Christ’s passion) and the candle (or the lamp, the sign of devotion to Christ even when the Lord asked to participate in his passion).

Virginity in our life is not possible without sacrifice. We need to mature in us a progressive detachment from an instinctive mode of possession toward a look that loves and respects the other in his being a creature of God. In this detachment from instinct, we experience the dawn of a new life. It is the experience of the hundredfold promised by Jesus already during our earthly existence. It is essential to virginity to be a witness, “martyrdom” is a Greek word which means “witness” and which has as its root in the verb “mimnesko” which means “to remember”, that is to say, to remember Christ who has come to us and, with his passion, has showed us how great his love was. It is Passion so that Christ can also be known by others and transform their lives so that the world can be more human. Virginity is a way of life that cries out the name of Christ as the only reason and the only possibility of fullness in life. It is the summit of love, it is our response to the predilection of Christ, within which we learn to love everything else. In the De sacra virginitate Saint Augustine exhorts the virgins to contemplate the beauty of Christ (De s. Virg.,55):” Gaze on the Beauty of your Lover: think of Him equal to the Father, made subject also to His Mother: ruling even in the heavens, and serving upon the earth: creating all things, created among all things. That very thing, which in Him the proud mock at, gaze on, how fair it is”. Here he refers to the crucified Christ. He means that the Passion of Christ also has a stupendous beauty, a beauty that is certainly not external.” With inward eyes gaze on the wounds of Him hanging, the scars of Him rising again, the blood of Him dying, the price of Him that believes, the gain of Him that redeems”. This is a stupendous page of spirituality that has contemplation as its center and Christ as the object of our contemplation. This is the attitude of every Christian. In the contemplation to Christ, there is a special reason for love, just as their special reason to consider Christ as the only, full, total, and exclusive object of our joy.

Arlington Catholic Herald

Gospel Commentary: Taught by his love

By Fr. Matthew Zuberbueler | For the Catholic Herald

4/10/19

Gospel Commentary Lk 22:14—23:56

In the blessed days of Holy Week, we have opportunities to enter into the events of Jesus’ “hour.” In prayer and love for him, we can accompany Jesus in these days, reliving our understanding of the great sacrifices he made for us and for all people. One simple way of entering into the Gospel accounts of the Passion is to note the many interactions Jesus has along the way. In less than a day, he will face crowds and individuals, speaking to them, loving them, teaching them and forgiving them.

Where might we be in these scenes?

First, Jesus speaks to his apostles. We hear the familiar words of Mass. We feel the depth of meaning his words have as he speaks of his fast-approaching suffering and death.

Next, still speaking to the apostles, Jesus speaks about (and to) the one who is about to betray him. He reminds them all that to be great in his sight requires being servants.

The reality of a great struggle occurring among them (and within them, and in the world) between good and evil emerges when Jesus tells Peter that he his praying for him not to fall when Satan comes to “sift them like wheat.” He reminds Peter of the strength he can be for the rest. And that he will soon deny Jesus.

After the supper, Jesus speaks to the disciples with him, telling them to pray for themselves that they not fail him when they are tested.

In his agony of spirit, Jesus next speaks to his Father. He speaks from a profound struggle within him and resolutely offers a perfect obedience to the Father’s will. After which he confronts his sleeping disciples and again tells them to pray for themselves.

The next tragic moment finds Jesus confronting Judas, his betrayer, and the armed crowd who have come to arrest him. He works a miraculous healing, restoring an enemy’s severed ear while stopping the disciples’ attempt at resistance.

While being taken away to the high priest, we can imagine some of the things in Jesus’ mind and heart, in his prayer. While Peter was denying his association with Jesus, we know that Jesus was still praying for him. We can try to imagine the merciful prayer of Jesus for the cruel soldiers when they beat him and made fun of him.

In the morning, before the chief priests, the scribes and the Sanhedrin, Jesus admits that he is the Christ. Outraged, they bring him to Pontius Pilate, who finds no reason to punish him and sends him off to Herod. Herod, in his curiosity to meet Jesus, questions him at length — but Jesus doesn’t answer him. Jesus remains silent as the priests and scribes accuse him harshly, and as Herod and his soldiers mock and mistreat him. His calm silence, of course, was saying a great deal to them.

Before Pilate again, and with crowds shouting for his death, Jesus finds himself, at last, on the road to Calvary. His silence continues. His silence and weakness cause the soldiers to force Simon the Cyrenian to help Jesus. We can imagine the effect of Jesus’ prayer on Simon as they walk. Alongside them are crowds of people, including women who support him by their mourning and lamenting. He rewards them by speaking to them, teaching them.

As the soldiers nail Jesus to the cross and the crowds look on, we hear from Jesus the most impressive words, words which have to console us, even as they challenge us to imitate him: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Next, we find Jesus interacting with the two thieves being punished beside him. His merciful and saving words to the “good” one of the two have, no doubt, inspired many sinners away from despair and away from their pasts.

As Jesus is dying, even nature seems to respond as the sunlight gives way to darkness during the Good Friday afternoon. From his physical weakness and from the depth of his love for the Father and for all people, Jesus speaks once more, and in a loud voice: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

In his love for us, Jesus continues to call us and to love us through these saving words and deeds.

Fr. Zuberbueler is pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church.

Archdiocese of Washington

April 13, 2019

Msgr. Charles Pope

See What the End Shall Be – Palm Sunday

The Passion, which we read in the liturgy for Palm Sunday, is too long to comment on in detail, so we will only examine a portion of it here.

It may be of some value to examine the problems associated with the more moderate range of personalities involved. The usual villains (the Temple leaders, Judas, and the recruited crowd shouting, “Crucify him!”) are unambiguously wicked and display their sinfulness openly. But there are others involved whose struggles and neglectfulness are more subtle, yet no less real. It is in examining these figures that we can learn a great deal about ourselves, who, though we may not openly shout, “Crucify him,” are often not as unambiguously holy and heroic as Jesus’ persecutors are wicked and bold.

As we read the Passion we must understand that this is not merely an account of the behavior of people long gone, they are portraits of you and me; we do these things.

I. The Perception that is Partial – Near the beginning of today’s Passion account, the apostles, who are at the Last Supper with Jesus, are reminded of what the next days will hold. Jesus says,

This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed.” But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.

Note that the apostles are not being told these things for the first time; Jesus has spoken them before on numerous occasions:

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life (Matt 16:21).

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief (Matt 17:22-23).

We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life” (Matt 20:18-19).

Thus we see that the Lord has consistently tried to teach and prepare them for the difficulties ahead. He has told them exactly what is going to happen and how it will end: not in death, but rising to new life. But even though He has told them over and over again, they still do not understand. Therefore He predicts that their faith in Him will be shaken.

Their perception is partial. They will see only the negative, forgetting that Jesus has promised to rise. Because they cannot see beyond the apparent defeat of the moment they will retreat into fear rather than boldly and confidently accompanying Him to His passion and glorification (for His passion is a lifting up; it is His glorification). Instead they will flee. He has shown the “what the end shall be,” but they can neither see nor accept it. Thus fear overwhelms them and they withdraw into a sinful fear, dissociating themselves from Jesus. Only a few (Mary, His Mother; John; Mary Magdalene; and a few other women) would see Him through to the end.

As for the rest, they see only what is gory and awful, missing what is glory and awesome. Their perception is quite partial. Paradoxically, their blindness comes from not hearing or listening to what Jesus has been telling them all along.

We, too, can easily suffer from a blindness caused by poor listening. The Lord has often told us that if we trust in Him, then our struggles will end in glory and new life. But, blind and forgetful, we give in to our fears and fail to walk the way of Christ’s passion boldly. We draw back and dissociate ourselves from Jesus, exhibiting some of the same tendencies we will observe in the people of that day.

Next, let’s examine some of the problems that emerge from this partial perception and forgetful fear.

II. The Problems Presented – There are at least five problems that emerge. They are unhealthy and sinful patterns that spring from the fear generated by not trusting Jesus’ vision. Please understand that the word “we” used here is shorthand and does not mean that every single person does this. Rather, it means that collectively we have these tendencies. There’s no need to take everything here personally.

1. They become drowsy – A common human technique for dealing with stress and the hardships of life is to become numb and drowsy; we can just drift off into a sort of moral slumber. Being vigilant against the threat posed to our souls by sin or the harm caused by injustice (whether to ourselves or to others) is just too stressful, so we just “tune out.” We stop noticing or really even caring about critically important matters. We anesthetize ourselves with things like alcohol, drugs, creature comforts, and meaningless distractions. Prayer and spirituality pose too many uncomfortable questions, so we just daydream about meaningless things like what a certain Hollywood star is doing or how the latest sporting event is going.

In the Passion accounts, the Lord asks Peter, James, and John to pray with Him. But they doze off. Perhaps it is the wine. Surely it is the flesh (for the Lord speaks of it). Unwilling or unable to deal with the stress of the situation, they get drowsy and doze off. Grave evil is at the very door, but they sleep. The Lord warns them to stay awake, lest they give way to temptation, but still they sleep. Someone they know and love is in grave danger, but it is too much for them to handle. They tune out, much as we do in the face of the overwhelming suffering of Christ visible in the poor and needy. We just stop noticing; it’s too painful, so we tune out.

The Lord had often warned them to be vigilant, sober, and alert (Mk 13:34, Matt 25:13, Mk 13:37; Matt 24:42; Luke 21:36, inter al). Other Scriptures would later pick up the theme (Romans 13:11; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Thess 5:6, inter al). Yes, drowsiness is a serious spiritual problem.

Sadly, God described us well when He remarked to Isaiah, Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep (Is 56:10).

We do this not only out of laziness, but also out of fear. One strategy is to try to ignore it, to go numb, to tune out. But despite the sleepiness of the disciples, the wicked are still awake; the threat does not go away by a drowsy inattentiveness to it. Thus we ought to be confident and sober. Life’s challenges are nothing to fear. The Lord has told us that we have already won if we will just trust in Him. The disciples have forgotten Jesus’ promise to rise after three days; we often do the same. So they, and we, just give in to the stress and tune out.

2. They seek to destroy – When Peter finally awaken, he lashes out with a sword and wounds Malchus, the servant of the high priest. The Lord rebukes Peter and reminds him of the vision: Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me? (John 18:11) Jesus then heals Malchus, who tradition says later became a follower.

In our fear, we, too, can often lash out and even seek to destroy our opponents. But if we are already certain of our victory, as the Lord has promised, why do we fear? Why do we need to suppress our opponents and enemies ruthlessly? It is one thing to speak the truth in love, boldly and confidently. But it is quite another to lash out aggressively and seek to win a debate. In so doing, we may lose a soul. The Lord healed Malchus, seeing in Him a future disciple. The Lord saw what the end would be. Peter did not. In fear, he lashed out with an aggression that did not bespeak a confidence in final victory.

It is true that we are required to confront evil, resist injustice, and speak with clarity to a confused world. But above all, we are called to love those whom we address. There is little place for fear in our conversations with the world. The truth will out; it will prevail. We may not win every encounter, but we do not have to; all we must do is plant seeds. God will water them and others may well harvest them. In Christ, we have already won. This confidence should give us serenity.

Peter has forgotten Jesus’ promise to rise after three days; we often do the same. So Peter, and we, give in to fear and lash out, driven by a desire to win when in fact we have already won.

3. They deny – Confronted with the fearful prospect of being condemned along with Jesus, Peter denies being one of His followers or even knowing Him at all. He dissociates himself from Christ. And we, confronted with the possibility of far milder things such as ridicule, often deny a connection with the Lord or the Church.

Regarding one of the more controversial Scripture teachings (e.g., the command to tithe; the prohibition against divorce, fornication, and homosexual activity) some might ask, “You don’t really believe that, do you?” It’s very easy to give in to fear and to respond, “No,” or to qualify our belief. Why suffer ridicule, endure further questioning, or be drawn into an unpleasant debate? So we just dissociate from, compromise, or qualify our faith to avoid the stress. We even congratulate ourselves for being tolerant when we do it!

Jesus says, If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels (Mk 8:38). But too easily we are ashamed. And so, like Peter, we engage in some form of denial. Peter is afraid because he has forgotten to “see what the end shall be.” He has forgotten Jesus’ promise to rise after three days; we often do the same. We lack confidence and give in to fear; we deny in order to avoid suffering with Jesus.

4. They dodge – When Jesus is arrested, all the disciples except John “split.” They “get the heck out of Dodge.” They are nowhere to be found. After Jesus’ arrest, it is said that Peter (prior to his denials) followed the Lord at a distance (Mk 14:54). But as soon as trouble arose, he “scrammed.”

We, too, can run away. Sometimes it’s because of persecution by the world. But sometimes it’s our fear that following the Lord is too hard and involves sacrifices that we are just not willing to make. Maybe it will endanger our money (the Lord insists that we tithe and be generous to the poor). Maybe it will endanger our playboy lifestyle (the Lord insists on chastity and respect). Maybe we don’t want to stop doing something that we have no business doing, something that is unjust, excessive, or sinful. But rather than face our fears, whether they come from within or without, we just hightail it out.

The disciples have forgotten that Jesus has shown them “what the end shall be.” In three days, he will win the victory. But, this forgotten, their fears emerge and they run. We too, must see “what the end shall be” in order to confront and resist our many fears.

5. They deflect – In this case our example is Pontius Pilate, not one of the disciples. Pilate was summoned to faith just like anyone else. “Are you a king?” he asks Jesus. Jesus responds by putting Pilate on trial: “Are you saying this on your own or have others been telling you about me?” Pilate has a choice to make: accept that what Jesus is saying as true, or give in to fear and commit a terrible sin of injustice. The various accounts in Scripture all make it clear that Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. But because he feared the crowds he handed Jesus over.

Note that Pilate did this. The crowds tempted him through fear, but he did the condemning. Yet notice that he tries to deflect his choice. The text says, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility” (Mat 27:24). Well actually, Pilate, it is also your responsibility. You had a choice and you made it. Your own career and your own hide were more important to you than justice was. And though you wanted to do what was right and were sympathetic with Jesus, merely wanting to do what is right is not enough.

So, too, for us. We also often favor our career or our hide over doing what is right. And in so doing, we often blame others for what we have freely chosen. “I’m not responsible because my mother dropped me on my head when I was two.”

We are often willing to say, in effect,

“Look, Jesus, I love you. You get my Sundays, and my tithe, and I obey you (generally, anyway). But you have to understand that I have a career; I need to make money for my family. If I really stand up for what’s right, I might not make it in this world. You understand, don’t you? I know the company I work for is doing some things that are unjust. I know the world needs a clearer witness from me. I’ll do all that—after I retire. But for now, well, you know… Besides, it’s really my boss who’s to blame. It’s this old hell-bound, sin-soaked world that’s to blame, not me!”

We try to wash our hands of responsibility. We excuse our silence and inaction in the face of injustice and sin.

And all this is done out of fear. We forget “what the end shall be” and focus on the fearful present. We lack the vision that Jesus is trying to give us: that we will rise with Him. We stay blind to that and only see the threat of the here and now.

III. The Path that is Prescribed – By now you ought to know the path that is prescribed: see what the end shall be. In three days we rise! Why are we afraid? Jesus has already won the victory. It is true that we get there through the cross, but never forget what the end shall be! Today we read the Gospel of Friday, but wait till Sunday morning! I’ll rise!

We end where we began with this Gospel: This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;’ but after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.

Yes, after He has been raised He goes before us into Galilee. And for us, Galilee is Heaven. Whatever our sorrows, if we are faithful we will see Jesus in the Galilee of Heaven. Never forget this vision. After three days, we will rise with Him and be reunited with Him in the Galilee of Heaven.

So take courage; see what the end shall be! The end for those who are faithful is total victory. We don’t need to drowse, destroy, deny, dodge, or deflect; we’ve already won. All we need to do is to hold out.

I have it on the best of authority that Mother Mary was singing the following gospel song with St. John for a brief time while at the foot of the cross, as they looked past that Friday to the Sunday that was coming:

It’s all right, it’s all right.
My Jesus said he’ll fix it and it’s all right.

Sometimes I’m up sometimes I’m down.
But Jesus he’ll fix it and it’s all right.

Sometimes I’m almost on the ground.
My Jesus said he’ll fix it and it’s all right.

https://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=61

Year C - Palm Sunday

Blessed be the king who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory on high! Hossana in the highest.
Luke 19:28-40
28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples,
30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ “
32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.
33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They said, “The Lord needs it.”
35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,
38 saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”
40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The time came for me to make my final entry into Jerusalem, my disciples and all the people gathered together for the event, they spread their cloaks on the road to welcome me and they praised God at the top of their voices saying:
Hosanna to the Son of David, The King of Israel.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.

Their joy aroused the jealousy of the Pharisees who asked me to tell them to quiet down. I replied, if I silence them, even the stones will cry out.

Who could deny the Glory of God? Who could stop praising Him when the evidence was before their eyes? I am the Saviour, who came to give sight to the blind, to open the ears of the deaf, to make the dumb speak, to heal the sick, to make the lame walk, to forgive sinners and to bring hope to everyone.

And yet the people were very weak minded just like the people of today, when the time came to defend me, the same people disappeared or joined the opinion of the powerful ones of their time.

I desired to have my Passover meal with my Apostles because my greatest miracle had to be performed that night before my suffering and death. Being the Word of God incarnate and with the power of God in me, I consecrated the bread and the wine, saying “this is my flesh and this is my Blood”. After my death, all my Apostles and those designated by them could perform the same ritual in memory of me and my true Flesh and my true Blood would be made available in the Sacrament of Salvation, the Holy Eucharist.

I went to pray to the Mount of Olives. I began my suffering thinking of the ungratefulness of man, unworthy of my gift, and yet the purpose of my Incarnation. I was born to suffer and to die for the forgiveness of the sins of humanity. I suffered the temptation of perhaps giving up, but I prayed to the Father: “If it is possible take this cup away from me, but not my will, but your will be done.”

I was apprehended, humiliated, bashed, stripped, scourged, crowned with a crown of thorns, spat upon, scorned, kicked, insulted and tortured in many different ways. I, the King was treated worse than a slave, I who am the Supreme Judge was misjudged by men, and finally I was condemned to death on the cross.

I dragged my cross with the little strength of my weakened body, I was insulted and mocked by most of the people who had welcomed me into their city earlier, I fell several times on my way to Calvary and finally I was crucified and died after the most horrific agony that any human being may sustain.

Every moment of my suffering was my offering to the Father combined with the prayer “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they do.” My mother became a martyr by my side and She also suffered all my torments in her soul.

But my Victory was near, with my death I obtained your life, with my suffering I obtained your joy, with my prayer I obtained your forgiveness, with my sacrifice I obtained your redemption. My Grace conquered sin. My death defeated death giving way to the resurrection. My death brought the triumph of good over evil. I defeated Satan once and for all.

My sacrifice is the offering I give to you. I have died for your sins, I am the only one who can forgive them, I have merited this from my Father.

I have given the power to forgive sins to my Church, so that everyone who comes to me with a humble and contrite heart will find me available in the Sacrament of Confession. You will speak to the priest, but I will listen to you and I will forgive you.
I have given my Flesh and Blood to the Church, which is my mystical body. When you eat and drink the consecrated bread and wine, you will indeed eat my flesh and drink of my Blood. It is the power of my Word that guarantees that. Believe and live. Because my flesh is the food for your souls and my blood purifies you and frees you from your sins.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Sunday Gospel Reflections

Passion Sunday
Reading I: Isaiah 50:4-7 II: Philippians 2:6-22

Gospel
Luke 22:14-23:56

¹⁴ And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him.
¹⁵ And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer;
¹⁶ for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
¹⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves;
¹⁸ for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
²⁰ And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
²¹ But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.
²² For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!"
²³ And they began to question one another, which of them it was that would do this.
²⁴ A dispute also arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
²⁵ And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
²⁶ But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
²⁷For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves.
²⁸ "You are those who have continued with me in my trials;
²⁹ and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom,
³⁰ that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
³¹ "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren."
³³ And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."
³⁴ He said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny that you know me."
³⁵ And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing."
³⁶ He said to them, "But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.
³⁷For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, 'And he was reckoned with transgressors'; for what is written about me has its fulfilment."
³⁸ And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."
³⁹ And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.
⁴⁰ And when he came to the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,
⁴² "Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
⁴⁵ And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,
⁴⁶ and he said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him;
⁴⁸ but Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?"
⁴⁹ And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"
⁵⁰And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
⁵¹ But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him.
⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
⁵³ When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
⁵⁴ Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. Peter followed at a distance;
⁵⁵ and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
⁵⁶ Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him, said, "This man also was with him."
⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him."
⁵⁸ And a little later some one else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not."
⁵⁹ And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean."
⁶⁰ But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed.
⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times."
⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.
⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him;
⁶⁴ they also blindfolded him and asked him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?"
⁶⁵ And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
⁶⁶ When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and they said,
⁶⁷ "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe;
⁶⁸ and if I ask you, you will not answer.
⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God."
⁷⁰ And they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to them, "You say that I am."
⁷¹ And they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips."
^23:1 Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate.
² And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king."
³ And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so."
⁴ And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no crime in this man."
⁵ But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place."
⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
⁷ And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
⁹ So he questioned him at some length; but he made no answer.
¹⁰ The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
¹¹ And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then, arraying him in gorgeous apparel, he sent him back to Pilate.
¹² And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
¹³ Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
¹⁴ and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him;
¹⁵ neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has been done by him;
¹⁶ I will therefore chastise him and release him."
¹⁸ But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barab'bas" --
¹⁹ a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.
²⁰ Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus;
²¹ but they shouted out, "Crucify, crucify him!"
²² A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him."
²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.
²⁴ So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should be granted.
²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.
²⁶And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
²⁷ And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.
²⁸ But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
²⁹ For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!'
³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.'
³¹ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
³² Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
³³ And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
³⁴ And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.
³⁵ And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!"
³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar,
³⁷ and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
³⁸There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
⁴² And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
⁴³ And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
⁴⁵while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
⁴⁶ Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.
⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, "Certainly this man was innocent!"
⁴⁸ And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.
⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe'a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,
⁵¹ who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
⁵³ Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid.
⁵⁴ It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.
⁵⁵ The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid;
⁵⁶ then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Interesting Details

JESUS ESTABLISHES THE NEW COVENANT:
In the Old Covenant, the blood of the lamb on door posts saves the children of Israel. In the New Covenant, Jesus' blood on the cross saves those who believe in Him (22:14-20).
THE HUMAN WEAKNESSES:
These are weaknesses in the battle against the power on earth, as demonstrated by Juda's joining this power (22:21,48), Peter's being fearful of the overwhelming crowd (22:31,54-60), their unawareness of the difference between glory on earth and glory in the Kingdom of God (22:24-29), between the way they would physically fight with one another and the way their soul would fight against the power on earth (22:35-38). To overcome His human weakness when facing death on the cross, Jesus has used all of His strength to pray to the Father (22:39-46).
THE POWER OF DARKNESS AND OF THE WORLD:
Being arrested in the night (22:53), and condemned by the crowd (23:1-25), the Son of God has submitted himself to be among human beings to be in the hands of this power. But in the end, all will be destroyed by God's power, as Jesus warns the women of Jerusalem to cry for themselves (23:28-31).
THE POWER OF FAITH:
After Peter has failed, he realizes his weakness and immediately repents, thus his faith is strengthened to carry out the mission of establishing the Church later (22:31,54-62).
THE POWER OF LOVE:
Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing (23:34).
THE TRIUMPH OF THE SPIRIT:
Father, in your hands I place my spirit (23:46).
BEING DEFEATED ON EARTH AND HAVING GLORY FROM HEAVEN:
In worldly eyes, Jesus has been tortured and nailed to the cross, died and got buried (23:49,55). But the true victory with glory from the Kingdom of God really belongs to Him on the day He rises from death to open the salvation path to all mankind.

One Main Point

The passion that Jesus has gone through demonstrates how the power on earth will reign and have its victory over our earthly life, but strong and prepared spirits will make their way through and have the true victory of getting to the Kingdom of God.

Reflections

How do I relate myself to human weaknesses, unawareness, and wickedness as demonstrated in the Passion of Jesus ? When Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who have betrayed, mocked, beat, accused, and killed Him, do I feel the love Jesus has for me as a sinner, as I have done the same to others around me? How can I follow His way of expressing Love?
Jesus has let the power on earth have its victory, but He has the true victory in the mission of saving God's children. Am I willing to give up my material life, and listened to Jesus in preparing myself to face the darkness, hardship, and temptation in my life and not fall, so my spirit can be included in the journey to the Kingdom of God?
What can I do to live the Good News of Jesus so the light can be seen by others, in order that we will all be saved from the darkness of sins?

Information: Sts. Tiburtius, Valerian, Maximus

Feast Day: April 14

Catholic Culture

Lent: April 14th

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

MASS READINGS

April 14, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

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. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!

Old Calendar: Palm Sunday ; Other Titles: Palm Sunday; Hosanna Sunday; Fig Sunday; Flowery Festival;

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt (Jn 12:13-15)!"

Today we commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery. In Liturgical Calendar preceding Vatican II, the Church celebrated Passion Sunday two Sundays before Easter, and then Palm Sunday was the beginning of Holy Week. The Church has combined the two to reinforce the solemnity of Holy Week.

The Palm Sunday procession is formed of Christians who, in the "fullness of faith," make their own the gesture of the Jews and endow it with its full significance. Following the Jews' example we proclaim Christ as a Victor... Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. But by our faith we know, as they did not, all that His triumph stands for. He is the Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God. He is the sign of contradiction, acclaimed by some and reviled by others. Sent into this world to wrest us from sin and the power of Satan, He underwent His Passion, the punishment for our sins, but issues forth triumphant from the tomb, the victor over death, making our peace with God and taking us with Him into the kingdom of His Father in heaven.

Stational Church

Liturgy for Palm Sunday
The priests and deacons wear red vestments for Mass. There is a special entrance at the beginning of each Mass, either simple or solemn. This includes a blessing of the palms and the gospel reading of the entrance into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-16; Luke 19:28-40). The introduction by the priest explains the solemnity of Holy Week, and invites the faithful to take full part in the celebration:

Dear friends in Christ, for five weeks of Lent we have been preparing, by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of our Lord's paschal mystery. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the whole Church throughout the world. Christ entered in triumph into his own city, to complete his work as our Messiah: to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us remember with devotion this entry which began his saving work and follow him with a lively faith. United with him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life.

The palms are blessed with the following prayer:

Almighty God, we pray you bless these branches and make them holy. Today we joyfully acclaim Jesus our Messiah and King. May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem by faithfully following him who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

As the faithful, we remember and dramatize Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. In Jesus' time, a huge crowd assembled, put their cloaks or branches on the ground, and waved palm branches, acclaiming Christ as the King of Israel, the Son of David. We now wave our palm branches and sing as the priest enters the church:

Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

These words of praise are echoed every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Sanctus (Holy, Holy).

Our joy is quickly subdued. We are jolted to reality and see the purpose of Christ coming to Jerusalem by the reading of the Passion at the Gospel. (Written by Jennifer Gregory Miller)

Things to Do:

The palms distributed at Mass are blessed, so are sacramentals. Read Blessed Palms in the Home.
Read Pope Francis' Homily for Palm Sunday 2014. Also read the History of Palm Sunday by Fr. Francis X. Weiser
This is also known as "Carling Sunday" after carling peas. Peas porridge would be an appropriate dish for today. See recipes for suggestions and history behind this tradition.
This is also known as "Fig Sunday" due to the tradition that Christ ate figs after his entry into Jerusalem. Adding some type of figs to your meal would be a nice touch.
Read the short passages from Directory on Popular Piety concerning Holy Week and Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Station at St. John Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano):
The Station at Rome is in the church of St. John Lateran which represents the Holy City Jerusalem which Christ and we, His disciples, have just entered. It is the first cathedral of Rome, where Emperor Constantine allowed the Pope to set up the episcopal chair after 312.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 22:14–23:56

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

When the hour came . . . (Luke 22:14)

One of the best ways to read the story of Jesus’ passion is to put ourselves in his shoes. First, Jesus watched one of his own apostles betray him with a kiss. Have you ever had someone smile at you on the surface but then do something to intentionally hurt you? If so, you have had a taste of the passion. Have you ever had your best friends abandon you in a dark time? If so, you have had a taste of the passion. If you ever had people make up lies and false accusations about you in an effort to destroy your reputation, then you have had a taste of the passion. If you have ever been the brunt of terrible jokes and pranks that hurt, then you have had a taste of the passion.

Was any of this fun? No. Did it hurt you deeply? Probably. Did you get angry, feel humiliated, harbor resentment? Likely. Did you want to get even? Maybe.

At the passion, if Jesus fell prey to one split second of resentment or one moment of anger, he would not have been able to save us. Everything would have been lost. But he didn’t. Throughout this ordeal, as unjust as it was, Jesus acted like a lamb led to slaughter. He didn’t defend himself. He didn’t fight back. Instead, all Jesus did was say, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

All of us will face false accusation or abuse or betrayal at some point in our lives. It’s likely that most of us already have. As we hear the passion today, let’s resolve to be as merciful as we can to everyone who has hurt us, ridiculed us, betrayed us, or tarnished our reputations. Let’s also agree never again to undermine someone or hurt someone.

Reflecting on Jesus’ passion naturally creates a moment of sorrow in us. It saddens us to see Jesus suffer and be mistreated so much. But it can also help us. We can look at the cross and ask God to help us be more forgiving—just as Jesus was.

“Lord, help me to be like you.”

Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24
Philippians 2:6-11

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Romanos Melodios (?-c 560)
composer of hymns
Hymn 32

“Blessed the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Lk 19:38)

Seated on your throne in heaven and on a colt on earth, O Christ, you who are God, you welcomed the praise of the angels and the anthem of the children who called out to you : "Blessed are you, the one who comes to recall Adam”...

The King comes to us, humble, sitting on the foal of a donkey ; he comes with haste to suffer his Passion and take sins away. Seated on a dumb animal, the Word, the Wisdom of God, wants to save all beings endowed with reason. And all humankind can contemplate, mounted on a colt, the one who rides on the cherubim (Ps 17:10) and who once bore up Elijah on a chariot of fire. “Though he was rich,” of his own will, “he became poor” (2Co 8:9) ; in choosing weakness he gives strength to all who cry to him :” Blessed are you, the one who comes to call Adam”…

You demonstrate your strength by choosing poverty... The clothes of the disciples were a sign of this poverty, but your power was measured by the anthem of the children and the great crowd which cried : “Hosanna!"—which means : "Save!"—"Hosanna to you who are in the highest. O Almighty, save those who are humbled. Have mercy on us, in consideration of our palms ; may the palms we wave move your heart, you who come to call Adam”… “

You who are the work of my hands," the Creator answered ..., "I came to you myself. It was not the Law that was to save you since it had not created you, nor the prophets who, like you, I created. I alone can free you from your debt. I am sold for you and I free you ; I am crucified for you, and you are rescued from death. I die and I teach you to cry : " Blessed are you, the one who comes to call Adam".

Did I love the angels as much? No, it is you, the poor, whom I have cherished. I have hidden my glory and, out of my great love for you, have freely made my richness poor, . For you I suffered hunger, thirst, fatigue. I roamed the mountains, ravines and valleys looking for you, my lost sheep. I took the name of Lamb to bring you back, calling you with my shepherd’s voice. And I want to give my life for you, to tear you away from claws of the wolf. I bear everything so that you may cry out : “Blessed are you, the one who comes to call Adam”.

A Christian Pilgrim

JESUS’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

(A biblical refection on PALM (PASSION) SUNDAY [YEAR C] – 14 April 2019)

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)

Jesus is coming to the end of a long journey and to the completion of His own mission as He approaches the city of Jerusalem. Luke mentions the beginning of the journey as follows: “When the days drew near for Him to be received up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 RSV). At that time, as Jesus was about to enter a Samaritan village He sent messengers on ahead of Him to make ready, but “the people would not receive Him, because His face was set towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:53). Now, Jesus sends two of His disciples ahead to another village to prepare for His approach to Jerusalem by borrowing a colt. Jesus’ face is still set towards Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem is the scene where redemptive history is fulfilled. The divine salvation is planted firmly in a definite place in history, which prevents it from evaporating into a timeless idea and preserves the humanity of the divine revelation. For to be man means to be tied to a particular place in history” (Helmut Flender). Certainly, Jesus is tied to Jerusalem – as He has already admitted: “… it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). That prophecy will be fulfilled, for the death of Jesus and the fate of Jerusalem are inextricably linked.

But before the prophecy is fulfilled, a parade is organized. Jesus deliberately stages His own procession, and although Luke does not actually mention Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the procession leads Jesus closer to the city. Jesus sends two of His own disciples ahead to bring the colt: whether the disciples had already made a prior arrangement with the owner for the loan of the colt, or whether Luke is pointing to Jesus’ prescience as a prophet is unclear. Certainly, it was a custom of the time for animals to be hired to travellers, rather like an early version of car hire. Jesus specifies that it must be an unridden colt, and this requirement underlines the importance Jesus attaches to the procession: “animals for sacred use or those to be ridden by royalty were not used for any other purpose” (J.M. Derrett).

Everything goes as planned, and the disciples bring back the colt and throw garments on its back to make a saddle. They set Jesus on the colt. And so the unusual parade begin. The setting recalls the words of Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout a loud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass on the colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).

If anyone remembered the prophecy of Zechariah, no one shows that she/he remembers the point of it. Christ consciously presents Himself as the Man-of-peace riding on an ass, not as the warrior-king riding a charger in a bid for power. The disciples begin their chants of praise, hailing Christ as the King. According to Luke, the Kingdom has not yet come, though the King is in the midst of His people (Luke 19:11). But He is a King who is rejected by His own people. The disciples proclaim “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest”, recalling the chant of the angels at a more innocent time (Luke 2:14).

Luke mentions a multitude, but he does not say that they join the disciples in their chants of rejoicing. It is the disciples rather than the crowd that the Pharisees complain about, and it is likely that they felt threatened by a demonstration which had such messianic overtones. Not everyone loves a parade, and the clamour of this one leads the Pharisees to ask Jesus to control His disciples. But Jesus is in no mood for controlled enthusiasm; He supports His disciples, for He wants His parade to continue. Jesus does not want His disciples to be petrified; if they were, the very stones would take their place and give Jesus song for His parade.

There is a profoundly ambiguous quality about the whole parade. If it is the coronation procession of a king, does anyone anticipate the kind of crown Jesus will receive in the city? Is Jesus deliberately staging the procession of a Messiah? If so, for whose benefit is it? Is there a peculiar irony about the supportive acclamation of the disciples which is underlined all the more by their silence when the passion gets under way? If the multitude is silent now, they will find voice soon enough when they follow the tune of the priests. Is Jesus dramatizing the predicament of the previous parable – receiving support from His “servants” and being rejected by His own people? The mood of rejoicing is soon to change when Jesus draws near the city: the sight of the place provokes weeping. But, meantime, the parade is still on.

Source: Denis McBride CSsR, The Gospel of Luke – A Reflective Commentary, Dublin, Ireland: Dominican Publications, 1991, pages 250-252).

Prayer: Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that the King of Glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.

Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts; He is the King of Glory. Amen, amen, amen.

The Gospel in Pictures

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for April 14, 2019:

“But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me” (Ps 22:20). With your spouse, discern one area of your relationship where there is a lack of trust and make a conscientious effort to strengthen that area, with God as the foundation.