Servant of the Word

Farewell

2010-04-16T17:52:00.000-04:00

Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

After nearly 5 years of daily reflections upon the Sacred Scripture in this space I have been told by the Associate Director, permissions at the USCCB that my posting of the daily Mass readings is in violation of their policy and have been told to cease forthwith. Although I cannot understand how this policy advances the work of the Church in the world, I am a Deacon of the Church and as such will accede to this demand.

For those of you who walked with me on this journey, I encourage you to continue to read the word of God and hear his voice. This will be my last post.

Pax,

Deacon Jim Miles
St. Thomas the Apostle Church
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

2010-04-15T18:29:00.001-04:00

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

Readings for Friday of the Second Week of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 5:34-42

A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law, respected by all the people,
stood up, ordered the Apostles to be put outside for a short time,
and said to the Sanhedrin, "Fellow children of Israel,
be careful what you are about to do to these men.
Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important,
and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed,
and all those who were loyal to him
were disbanded and came to nothing.
After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census.
He also drew people after him,
but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered.
So now I tell you,
have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.
For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God."
They were persuaded by him.
After recalling the Apostles, they had them flogged,
ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus,
and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes,
they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.
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Commentary on Acts 5:34-42

This passage concludes the Apostles’ second confrontation of the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel (probably St. Paul’s mentor Acts 22:3), dissuades the Jewish leadership from killing the Apostles; to let them off with scourging (probably also at the hands of the same men who scourged the Lord). St. Luke records an enlightened view from the great Hebrew Teacher. Having witnessed a number of false prophets rise and fall, he tells the Sanhedrin that “... if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them”.

Gamaliel was indeed wise, recognizing that, even before it formally existed, the blood of martyrs is the seed for new members of the Church. Even persecution has a positive effect on the faith and fervor of the Apostles (“So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.”)

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (see 4abc) One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

The selection from Psalm 27 presents as an individual lament. David here longs for the Lord’s protection and the gift of life which flows from his salvation.

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Gospel: John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people recline."
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
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Commentary on Jn 6:1-15

This selection from St. John is the fourth sign from his Gospel, the multiplication of the loaves. It is the only miracle story carried in all four Gospels and closely follows the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) in most details.

Placed in Eastertide the Eucharistic symbolism is most striking. More subtle is the reference to feeding the poor. Barley loaves were traditionally the fare of the poor. It is also interesting to note that in the Jerusalem translation the Lord “escaped” into the hills at the end of the story, implying the people were immediately aware of the great sign he had facilitated.

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Reflection:

We are most struck to day by the prophetic words of Gamaliel, the Hebrew scholar mentioned in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. He did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Had that been the case, he surely would have been standing with the Apostles rather than advising the Sanhedrin. He is typical of the unlikely fingerprints of God in the world and we are amazed at the subtlety of the Lord’s plan of salvation.

We consider the climate of the scene painted by the words of St. Luke. The upstart Jesus, who had worked signs and wonders (like the multiplication of the loaves presented in St. John’s Gospel) had been taken care of by Pilate. Yes, there had been some issues with the execution. The body of Jesus had disappeared and his disciples had claimed to have seen him alive. But the Sanhedrin had already bribed the Roman guards at the tomb to say this preacher’s own disciples had stolen the body. That was not hard since the Guards did not want to admit that they had seen nothing and the body was gone.

Now, some days later, the remnants of the young carpenter’s group come to the temple with the same message that this Jesus had used when he was alive, a message that resonated with the masses. On top of that, they too had started to perform miraculous signs in the name of Jesus. This was starting to get out of hand. They told the Apostles to stop and they did not. They threw a couple of them in prison and they somehow got free of a locked and guarded cell. There was fear mixed with the anger the Sanhedrin felt at being disobeyed; having their authority flouted.

Now, standing in front of them, there were not just two, but eleven all saying the same outrageous things – that their Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, had risen from the dead as predicted by the prophecy of the Messiah. Further, they were laying His blood on the august body of which they were a part; saying they had killed God. It was outrageous. What should they do?

Into this emotional debate comes the cool politically motivated Gamaliel. His thoughts probably took into account the options. They could have these eleven condemned by Pilate as they had done with Jesus. And while Pilate probably would not mind, killing a few more religious fanatics would likely make his life easier, it would be a bother and there was some popular support for these people so money would need to be spent. Or they could simply discipline them and let them go. It was highly likely that Gamaliel’s analytical mind could not conceive what God had planned for these simple men. So he easily convinced his fellows to take the course of least resistance and have them flogged and released.

What if they had killed all eleven? Would Mary, the Mother of God and the faith filled women have taken up the light of Christ? Would it have been some other unlikely hero, perhaps even one reclining among the multitudes eating barley loaves and fish? The fact is the Apostles walked free, emboldened by the fact that they had shared some of Christ’s suffering and the Word of God came into the world, this time through them. How amazing is our God!

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Gamaliel's Counsel” from The Bible and its Story Taught by One Thousand Picture Lessons, edited by Charles F. Horne and Julius A. Bewer, published by Francis R. Niglutsch, New York, in 1910. Artist is not cited.
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

2010-04-14T19:10:00.003-04:00

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Readings for Thursday of the Second Week of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 5:27-33

When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
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Commentary on Acts 5:27-33

As in the previous case when they had cured the lame beggar, the Apostles (this time all of them, not just Peter and John) are brought before the Sanhedrin. It is interesting to see that the elders and scribes fear to speak the name of Jesus in these proceedings (“…stop teaching in that name”).

Peter now assumes his role as leader of the Apostles and again boldly professes his faith that Jesus, in whose name they speak and whose name the Sanhedrin fear to speak, is the Son of God (“We must obey God rather than man.”).The intent of the Sanhedrin at this point changes from telling the Apostles to stop to seeking their death in accordance with Mosaic Law Deuteronomy 13:6-10. The Apostles seem to be following the path that their Savior had walked.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

The Psalm and response are of praise and thanksgiving for God’s saving works and his special care for the poor. The Old Testament God of Justice is very visible in this selection.

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Gospel: John 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
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Commentary on Jn 3:31-36

In this selection provides the conclusion of the discourse with Nicodemus. It is almost a reflection by the Gospel writer on the proceeding dialogue and monologue. The Lord is, in no uncertain terms, telling Nicodemus that the Messiah, who comes from above is of God and with God in his kingship over all creation. He goes on to explain that all he has said and taught, since it proceeds from that authority given by the father, is true and all who believe in this truth shall receive eternal life.

The passage concludes with a formula similar to the “blessings and curses” statements made in God’s covenants with Abraham and Moses. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.”

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Homily:

A question was recently posed asking how to respond to a person of another faith who believed that Jesus did not become true God until he was hanging upon the cross. This is of course heretical from the Catholic perspective. But it allows us to point to St. John’s Gospel in the monologue with Nicodemus which continues today.

The man in question, whose name was given simply as Clyde and apparently is a member of “The Church of God” demonstrates for us what happens when schism takes place and there is no competent authority to interpret sacred scripture or to provide consistent teaching about the nature of God and his Only Son. The man has either been struggling with issues that were taken up and resolved by the Church in the second through fourth centuries as great thinkers like St. Cyril of Jerusalem fought the great Christological Heresy of Arianism or he was misinformed by his own pastor. Many of the early Church Fathers debated and came to faith in the Triune God which is a theological understanding rather than purely scriptural. They codified these beliefs in Church Councils, the last of which was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

The point is this, that when the reformation took place in the 15th Century and the Protestant sects began to spring up, they adopted the Bible as their guide and threw out the Teaching Magisterium of the Church and all the wisdom held faithfully by the Church since Peter and the Apostles. Revelation ended with Christ but our understanding of that revelation has continued to grow through the ages of history. It is for this reason that the Church sees many of the Christian denominations as possessing some truth – but only the Catholic Church, whose continuity stretches back to St. Peter and the Apostolic age has the whole truth. This statement is not a boast but an observation made by one who was raised in a Protestant denomination.

To use an analogy, a Protestant denomination like the Church of God (as in Clyde’s case) claiming to be an authority on the nature of God in Christ is like a group of scientists joining together at the beginning of the 20th century and saying that only elements they personally discovered were true elements and that while they accepted matter as being made up of atomic particles, only distinct parts they discovered must be true. Then they would shout Eureka when they discovered some fact known to others before they broke contact with the mainstream scientific community and threw out those findings.

As St. John’s Gospel clearly demonstrates in the Lord’s monologue, Jesus knew his relationship and nature. From his conception in the blessed womb of Mary, Jesus was true man and true God. A union only possible to the Father whose essence also is present in the Eucharist we share.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ and Nicodemus” artist and date are UNKNOWN
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

2010-04-13T19:10:00.002-04:00

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

Readings for Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 5:17-26

The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
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Commentary on Acts 5:17-26

This is the second time the Apostles are attached by the Sanhedrin. They have already been told by the Jewish leadership to stop teaching and have been condemned as false prophets so there is no need for a second trial – they are jailed. Jailing Apostles in Acts don’t seem to work very well (see also Acts 12:6-11; 16:25-29.) They fearlessly return to the Temple area and resume their mission to proclaim Christ Crucified and Risen, forcing the Sanhedrin to take action.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

This song of thanksgiving places emphasis on God’s mercy and compassion. The Lord in his faithful love always hears those who call to him for help and salvation.

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Gospel: John 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
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Commentary on Jn 3:16-21

The dialogue Jesus was having with Nicodemus has now turned into a famous monologue in this passage from the Gospel of St. John. Here Jesus is clear about his own identity as God’s “only-begotten Son” and his mission “…that the world might be saved through him.”

The Lord continues by explaining that the salvific event is dependent upon faith and acceptance by those to be saved (“…whoever believes in him will not be condemned”) and those who reject this belief are already condemned. The passage is concluded with the analogy or light and darkness where the Lord who is light comes to save the people but will be rejected by many (“…but people preferred darkness to light”). Those who believe in the Lord will be identified by their good works and the glory that those works bring to God the Father.

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Reflection:

We come, in the Lord’s address to Nicodemus, to a very sticky point with regard to our faith and it’s relation to the rest of the world. If, as the Gospel says, “…who every does not believe has already been condemned” then all those who have either never heard of Jesus, those whose faith does not include Jesus, and those who have heard of Jesus but have not come to faith are condemned to eternal death. This one failing has the consequence of denying a person the eternal life of heaven.

As Christians we are taught to follow the Lord and that means we are constantly asking ourselves “How would Jesus love?” in the various situations we encounter daily. When we meet a person who rejects Christianity or even rejects the divinity of Christ we feel sorrow for that person who in rejecting Christ has invited Hell. You may be surprised at the strength of that word used to describe relatively innocent individuals. After all, a person could be a moral person, a good person but not believe in Christ. So why would we say that person invites Hell?

Hell we are taught from the Catechism of the Catholic Church has the following attribute:

“Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.” (CCC 1057)

By rejecting Christ, who alone can offer entrance to the heavenly kingdom, that person rejects God. How should we feel about a person who, out of ignorance, rejects a life with God? We should, if we follow God’s law of love, feel sorrow for that person and do all we can to invite them to a deeper belief.

What we should not do is be condescending toward such a one. It has happened many times in the history of Christianity, usually with disastrous results. There are times, even in recent memory when it appears that we, as Church, behaved in a superior way. Because we have the truth, we sound to others to be condescending when we tell them that “Oh, by the way, because you have rejected the truth we offer, you are going to hell.” If we ever take that tone, we’ve just bought ourselves some serious time in Purgatory. That is not the attitude of Christ.

Today we will pray for those who, as the petitions on Good Friday recounted, do not believe in Christ or do not believe in God. May they be given one last opportunity to embrace the Risen Son of God when they come before the Judgment seat of Christ and by their profession gain entry into the heavenly kingdom.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “The Resurrection of Christ” by Paolo Veronese , c. 1570
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

2010-04-12T20:10:00.002-04:00

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
Saint Martin I, Pope, Martyr

Alternate Proper for the Memorial of St. Martin I

Readings for Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 4:32-37

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated "son of encouragement"),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
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Commentary on Acts 4:32-37

This selection from Acts is the second summary describing the community of faith at Jerusalem. The description is of a community completely unified in the faith of the risen Lord living, in accordance with the practices followed by the disciples when they were with Jesus, sharing all material possessions. The Barnabas mentioned in this selection is the presumed to be the same person who later joins Paul in his missionary quests.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

“The Lord is king”: literally, "the Lord reigns." This psalm, and Psalms 47; 96-99, are sometimes called enthronement psalms. They may have been used in a special liturgy during which God's ascent to the throne was ritually reenacted. They have also been interpreted eschatologically, pointing to the coming of God as king at the end-time.”[4]

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Gospel: John 3:7b-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
'How can this happen?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
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Commentary on Jn 3:7b-15

Jesus continues the discourse with Nicodemus started in John 3:1-8. When Nicodemus still does not understand the resurrection to which Jesus points saying “You must be born from above”, the
Lord becomes more explicit, using the remedy of the saraph serpents employed by Moses (Numbers 21:9) as an analog to his own Crucifixion, the salvation of all who are poisoned by sin.

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Reflection:

The dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus points out a paradox that has long driven different people to express the lived faith differently. We see this expressed in St. Luke’s description of the early church in the Acts of the Apostles selection heard as the first reading today.

Accepting Jesus as the Son of God; as the one who came from heaven to earth, bringing the revelation of God’s love, and knowing he died and rose again, returning to the Father, Christians are asked to follow what he taught. They are to try to emulate the perfect unity with Christ that exists in his Heavenly Kingdom. To do this the Christian is called to remain separate from the world but paradoxically is sent into the world to bring the Good news to all they encounter. In the very early Church we see that some remain very isolated from the world, attempting the communal life that both insures the love of the poor is expressed and at the same time insulates the community from secular mores and attitudes.

This idyllic expression of compete devotion to Christ is expressed today in monastic communities and the cloistered life of religious brothers and sisters. It is also expressed by some movements within the greater faith community, people who feel they need to completely align themselves with specific practices in order to express their faith and love of God.

There is an inherent difficulty with these communities. It is difficult to remain balanced. There is a balance between remaining separate from the world and being a part of it. The model of the Apostles was extraordinary because of the strength of the Holy Spirit that was given to them. Many times, in attempts to imitate that beautiful communal existence of a large family unified in faith, the weaknesses of human character are exposed and individuals take advantage of the willingness of the community to support all equally and some might feel they contribute too much while others not enough and visa versa.

We have seen the lengths to which these abuses of power the willingness of some to take advantage of the generosity others can go. Unfortunately, we must always remember that our only true head is Christ and our informed conscience must always measure the direction given by human leaders according to that standard. The fact remains that we are called to follow Christ as best we can by remaining apart from the world and its secular values yet bring Christ to it by our witness. We pray today for the strength of the Holy Spirit to provide us with the guidance to place those two commands in balance.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ Crucified between the Virgin and Nicodemus“ by Michelangelo Buonarroti c. 1552-54
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB footnote on Ps 93

Monday of the Second Week of Easter

2010-04-11T18:39:00.004-04:00

Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Readings for Monday of the Second Week of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 4:23-31

After their release Peter and John went back to their own people
and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
And when they heard it,
they raised their voices to God with one accord
and said, "Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is in them,
you said by the Holy Spirit
through the mouth of our father David, your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples entertain folly?
The kings of the earth took their stand
and the princes gathered together
against the Lord and against his anointed.

Indeed they gathered in this city
against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed,
Herod and Pontius Pilate,
together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do what your hand and your will
had long ago planned to take place.
And now, Lord, take note of their threats,
and enable your servants to speak your word
with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are done
through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 4:23-31

This selection from Acts picks up after Peter and John return from being threatened by the Sanhedrin for proclaiming Jesus and performing signs in His name. They are reminded of Psalm 2: 1-3 used today as the responsorial psalm. The passage concludes with their prayer for strength in continuing their work and the presence of an earth tremor taken to symbolize God’s presence and affirmative response.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

R. (see 11d) Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Why do the nations rage
and the peoples utter folly?
The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the LORD and against his anointed:
"Let us break their fetters
and cast their bonds from us!"
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He who is throned in heaven laughs;
the LORD derides them.
Then in anger he speaks to them;
he terrifies them in his wrath:
"I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD.
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish."
R. Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9

This is one of the “Royal Psalms”. While the Davidic peoples understood it as stating the King of Israel was preeminent among earthly rulers, Christians see the messianic meaning as it refers to Christ.

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Gospel: John 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 3:1-8

The scripture shifts us now away from the post-resurrection events to the teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of St. John. During the Passover Feast, Jesus instructs Nicodemus on the need to turn away from the world of the flesh and focus instead on life in the Spirit of God.

This passage is filled with the images of the Christian baptismal calling “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Placed in the Easter season, this can be seen as a reference to the Lord’s resurrection in the spirit. It further points out that the Holy Spirit is itself a mystery that cannot be fully fathomed by human understanding but its affects are quite apparent.

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Reflection:

There is a common theatrical device for creating excitement, doubt and tension in the audience that is frequently used in mystery, horror, and science fiction that can be called – the unknown persona. That means the audience is not told who is good and who the true antagonist is until their motives become obvious in some overt action. For example if you have seen any of the early episodes of the Harry Potter series which is, for those who have not seen any of the movies or read the books, a fictional morality play. There is a character named “Professor Snape”, brilliantly played by Alan Rickman, who in various episodes is suspected of being evil but has the trust of one of the main heroes and is therefore possibly good. The dynamic tension between good and evil plays well in him. It is not until the most recent episode that his true character is revealed and even then, one is not positive that he is completely evil.

The point being made with this example is that art imitates life. In the theater, the audience is always shocked when someone thought to be good turns out to be evil. The same is true in life. We never know who follows Christ and who has aligned themselves with the forces of evil until some overt act exposes them. Our only hope is that about our own character there is not doubt.

In Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus the Lord tells the Hebrew scholar that human motives and desires are obvious and the source of the actions that flow from them, i.e. self interest, are clear and understandable to all who embrace the human desires of the secular world. However, one who embraces God’s will, who has come from God, will be dominated by the Holy Spirit, an unseen and unknown motivation which while hidden from the natural eye, is obvious to the spiritual senses. Further, he explains to Nicodemus that this Holy Spirit is attainable by anyone who has the will to turn away from the secular motives of this world and recant – repent – turn away, and allow that spirit of holiness to provide them a different view of this world and the next.

We are reminded once more that the natural world and the spiritual world are at constant odds with one another. We are also reminded by the Lord that one who has allowed the Holy Spirit free will in their lives will show this character with actions that will be unmistakable. The love of God leaves visible marks that express themselves in outward acts which advance God’s Easter Mission. We pray today that we are so exposed to the world that there is no doubt – we serve the Lord!

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Nicodemus and Jesus” by Alexandre Bida, 1874
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Second Sunday of Easter

2010-04-10T17:19:00.002-04:00

Second Sunday of Easter
(Divine Mercy Sunday)

Information on the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 5:12-16

Many signs and wonders were done among the people
at the hands of the apostles.
They were all together in Solomon’s portico.
None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.
Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord,
great numbers of men and women, were added to them.
Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets
and laid them on cots and mats
so that when Peter came by,
at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.
A large number of people from the towns
in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered,
bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits,
and they were all cured.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 5:12-16

The disciples continue to evangelize the people of Jerusalem in this, the third of St. Luke’s descriptive summaries. We see a continuation of the healing power of their ministry in the name of Jesus and feel belief in the risen Lord grow.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24

For the third day in a row the litany of thanksgiving in Psalm 118 is used. On Divine Mercy Sunday we begin the selection appropriately with “His mercy endures forever”

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Reading 2: Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

I, John, your brother, who share with you
the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus,
found myself on the island called Patmos
because I proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus.
I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day
and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said,
“Write on a scroll what you see.”
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me,
and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands
and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man,
wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.

When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead.
He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid.
I am the first and the last, the one who lives.
Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.
I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.
Write down, therefore, what you have seen,
and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

We are given St. John’s first vision from his revelation as he is instructed to write down all he sees for the seven (Lamp Stands) Churches of his time (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea). We also note that the vision of the Son of Man bares a striking resemblance to St. Faustina’s vision of the risen Lord.

St. John is reassured that the Risen Lord has indeed conquered death and now lives forever at the right hand of the Father. (“Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld”)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 20:19-31

St. John gives us the picture of the disciples (now Apostles) in hiding immediately following the Lord’s crucifixion. Twice Jesus comes to them once with Thomas absent and then again when he is present.

There are a number of very important elements of this version of the story. First, the Lord’s greeting, “Peace be with you.” While this may have been a simple Shalom, it is more likely intended to emphasize the rejoicing sense of the meeting. Immediately the Lord sends them on their mission, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." As part of this action we are told the Lord gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them and gives them authority to act in his name.

The significance of Thomas’ absence is used as an evangelizing moment. Doubting Thomas is confronted in the second visit by the risen Christ and almost in recompense for his role as disbeliever; he provides the title with which Jesus is understood now as True God as well as True Man – “My Lord and my God.” The Lord then delivers a beatitude in response, for future generations of Christians; “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

On this Divine Mercy Sunday we reflect upon the word mercy and what St. Faustina’s vision means for the Church and the world. The dictionary defines the word “Mercy” in a number of contexts:

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.

2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing: an adversary wholly without mercy.

3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, esp. to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.

4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.

5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened. [4]

It is interesting to note that the origin of the word comes from a sixth century usage that meant “heavenly reward”. It seems therefore that the word was created to describe an attribute of God. The Father’s ultimate act of mercy was defined forever when he sent his Son, Jesus, to reveal his love for us. And as if to emphasize the depth of his love and forgiveness, the very image of God’s love personified was crucified as the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Indeed, God’s mercy flows like an ocean over us as we recall the glorious events of a week ago. The whole purpose of the resurrection was to show us that God’s mercy does not stop with his grace poured out on us in this life, but extends to all eternity as we are invited into his heavenly kingdom.

On this, the seventh day since the great Alleluia was shouted by the whole church at the sight of the empty tomb, we recall the Lord’s wondrous gift of mercy offered to all his creation.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is the vision of Christ seen by St. Faustina Kowalska artist and date are UNKNOWN
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] mercy. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-09T21:04:00.002-04:00

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Saturday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 4:13-21

Observing the boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply.
So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin,
and conferred with one another, saying,
"What are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign
was done through them, and we cannot deny it.
But so that it may not be spread any further among the people,
let us give them a stern warning
never again to speak to anyone in this name."

So they called them back
and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,
"Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."
After threatening them further,
they released them,
finding no way to punish them,
on account of the people who were all praising God
for what had happened.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 4:13-21

This is the conclusion of the story of the healing of the lame beggar at the “Beautiful” Gate. The Sanhedrin has a problem. Too many people saw the miracle done in Jesus’ name. They attempt damage control by threatening Peter and John. This does not work and we hear the final word of their kerygmatic discourse as they proclaim once more Christ Risen. Significant is the fact that the reason the Sanhedrin could not punish them further was the event had been attributed by the people to God’s mercy not to the disciples themselves.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21

R. (21a) I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.

"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21

Psalm 118 is the great litany of thanksgiving. In this selection, it leads nicely into the Gospel with “I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.”

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Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 16:9-15

This Gospel selection is called “The Longer Ending” or “The Canonical Ending” of St. Mark’s Gospel. It captures pieces of the story we have from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John. The emotion expressed is one of fear and determination rather than joy and confidence found in later writings. This earliest of the Gospel accounts provides a very human account of Jesus’ friends immediately following his death and before their recognition of his risen victory.

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Reflection:

As we listen to the condensed story of the discovery of the resurrection from St. Mark’s Gospel we are reminded that the disciples did not come to understand immediately what had taken place. They rejected the story told my Mary Magdalene and even the two disciples who had been traveling to Emmaus. It was not until the risen Lord had come and stood in their midst that they believed that Jesus was not dead, but alive, risen as he had told them.

We celebrate the joy of Easter already having come to faith and understanding of the resurrection. We have, almost from our birth, in many cases, been told the story and had it explained. If we have accepted the reality of the empty tomb solely on faith we are blessed indeed, St. Thomas was not that fortunate. If you have struggled with the apparent contradiction of the events with the physical reality of life and death as we know it and come at last to an understanding that what is possible for God and explainable by human logic, they you too are blessed.

If you are one of the many who have doubts, consider this: for two thousand years this story has been told and reenacted countless times. It has been challenged and suppressed; it has been denied and those who continued to tell the story have been persecuted and killed. The most brilliant minds in human history have embraced the story as true and offered their lives in its defense. If you cannot find it in your heart to accept that Jesus, who was a man, born of a woman, but in essence was the Only Son of God who was crucified, died and rose from the dead; then accept that others of greater intellect have done the heavy lifting for you and accept this truth as an unknowable fact.

But once you have accepted this truth, seek with your heart for the faith that brings compete belief. Pray for it! The enemies of the Cross are many and they are tireless in their attempts to deny the empty tomb and they are persuasive. Our defense is that the call he left the disciples still echoes in the world “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." We who accept this call work to create a world based upon the great truth of our Lord and Savior.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Noli Me Tangere” by Correggio, c. 1525
[3] [3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Friday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-08T17:47:00.002-04:00

Friday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Friday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 4:1-12

After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
"By what power or by what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved."
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Commentary on Acts 4:1-12

This selection follows Peter and John as they proclaim Christ crucified and risen. As we hear today, their effective apology has now gained them an audience with Caiaphas and the rest of the Sanhedrin – the very same people who handed Jesus over to be crucified. Peter, having just performed a saving act in Jesus’ name, reminds them of this fact with the famous cornerstone (in other versions the word used is “keystone” or “head of the corner”) speech using imagery from their own hymnal Psalm 118:22 coincidently used as our psalm response below.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a

R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.

O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a

This litany of thanksgiving features the cornerstone image that, in addition to the Acts selection above, was also used in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark 12:10) and the first epistle of St. Peter (1 Peter 2:7) (there are 9 other references in the NAB as well).

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Gospel: John 21:1-14

Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 21:1-14

The Gospel from St. John gives us the Lord’s third appearance to the disciples. Again he his not at first recognized. In typical Johannine fashion, the first to recognize the Lord was the disciple whom Jesus loved, presumed to be St. John himself.

Jesus tells them were to cast the net and, indeed, they net a great number of fish (153 probably symbolic of universal mission of the Church - the total species of fish known at the time or the sum of numbers from 1-17). Peter is so excited he jumps in and swims to shore, discovering Jesus with a fish already cooking and bread, a Eucharistic reference.

When they are joined by the other disciples they were so overawed that they could not even speak. Then the Lord broke the bread.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

One week ago today we recalled the Passion of our Lord and felt the tragic pang of sorrow as he was laid in the tomb. It always seems odd to see the tabernacle bare and empty, the vigil light extinguished. Lots of folks can’t seem to understand or perhaps they are just so accustomed to reverencing the Eucharist they don’t think about what it is that‘s missing.

Today, that missing component is back, back in the tabernacle. The Lord too is back with the disciples who themselves are back fishing were many of them started. Now the Lord lets them (and us) know that, while he has fulfilled the Father’s plan, the mission has not completed. The Lord has made them “Fishers of men” as he promised. Now as then, He directs us and we are to cast his net and the net is made up of each of us.

Knowing we need strength for such a difficult task he feeds us with his own body in the Eucharist – he says “Come, have breakfast.” The scripture story has one additional piece of symbolism for us after that invitation – the disciples, the ones he called and who had been walking with him for three long years, they were there and they too were afraid of the task that beaconed to them.

Today as we again pray in thanksgiving that “He is Risen!” we also ask God for the strength to carry on the work to which, like the disciples on the shore of Galilee, we are called. May his Holy Spirit guide us and His Body strengthen us.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Christ With St. Peter And The Disciples On The Sea Of Galilee” by Lucas Gassel, c. 1550
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-07T18:44:00.002-04:00

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Thursday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 3:11-26

As the crippled man who had been cured clung to Peter and John,
all the people hurried in amazement toward them
in the portico called "Solomon's Portico."
When Peter saw this, he addressed the people,
"You children of Israel, why are you amazed at this,
and why do you look so intently at us
as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence,
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
And by faith in his name,
this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong,
and the faith that comes through it
has given him this perfect health,
in the presence of all of you.
Now I know, brothers and sisters,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment
and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration
of which God spoke through the mouth
of his holy prophets from of old.
For Moses said:

A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.

"Moreover, all the prophets who spoke,
from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.
You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you
by turning each of you from your evil ways."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 3:11-26

Following the earlier cure of the lame beggar, a crowd gathers in the temple area and Peter launchs into the second kerygmatic discourse or proclamations about the nature of Christ. Peter uses a new title for the Savior, “The Author of Life.” He concludes this discourse with a call for conversion and repentance. He sites Moses prophecy using a paraphrase of Deuteronomy 18:15.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2ab) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.

O LORD, our Lord,
how glorious is your name over all the earth!
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9

Psalm 8 is another of the songs of thanksgiving. In this selection we hear the title “son of man” used. It is, in this instance referring to the people as opposed to Jesus. The song reflects on the creation account from Genesis and how God gave man dominion over the life he had created.

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Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 24:35-48

This is the first appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples in the locked room. It is significant that Thomas was not with them. His role becomes important later. He shows the disciples his wounds and then to prove he is corporeal, he asks for food and eats in front of them.

Now satisfied that they believe, the Lord brings them to understand the prophetic significance of what had taken place. He concludes pointedly by saying; “You are witnesses to these things.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

The mystery of the Lord’s Supper held in the upper room is unraveled in the locked room. Even though Jesus is quoted in John as having said “my body is true food and my blood true drink” (John 6:55), there are many who cannot accept that Jesus left us the gift to his true body and blood in the Eucharist. If he had done that, it is argued, the bread and wine would change their outward appearance; they would taste and fell differently.

So difficult was this to accept that during the Reformation, protestants who had decided that they could interpret sacred scripture as well as the Church decided that the last supper was a merely symbolic and that the words of St. John only a metaphor. They could not bring themselves to believe that Christ would physically make himself available to all those who followed him in faith. In essence, they put God in a box of human understanding and would not allow the possibility of something beyond their human logic.

Jesus’ appearance in the locked room transforms our understanding of what is possible for God. We must ask ourselves, “Did God violate the laws of physics in order for Jesus to physically stand in that room with the disciples?” Did God somehow beam Jesus into the room like some Star Trek episode? How did a physically solid Jesus get into a room without using a door or window? There is really only one possibility. The body Jesus shown to the disciples was a body transformed; it was a gloriously risen body which, while bearing the marks of his passion, was transformed into something while real and substantial, not like anything physics has described. In short it is the essence of the Eucharist, real but unexplainable except by faith.

If we believe that Jesus walked with the disciples at Emmaus, if we believe that he came (twice) to the disciples in the locked room and to Peter on the shore, we must believe that his body is truly present in the Eucharist we share. To deny that relationship is to deny Christ himself.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Peace Be Unto You” by Erwin Küsthardt, c. 1890’s
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-06T18:26:00.002-04:00

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Wednesday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 3:1-10

Peter and John were going up to the temple area
for the three o'clock hour of prayer.
And a man crippled from birth was carried
and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day
to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked for alms.
But Peter looked intently at him, as did John,
and said, "Look at us."
He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold,
but what I do have I give you:
in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk."
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up,
and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
He leaped up, stood, and walked around,
and went into the temple with them,
walking and jumping and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
they recognized him as the one
who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple,
and they were filled with amazement and astonishment
at what had happened to him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 3:1-10

This dramatic cure of the lame beggar begins a group of events that place the disciples in the footsteps of Jesus. In this first action, the beggar is cured in the name of Jesus and immediately he is led into the temple area. The symbolism here is Jesus heals us and leads us to faith.

This event also serves a secondary purpose. In addition to demonstrating the power of God’s intense love invoked through the name of Jesus, it also serves to draw a large crowd to hear the kerygmatic discourse of St. Peter which follows.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R. (3b) Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generationsB
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

This song of praise links us to the first reading from Acts by emphasizing the saving power of the name of the Lord. In using the name of God, the speaker implicitly gives glory to God for the blessings that follow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 24:13-35

This story of the disciples of the road to Emmaus is only found in Luke’s Gospel (and is used as an alternate for Mass on the evening of Easter Sunday). There is a mention in Mark 16;12 that is vague but probably refers to this event. The actual location of Emmaus is not known but it is estimated that it was between 7 and 18 miles from Jerusalem. The focus of the story is the unrecognized Jesus (recall that in John 20:11-18, Mary Magdalene thought he was a gardener). The unrecognized traveler interprets scripture and then is revealed in the breaking of the bread (the Eucharistic reference) as the Risen Lord.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were almost assuredly giving up. They had just seen the Lord, for whom they had such high hopes, crucified and killed by the Romans. Now they were headed toward Emmaus for some unknown reason. It has been speculated that they were going home or perhaps, fearing further violence against Jesus’ supporters, they were simply running away. Whatever their reasons, the most likely purpose for their trip was to be headed away from the Lord rather than toward him.

The story tells us that Jesus joined them as they walked and, first hearing them explain how they perceived events that had taken place, he proceeded to break open the Law and Prophets, citing all of those instances that predicted what had unfolded in Jerusalem three days prior (remember, this is taking place at almost the same time as Mary if finding the empty tomb). Intellectually the disciples must have been thinking all of this made sense (in retrospect they would look back and remember how that revelatory conversation had caused their hearts to burn).

Still they did not recognize him until he recreated the Eucharist for them at the meal. How blessed they were, who where shown Jesus in the Eucharist in such a way. And how sad it is that many of us today have failed to do the same, even when we are told, countless times, that Jesus left us his body and blood in just that way.

The beauty of the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is that we can all put ourselves in the place of the disciples. Sometimes on that dusty road we are frightened sometimes we feel like we know it is the Lord that is walking with us. At times we are very close and at times we feel like those disciples must have felt at the beginning of their journey; that they were running away. We place ourselves at different times in different places on that road and pray that we always recognize the Lord in those that travel with us. We most especially pray that in this Easter Week we recognized the Lord in the Bread and Wine, his Risen Body broken for us.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Supper at Emmaus” by Hendrick Terbrugghen, 1621
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-05T19:24:00.002-04:00

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Tuesday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified."

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 2:36-41

The selection from Acts today continues the First Discourse by Peter concerning the Messiah. In this section he introduces Baptism in the name of Jesus. This is in accord with the instructions of all four Gospels found here for the first time. Peter’s arguments are compelling and we are told that three thousand accepted the call.

We note here also Peter called for “repentance” in addition to the call to Baptism. While Baptism washes away past sins, repentance is a call to on-going conversion of heart. This indelible change is a consequence of the gift of the Holy Spirit also given in Baptism.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22

Psalm 33 is a song of praise and thanksgiving. In this selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who has saving power combined with hope, a central component of faith in God.

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Gospel: John 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
"Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni,"
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he had told her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 20:11-18

Today we are given St. John’s account of the first meeting between Mary Magdalene and Jesus following the Lord’s crucifixion. In this account we get a distinct picture that the ascension had not been completed but the Lord is waiting to deliver his final instructions.

There is debate about when the Lord ascended to the Father. Clearly his last earthly appearance was fifty days following the resurrection. Most scholars believe Jesus ascended immediately following his meeting with Mary depicted here. His return and actions from this point to the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11) were to accomplish the gift of the Holy Spirit he had promised.

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Reflection:

It is surprising that while we are still in the Octave of Easter with Mary Magdalene still weeping at the tomb we would hear St. Peter exhorting the Jews to repentance. Yes, he is making his point, primarily about faith in Jesus and the need to accept the cleansing bath of Baptism, but beyond that he is exhorting the need for repentance – a change in how they act going forward.

Repentance is more than simply saying we are sorry. True repentance is a fundamental change in how we act and even think about the world and those around us. It is conforming ourselves to Christ’s mind in such a way that we react to people with what we will call the “Christ Reflex”.

Anyone who has trained for a sport knows that there is something called muscle memory. That means, when an athlete trains long enough under strict supervision, their muscles automatically perform without conscious thought. They reflexively act as they were trained. Repentance means we train ourselves to have the “spiritual memory” of how Christ would react. Through repetition and coaching we train ourselves to think and act as if Christ were whispering in our ear in real time.

We are an Easter people. We believe that our Savior came to the world so that we might take his message of love to heart and to understand that it is God’s will that we apply His example in our lives. The only way we can do that is to develop the “Christ Reflex”. When we see the poor, the infirmed, or the marginalized, our reflex should be love, not fear or revulsion. When we are wronged, mentally or physically, our reaction must be compassion and forgiveness, not hatred or vengeance. It is difficult, this Christ Reflex. And it will not come over night. Further we cannot do it in a vacuum. We need a coach. Getting a spiritual director is advised and having a training partner is also recommended. Keep each other honest and on track. And, of course we need the whole team to cheer us on (that would be our faith community).

Our Easter joy is somewhat tempered by the knowledge of how far we must grow to become the disciples the Lord expects. Now while the echo of the Gloria bells still reverberates, let us make a pledge to work toward that Christ Reflex and to accept his challenge and example,

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture use is “Noli Me Tangere” by Alonso Cano, c. 1640
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monday in the Octave of Easter

2010-04-04T19:46:00.001-04:00

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Readings for Monday in the Octave of Easter [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Acts 2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

"You who are children of Israel, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me,
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;
my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.

My brothers, one can confidently say to you
about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day.
But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him
that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld
nor did his flesh see corruption.
God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."
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Commentary on Acts 2:14, 22-33

This is the first of the six professions (“kerugma” or proclamations) in Acts about the resurrection set immediately following the Pentecost event. In this proclamation, Peter, speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem (many of whom would have been in the crowd that saw Jesus crucified) first tells them that “This man (Jesus)” demonstrated through “signs and wonders” that he was the Christ. He then makes the accusation “you killed” and concludes with “But God raised him up…”.He reminds them that David had been made the promise of an eternal dynasty (quoting Psalm 16:8-11) that had been fulfilled in the resurrected Messiah, Jesus.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
or:
R. Alleluia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

Psalm 16 is the song quoted in the Acts above. A song of thanksgiving that has become prophetic, it speaks clearly of the resurrection accomplished now in Christ. (“Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption”.)

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Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me."

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, "You are to say,
'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.'
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
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Commentary on Mt 28:8-15

From Matthew’s Gospel we are told of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ as she returned from the empty tomb. In this account, Mary is described as actually touching him. This differs from the description in the Gospel of St. John (John 20:17). where Jesus asks Mary not to hold on to him because he has not yet ascended to the Father. This scripture also tells us something we would expect of those who did not want to believe, that is the rumor that it was the disciples of Jesus who took the body rather than letting the truth get out. What was not disputed was that the tomb was empty.

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Reflection:

The Gospel story is dripping with irony. At the time the events of this story take place, the Disciples probably don’t fully understand what has happened. Certainly those who first discover the empty tomb are likely to be thinking it was the Romans that came to take the body of Jesus away or perhaps someone hired by the Sanhedrin. Here St. Matthew describes the reaction of the Jewish leadership to the empty tomb. It appears they understand, better than Jesus’ friends what has take place in the Resurrection.

The reaction of the Jews is one of dismay. All of the Law and the Prophets is predicated upon the one who comes from God to establish His kingdom and now they find that they were the instruments of his death. Is it any wonder they initiate the biggest cover-up in the history of the world? But it is not God’s will. That is were they have gone wrong from the beginning. They have been trying to have God behave as they wanted instead of trying to understand what God was telling them through His Son.

Our faith in the truth of the Empty Tomb must caution us not fall into the same trap; only accepting our limited view of what God wants us to do and be. The resurrection of Christ changes everything. It changes the meaning of victory, if victory for the Christian was expressed in human terms; our crucified Savior would seem a defeat. It changes the meaning of life! If life was defined simply in physical terms, Christians would be nothing but the dust of death. Yet Christ shows us His risen body and life with him moves to the eternal plain.

We see the irony of St. Matthew and, like all great truths, the logic fits impeccably. But the Sanhedrin is too late, as the old saying goes, “the cat is out of the bag”. The Lord has risen as he promised and with that promise fulfilled, we rejoice in the knowledge that all we have come to know about Him is true as well.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture today is “Appearence to Mary Magdalene” (Noli me tangere), by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-11
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T00:28:00.003-04:00

Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord -
The Mass of Easter Day

Readings for the Mass of Easter Day [i][ii]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[iii]

Reading 1: Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter proceeded to speak and said:
"You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."
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Commentary on Acts 10:34a, 37-43

This is part of Peter’s speech to the Cornelius and his family (Gentiles). Peter (according to St. Luke) assumes the people know what has happened – namely that Jesus who was thought to be the Messiah, had proven that fact in the resurrection. Now he reminds them, before the creed was written that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.

"The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD."
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or:
Alleluia.

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
or: Alleluia.
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Commentary on

Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving emphasizing the fidelity of God. The final strophe gives a reminder that God’s only Son was rejected and, in the resurrection, revealed to all the word that he is the cornerstone of all creation.

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Reading II: Colossians 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
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Commentary on Col 3:1-4

Paul gives assurance to the Colossians that they too have a home with Christ who now is seated at the right hand of the Father. In saying this, he points their aspirations to the things of heaven.

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Or: I Corinthians 5:6b-8

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
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Commentary on I Cor 5:6b-8

Paul calls the Corinthians to conversion with a metaphor. He uses the duel meaning or implication of leaven bread and the feast of the Passover to symbolize the new covenant. The traditional Passover meal or Seder is lamb and unleavened bread. Christ, the Lamb of God in the unleavened bread of the Eucharist is their meal.

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Gospel: John 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.
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Commentary on John 20:1-9

In St. John’s account of the discovery of the “Empty Tomb” we hear how the disciple whom Jesus loved understood what had come to pass before Peter. Found also in Luke, this story furnishes the testimony that confirms Christ’s resurrection.

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Or: Luke 24:1-12

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.
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Commentary on Lk 24:1-12

This is the first of five parts of the resurrection story taking place nearly simultaneously in St. Luke’s Gospel. The three Maries arrive at the tomb to find it empty and encounter two angels. The announcement of the resurrection comes in the form of a question; “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.” The great promise has been fulfilled.

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Or, at an afternoon or evening Mass: Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
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Commentary on Lk 24:13-35

This story of the disciples of the road to Emmaus is only found in Luke’s Gospel. There is a mention in Mark (Mark 16;12) that is vague but probably refers to this event. The actual location of Emmaus is not known but it is estimated that it was between 7 and 18 miles from Jerusalem. The focus of the story is the unrecognized Jesus (similarly in John 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene thought he was a gardener) interprets scripture and then his recognition in the breaking of the bread (the Eucharistic reference).

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Homily:

What would you do if, a day after you buried your best friend someone ran up to you and told you they had just gone out to put flowers on the grave and found it empty? In this day and age you might think perhaps the cemetery workers had needed to exhume the casket; perhaps a mistake had been made. You might think that grave robbers had done something heinous. It is highly unlikely, no matter how spirit filled your best friend may have been, that you would think “Oh, they must have risen from the dead.” What ever your thoughts might be, we can bet you would have them while rushing to the graves side.

That is essentially the picture painted by St. John in his Gospel story today. Further, thoughts about officials having moved the body or grave robbers having stolen the body were most likely the thoughts Peter and John were thinking as they ran toward the tomb after Mary Magdala told them she found it open.

And when they arrived and saw the tomb empty, we can only imagine the heart stopping shock they felt. It was as Mary had said and things were even stranger than that. They feared; that the Temple Guards had hired vandals to steal the body (No Jew would have defiled themselves during the Passover by touching a dead body), or perhaps the Romans had wanted to somehow discredit Jesus by taking his body away. But if they had done that, why leave the burial cloths in the tomb? And even stranger, why roll up the covering of the head and place it in a different place? It would be like us arriving at the disappearance of our best friend and finding they had taken the body but left the clothing.

To understand how confounding this event must have been, we need to understand what these disciples of Jesus believed about him and about death. First, and we must be clear about this, they absolutely knew Jesus was dead. They saw him die and they saw the guard shove a lance into his chest to make sure. The Romans were experts at killing, there was no question Jesus was dead.

Jews of Jesus day were divided about what happened after death. The Sadducees and most conservative Jews believed that when you died – that was it – you ended completely. We find this expressed in the Psalms where we hear the psalmist pleading with God to continue his physical life because once he has returned to dust he can no longer praise God. Others believed in some murky existence in a place called Sheol. A place of the dead, not quite hell as we know it but an unhappy place. Others still at the time of Christ, notably some of the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the just, at the end of the age – the end times.

The disciples of Jesus were likely believers in this final view – that at the end of time, Jesus would be raised up with the rest of the Just. In their wildest dreams they did not suspect that what they found at the tomb pointed to Jesus resurrection. The Gospel even says so. We hear at the end of St. John’s Gospel “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”

In this Easter therefore, the disciples would have been facing a huge mystery. It would not be until later when Jesus actually appeared to them and invited them to inspect his wounds, to let them know he was not a ghost. It was only then that the magnitude of what had taken place would strike them. This revelation would send them scattering across the known world proclaiming the Good News. That is the Easter Proclamation – Jesus is risen from the dead and that was done for us.

The question we must ask ourselves as we rejoice once more in this knowledge is what does this event mean for us? In what way does it affect us and the way we live our lives? To answer those questions we must answer this one – Why did Jesus, the only Son of God, come to earth as man and endure the suffering and death at the hands of a people he came to save? It is a question that we each must answer for ourselves because it is only then that the answer will affect the way we live and our ultimate disposition at the end of time. If we believe that he did this so that each of us might enjoy the rewards of the peace and love of God in this life and in the next, then it should be the most important thing in our life. If we have not yet come to that conclusion that Jesus’ sacrifice is supremely important in our lives, that decision will show as well, and the benefits of faith will also be less evident.

Today we cry out rejoicing – He is Risen! From this hour forward his gift is once more in our hands; it is up to us what we do with it.

Pax

[i] ALTRE
[ii] The picture used today is “Resurrection of Christ” by Gerard Seghers, c. 1620
[iii] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Easter Vigil

2010-04-02T22:04:00.005-04:00

Easter Sunday
The Resurrection of the Lord -
At the Easter Vigil
in the Holy Night of EasterReadings for Easter Vigil [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Genesis 1:1—2:2

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.

Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth, "
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.

Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.

Then God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.

Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished
with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 1:1—2:2

Scripture begins with the first creation account from Genesis. God creates the universe, the earth, and all living things. God creates an orderly universe out of primordial chaos. The separation of the waters (fresh water from salt waters of the sea and “the upper waters” held up by the dome of the sky) are later referenced in 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:19 and Psalm 104:13. The ancient authors considered a day to begin at sunset. The literary structure used, breaking God’s creative effort into six days, stressed the sacredness of the seventh day in the faith structure of the Israelites. His final creation is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. The creation of human kind is considered the climax of God’s creative action primarily because God gives dominion to man over the rest of creation.

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Or: Genesis 1:1, 26-31a

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.

God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Genesis 1:1, 26-31a

This shorter version of the first creation account from Genesis omits how he creates the universe, and the earth. It begins with the creation of all living things and concludes with the creation of man. The focus is changed from emphasis on all creation to the creation of life in all its diversity.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35

R. (30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You water the mountains from your palace;
the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.
You raise grass for the cattle,
and vegetation for man's use,
Producing bread from the earth.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
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Commentary on Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35

Psalm 104 is a song of thanksgiving supporting the creation event just related. A constant theme through the psalms is thanks for the gift of creation.

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Or: Psalm 33:4-5, 6-7, 12-13, 20 and 22

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 33:4-5, 6-7, 12-13, 20 and 22

The alternate psalm is also a song of thanks giving for God’s creative majesty. In this song the Logos is also mentioned tying the creative event to Jesus – the Word of God – the Logos.

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Reading II: Genesis 22:1-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust,
set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants:
"Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" Isaac said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the holocaust?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust."
Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, On the mountain the LORD will see."

Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 22:1-18

Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly”, making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved”; “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as "beloved."[4] This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son; again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13.)

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Or: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am, " he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am, " he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

In this shorter form, Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly”, making him the father of nations.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord.

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

Following Abraham’s demonstration of love, Psalm 16 is another song of thanksgiving, this time for presence of the Lord and His saving power.

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Reading III: Exodus 14:15—15:1

The LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the Israelites to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers."

The angel of God, who had been leading Israel's camp,
now moved and went around behind them.
The column of cloud also, leaving the front,
took up its place behind them,
so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians
and that of Israel.
But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed
without the rival camps coming any closer together
all night long.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

Then the LORD told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers."
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army
which had followed the Israelites into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the Israelites had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ex 14:15—15:1

This selection of Exodus is the crossing of the Red (Reed) Sea and the destruction of the Egyptian army following them. While this event is at the beginning of the Exodus story, it is the most spectacular intervention by God of the journey and, coupled with the striking of the firstborn of Egypt, the most forceful act, freeing the Hebrews from further retribution and harassment on the part of pharaoh and the Egyptians. The concluding canticle (actually 15:1-26) is used frequently in Christian liturgy (including the Exultet sung earlier) celebrating God’s salvation.

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Responsorial Psalm: Exodus 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18

R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh's chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, LORD, which your hands established.
The LORD shall reign forever and ever.R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
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Commentary on Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18

This hymn is another account of the saving event that ended the threat of the Egyptians. This canticle was frequently used in early Christian liturgy to celebrate God’s saving power.

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Reading IV: Isaiah 54:5-14

The One who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
a wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
but with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
so I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
and your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In justice shall you be established,
far from the fear of oppression,
where destruction cannot come near you.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 54:5-14

Isaiah paints Jerusalem as the wife in relationship with God. The reference relevant to the Hebrews reflects upon the Babylonian exile (“For a brief moment I abandoned you …“) and the return from that exile returning the people to God’s favor (“In justice shall you be established, far from the fear of oppression, where destruction cannot come near you. “) This passage is understood by the Christian faithful to refer to the New Jerusalem – Zion the Church; God’s heavenly kingdom. In this oracle the Prophet speaks of the everlasting covenant that would be the Messiah.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
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Commentary on Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

Still another psalm of thanksgiving recalls the saving power of God. The image of the resurrection is clearly evident I the first strophe, “O Lord, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.”

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Reading V: Isaiah 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 55:1-11

In this reading from Isaiah, the prophet reflects on how God’s salvation is given to all peoples. Isaiah reminds us that salvation flows from his promise to extend David’s line’ that the Messiah comes from that linage in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

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Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

This song of praise and thanksgiving takes the tone of a profession of faith; “God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.”

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Reading VI: Baruch 3:9-15, 32

Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life:
listen, and know prudence!
How is it, Israel,
that you are in the land of your foes,
grown old in a foreign land,
defiled with the dead,
accounted with those destined for the netherworld?
You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom!
Had you walked in the way of God,
you would have dwelt in enduring peace.
Learn where prudence is,
where strength, where understanding;
that you may know also
where are length of days, and life,
where light of the eyes, and peace.
Who has found the place of wisdom,
who has entered into her treasuries?

The One who knows all things knows her;
he has probed her by his knowledge
The One who established the earth for all time,
and filled it with four-footed beasts;
he who dismisses the light, and it departs,
calls it, and it obeys him trembling;
before whom the stars at their posts
shine and rejoice;
when he calls them, they answer, "Here we are!"
shining with joy for their Maker.
Such is our God;
no other is to be compared to him:
He has traced out the whole way of understanding,
and has given her to Jacob, his servant,
to Israel, his beloved son.

Since then she has appeared on earth,
and moved among people.
She is the book of the precepts of God,
the law that endures forever;
all who cling to her will live,
but those will die who forsake her.
Turn, O Jacob, and receive her:
walk by her light toward splendor.
Give not your glory to another,
your privileges to an alien race.
Blessed are we, O Israel;
for what pleases God is known to us!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Bar 3:9-15, 32

Baruch, the secretary of Jeremiah, composes this poem in praise of the Law of Moses. The poem rejoices in the saving power of God for those who are faithful using Wisdom-like references to speak of divine intervention.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

Supporting Baruch’s praise of the Law, Psalm 19 echoes praise for the Law that Jesus came to fulfill. Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we give praise to God’s gift of the Law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtue of obedience and steadfastness to the Law and its precepts.

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Reading VII: Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28

The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their land,
they defiled it by their conduct and deeds.
Therefore I poured out my fury upon them
because of the blood that they poured out on the ground,
and because they defiled it with idols.
I scattered them among the nations,
dispersing them over foreign lands;
according to their conduct and deeds I judged them.
But when they came among the nations wherever they came,
they served to profane my holy name,
because it was said of them: "These are the people of the LORD,
yet they had to leave their land."
So I have relented because of my holy name
which the house of Israel profaned
among the nations where they came.
Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD:
Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel,
but for the sake of my holy name,
which you profaned among the nations to which you came.
I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your fathers;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28

Contained within this selection from Ezekiel is one of the earliest and most complete descriptions of the theology of Baptism (Ez 36; 24-28). We see the Lord’s great love for the people manifest in first purifying them (“I will sprinkle clean water upon you…”) and then giving them a conversion of heart (“I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you…”).

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Responsorial Psalm

When baptism is celebrated: Psalm 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4

R. (42:2) Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.

I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God,
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.

Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.

Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
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Commentary on Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4

The water theme in this song of thanksgiving reminds us of the life-giving bath that is Baptism. Those receiving the sacrament will be moved by the obvious invitation to join with God fully in this holy place.

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When baptism is not celebrated: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
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Commentary on Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

If Baptism is not celebrated at the vigil we may hear this hymn from the Prophet Isaiah that reminds us, through his profession that we have all be baptized in Jesus life and death.

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Or-
When baptism is not celebrated: Psalm 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a holocaust, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
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Commentary on Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

This personal lament is the alternate to Isaiah’s hymn. Psalm 51 is the fourth and most famous of the penitential psalms. The psalmist sings in these verses that only God can reverse the awful affects of sin. Through this action, taken by the Holy Spirit, God’s salvation is made manifest in the repentant and contrite heart. We are also reminded of Baptism and the purifying effect of that bath.

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Epistle: Romans 6:3-11

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Rom 6:3-11

This reading from Romans reminds the Christian that all who have been joined to Christ in Baptism are also joined to his death. Without inevitable death of the body there is no resurrection and St. Paul teaches that, since Christ came so his followers could be absolved from sin, the great promise is that those baptized in the faith will rise with him, free from all sin.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

The final psalm is another song of thanksgiving. It sets the stage for the great event that demonstrates God’s love and power as the Lord, His Son, the “stone the builders rejected” conquers death and joins Him in new life

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Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 24:1-12

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Holy Women at Christ' s Tomb” by Annibale Carracci, 1590s[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.[4] See NAB footnote on Gn 22: 2

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

2010-04-01T22:56:00.002-04:00

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

Readings for Good Friday [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 52:13—53:12

See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
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Commentary on Is 52:13—53:12

The last of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles is used on Good Friday. A lament for the prophet’s own ill treatment and a prediction of the passion is seen here beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).

The later paragraphs describe how the servant becomes the “sin offering”, a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “…he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25

R. (Lk 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors."
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
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Commentary on

Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25

The psalm response is taken from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 23;46) and the psalm selection is a lament of the people. It echoes the willingness with which the servant submits in Isaiah’s narrative. We also hear of the Lord’s mercy and strength.

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Reading II: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
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Commentary on Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

In the Book of Hebrews we hear St. Paul comparing Christ to the Jewish High Priest who is esteemed and pampered because of his rank. Jesus, on the other hand was tested and found to be sinless.

In the second paragraph we see that while Jesus was afraid of the passion, he submitted to the will of the Father. In doing so he became the source of our eternal salvation.

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Gospel: John 18:1—19:42

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, "Whom are you looking for?"
They answered him, "Jesus the Nazorean."
He said to them, "I AM."
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, "I AM,"
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
"Whom are you looking for?"
They said, "Jesus the Nazorean."
Jesus answered,
"I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go."
This was to fulfill what he had said,
"I have not lost any of those you gave me."
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave's name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
"Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?"

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
"You are not one of this man's disciples, are you?"
He said, "I am not."
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
"I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said."
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
"Is this the way you answer the high priest?"
Jesus answered him,
"If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
"You are not one of his disciples, are you?"
He denied it and said,
"I am not."
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
"Didn't I see you in the garden with him?"
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
"What charge do you bring against this man?"
They answered and said to him,
"If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you."
At this, Pilate said to them,
"Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law."
The Jews answered him,
"We do not have the right to execute anyone,"
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered,
"Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered,
"I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered,
"My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him,
"Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered,
"You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
"I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
They cried out again,
"Not this one but Barabbas!"
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
"Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him."
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, "Behold, the man!"
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
"Crucify him, crucify him!"

Pilate said to them,
"Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him."
The Jews answered,
"We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God."
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
"Where are you from?"
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
"Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?"
Jesus answered him,
"You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin."
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
"If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge's bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
"Behold, your king!"
They cried out,
"Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!"
Pilate said to them,
"Shall I crucify your king?"
The chief priests answered,
"We have no king but Caesar."
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
"Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews."
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
"Do not write 'The King of the Jews,'
but that he said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'"
Pilate answered,
"What I have written, I have written."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
"Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,"
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, "I thirst."
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
"It is finished."
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.
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Commentary on Jn 18:1—19:42

Many of the specific details of the Passion accounts found in Matthew, Mark and Luke are omitted in St. Johns account (the agony in the garden and the kiss of Judas, nor does he identify the place as Gethsemane or the Mount of Olives.[4]) Also unlike the synoptic Gospels, St. John suggests Roman participation in the arrest of Jesus.

In St. John’s account we are also told that Jesus went through several interrogations (first by Annas and then by Caiaphas) before being taken to Pilate. The philosophical debate between Jesus and Pilate in John’s Gospel is rich with logic and it is easy to understand why Pilate wanted to release him. In the end (without sending him to Herod) Christ is condemned.

The role of Mary in John’s narrative is significant in that her role represents the Church, the mother of Christians now being given to the care of the Disciple whom Jesus loved. This hand off of the Church was the Lord’s last dying act. Finally we are given the final symbols of the perfect sacrifice; Jesus’ legs are not broken (because according to Jewish Law, the legs of a sacrificial animal are not to be broken) and water (representing baptism) and blood (representing Eucharist) flow from his side.
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Reflection:

As we recall the Lord’s passion, let us also consider why it was so necessary. To this end we offer the Litany of the Thirty Pieces of Silver:

Father forgive me
Christ forgive me
Holy Spirit make me one with you

1. When I deny you Lord, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
2. When I place anything before my love of you, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
3. When I worship the things of the world, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
4. When I make idols of money and wealth, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
5. When I make idols of fame and praise, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
6. When I set anything as a god to be worshiped, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
7. When I curse another using your name, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
8. When I use your name for my own purposes, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
9. When I take pleasure in blasphemy, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
10. When the Sabbath is forgotten for servile labor, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!

Father forgive me
Christ forgive me
Holy Spirit make me one with you

11.When I excuse myself from Sunday Mass for frivolous reasons, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
12. When I decide the Sabbath is mine to enjoy and forget you, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
13. When I reject my parent’s love, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
14. When I dishonor my mother and my father, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
15. When I disrespect or say hurtful things to my parents, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
16. When I accept the killing of another as just, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
17. When I turn my back on a person’s life, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
18. When I consider harm to another in my heart, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
19. When I forget the dignity of human love, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
20. When I allow my sexual appetites to control my actions, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!

Father forgive me
Christ forgive me
Holy Spirit make me one with you

21. When I slake my sexual desires, demeaning another, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
22. When I take that which belongs to another, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
23. When I justify appropriating something I did not pay for, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
24. When I rationalize something is owed to me for which I have not paid, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
25. When I fail to tell the truth, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
26. When I purposely share false information, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
27. When I participate in hurtful speculation about another, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
28. When I desire material things more that your love, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
29. When I place life’s passions in front of my passion for you, Lord, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!
30. When I wish for the life of this world more than eternal life with you, I accept a piece of Judas’ silver –forgive me!

Father forgive me
Christ forgive me
Holy Spirit make me one with you

Merciful Lord, Judas Iscariot accepted thirty pieces of silver and betrayed you with a kiss. May we who have sinned against you accept your forgiveness and vow to avoid sin in the future. We reject our past actions that have turned love to hate and crave nothing in this world more than your love and friendship. We ask for your strength, flowing through the Holy Spirit, make us strong so that we may take up our cross and follow you. -Amen

Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Pietà” by Daniele Crespi.1626
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
[4] See NAB Footnote on John 18: 1ff

Holy Thursday

2010-03-31T19:13:00.002-04:00

Holy Thursday
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

Chrism Mass

Readings for Holy Thursday
(Mass of the Lord’s Supper)[1][2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
"This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

"This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.

"This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution."
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Commentary on Ex 12:1-8, 11-14

This passage from Exodus established the Feast of Passover for Jewish people. It is the feast Jesus was celebrating in the upper room. We are told of the tenth and final plague to strike Egypt as God struck down the first born and caused the Pharaoh to release the people from bondage. The image of the “Lamb” is reminiscent of the “Lamb of God”, who is also without blemish, whose blood consecrates those who believe in him.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

R. (cf. 1 Cor 10:16) Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
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Commentary on

Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

This psalm of thanksgiving gives us the image of the “Cup of Blessing” used in the Passover celebration. It is this cup that the Lord first blessed and used as our communion cup.

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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 11:23-26

St. Paul gives us the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper. This account is used by many protestant denominations to define their understanding of this event as symbolic rather than efficacious, that is, they believe the Lord’s actions did not transubstantiate the bread and wine, but that the action was simply a “remembrance”. The Church looks at the whole body of scripture, especially St. John’s Gospel and understands the Sacrament as the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood.

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Gospel: John 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciplesâ€™ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
"Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later."
Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."
Jesus answered him,
"Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
Simon Peter said to him,
"Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
Jesus said to him,
"Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all."
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another's feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do."
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Commentary on Jn 13:1-15

We find in St. John’s Gospel the Lord’s great act of humility as he washes the feet of his disciples, something that would not even have been done by a slave. In another sense it also carries with it the image of Baptism as well as the humiliating death the Lord was about to suffer.

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Reflection:

“Do you realize what I have done for you?” These words hang in the air as the disciples look on in embarrassed silence. Washing the feet of guests was, in the time of Jesus, the duty of a house slave. It was not, under any circumstance the disciples would have encountered, the job of their rabbi, their teacher, the one they believed was the Messiah! It is a sign of their total commitment to Jesus that only Peter objected.

“Do you realize what I have done for you?” When Jesus wrapped that towel around himself and got down on his knees, he stooped to serve not just those seated at the table, he stooped to serve everyone ever born of woman. His decent to his knees, bowel and towel in hand, was a decent from the highest heaven to the lowliest station on earth. Everyone since has been offered this humble service.

“Do you realize what I have done for you?” It was Mary who had but recently washed his feet with her tears and perfumed them with oil, drying them with her hair. She did this service to Jesus as if preparing him for burial. In Jesus turn he washes our feet that they might be clean entering the heavenly kingdom so that we might enjoy eternal life with him.

“Do you realize what I have done for you?” Even the one with thirty pieces of silver in his belt had his feet washed clean by the one who was pure as the driven snow. In this washing Jesus offers to wash us all clean of sin, taking upon himself all that burdens us, all that makes us unclean. On this Feast of the Lord’s Supper, upon which we celebrate the gift of the Lord’s Body and Blood, we realize that he continues to wash us, freeing us from the fetters of sin and death and opening the gates of heaven for us.

Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “The Last Supper” by Pieter Pauwel Rubens, 1631-32
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday of Holy Week

2010-03-30T19:19:00.002-04:00

Wednesday of Holy Week

Readings for Wednesday of Holy Week [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:4-9a

This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the Messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.

In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “…speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those born down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors. In spite of the persecution he suffers he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him.

We head this same reading on Passion Sunday just four days ago. It sets the tone for what begins tomorrow evening with the Feast of the Lord’s Supper.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
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Commentary on Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34

This selection is an individual lament, again drawing heavily on the image of the faithful servant who suffers but remains dedicated to God’s law and works. Even in the face of this intense social embarrassment, the psalmist must be faithful because “…zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.” The imagery in this song forces us to look forward to the passion, as Christ’s punishment is prophetically envisioned.

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Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The teacher says, My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."
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Commentary on Mt 26:14-25

We break away from St. John’s account and today hear Judas striking the bargain with members of the Sanhedrin. The thirty pieces of silver is reminiscent of the price paid for the shepherd of the flock to be slaughtered in Zechariah (Zechariah 11:12).

We then hear Matthew’s account of the selection of the place for the Last Supper. Jesus again tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. This time Judas, who has already struck a deal to turn him over to his enemies, answers, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”

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Reflection:

We must taste the bitter if we are to enjoy the sweet. Scripture, on this last day before the beginning of the Triduum, allows us to taste the sour of our mission, joined with Christ. The Suffering Servant of the Prophet Isaiah feels the sourness of humiliation and persecution he undergoes for the sake of God’s word. Those he loves turn against him. They spit upon him, degrading him.

Even the psalm recalls our obligation to endure ridicule for the sake of our faith as we hear; “For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers.” Both the psalmist and Isaiah tell us we will suffer these same indignities. And yet, they encourage us to remain faithful and reap the sweet prize that flows from what is to come.

The Gospel too recalls for us the sour of Christ’s mission. Even as he seats himself to leave us the great gift of his on-going presence in the Eucharist, the betrayer plots the end of his journey among us as man. Even Jesus must taste the bitter in order to enjoy the sweet.

His bitterness and ours is that sin is still with us in the world. In his case, the hatred of those in power attracts one of the Twelve who should have been above such greed. With thirty pieces of silver they buy a betrayal, starting the swift slide into the passion of our Lord. The sin of Judas to the Lord was his failure to love. He failed to love God, he failed to love his neighbor and, as his later suicide shows, he failed to love even himself. How sour the taste of that betrayal. For Judas there would never be a “sweet” end.

In our own mouths as we contemplate our own betrayals, we too taste the sour; the sour of our failure to love God, the sour of our failure to love neighbor, and the sour of our failure to even love self. Perhaps that is why we find it easy to forgive Judas, to find some pity for his plight. On this, our last day before we plunge ourselves into the great feast of the Triduum we taste the sour, and pray for the sweetness of our Easter joy.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used today is “Christ Suffering” by Pedro Fernández, 1510s
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday of Holy Week

2010-03-29T20:40:00.002-04:00

Tuesday of Holy Week

Readings for Tuesday of Holy Week [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 49:1-6

Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the Lord,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the Lord has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Commentary on Is 49:1-6

This is the second of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. It is easy to see from the opening paragraph why the Jews of Jesus’ time, familiar with Deutero-Isaiah, may have thought Jesus to be a Prophet. The prophet’s self identification is prophetic of the Christ. The “servant” is prepared for the work to be done and sent, not only to bring Israel back to the Lord but the entire world.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17

R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17

Psalm 71 is an individual lament. In this section we hear a profession of faith in the saving power of God. In the third strophe we also find a link to the “Servant of the Lord” in Isaiah. In both cases the servant is known by God and prepared for his service from the womb.

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Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."
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Commentary on Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

We pick up the story of the final hours of Jesus’ time with the disciples following the washing of their feet. First we hear of Judas’ departure from the table to betray the Lord. We note with interest St. John’s use of imagery as Judas is lead by the devil to his actions; “So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.” Then we are told of Jesus’ discourse with Peter and his prediction of Peter’s denial. Again we see in the description not only the Lord’s prediction of his own death but also the indication that Peter would follow him in death for God’s greater glory.

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Reflection:

The betrayal of Judas sets the stage for all that takes place during Holy Week. Like a game of Chess superbly played, Jesus sets up his own sacrifice as he allows Judas to do what must be done. He did not induce Judas to betray him, but that betrayal must happen if final victory is to be achieved.

Judas is not, as some literature would have us believe, an unwitting dupe in this saga. Judas was called, just as Peter, just as the disciple Jesus loved. Judas was loved just as all of Jesus’ closest friends were loved. However, at some point a flaw in his character rose to the surface. It could have been, as some have suggested, that he felt the only way to force Jesus to take up the mantle of the Royal Messiah was to put him in harms way. If Judas was a Zealot, this would have made sense because the Zealots wanted to throw off the Roman yoke of domination through any means possible.

Judas’ betrayal could also have been a result of pure greed, as the Gospel of St. John suggests when the Lord was in the house of Lazarus; “…he [Judas] was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.” Although thirty pieces of silver, the supposed price he was paid for the betrayal seemed rather low for such a deed.

The leaver pulled by Satan that turned Judas will never be known. It died with him when he too fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy when he said; “but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born." (Matthew 26:24) What becomes clear is that as in all wicked actions, there was one who had been cast out of the Heavenly Kingdom who was cheering him on, making it sound like the right thing to do.

For us, as we reflect upon Judas’ deed and how events will unfold as a consequence, we pray fervently that we will have the strength to always be faithful to Christ and never fall into betrayal as Judas who was from that moment accursed throughout history and indeed all time.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Last Supper” by Pieter Pourbus, 1548
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monday of Holy Week

2010-03-28T21:42:00.002-04:00

Monday of Holy Week

Readings for Monday of Holy Week [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 42:1-7

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
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Commentary on Is 42:1-7

This is the first of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. Speaking as the mouth of God, the prophet speaks of a renewal of Israel in his time. The servant comes, not as a violent zealot but with the quiet power of God (“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”). We see the deeper meaning as his words describe the coming of the Christ who brings justice on the earth.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R The Lord is my light and my salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

This section of the psalm is a profession of faith in the salvation that comes only from the Lord God. This selection is frequently used in Christian Funerals because of the hope and encouragement embodied in it.

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Gospel: John 12:1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?"
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.
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Commentary on Jn 12:1-11

In this scene from St. John’s Gospel we are painted a picture of Judas not found in other accounts. John shows him as a greedy and dishonest person. We suspect this understanding of Judas came after his ultimate act of betrayal. At the time it would have seemed like a reasonable question. (In St. Mark’s Gospel this event takes place two days before the Passover Feast as opposed to the six mentioned here. See Mark 14: 1-5.)

Jesus again tells the disciples that the time for his trial is at hand as he tells them; “You will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The sense of finality is growing as we are also told of the plot to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus in an attempt to stamp out the Lord’s popularity among the people.

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Reflection:

We look in awe at the tableau set before us on the first weekday of our Holy Week. We see in the setting painted by St. John an encapsulation of Jesus ministry on earth.

Jesus is at the house of his good friend Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. In these familiar surroundings he is accompanied by the twelve (we assume so because Judas is there (being painted the villain by St. John). In typical fashion, Martha is doing all the heavy lifting while Mary, her sister is at the feet of Jesus. And in the background the Evangelist reminds us of the plots of the Scribes and Pharisees, here also planning to kill Lazarus because of his witness to the salvific power of Christ.

We consider each in turn. First we look at the Lord who now perceives the end of his time among us. As he reclines at table with his friends, Mary, Lazarus’ sister brings a very expensive vase of oil and anoints Jesus’ feet, wiping them, we are told, with her hair. This tender act must seem an affront to those with him. But to Jesus who senses the cross looming, it is a preparation for his departure. He silences Judas, the only one who verbally complains telling him that there will be plenty of time to serve the poor (“You always have the poor with you”). In this comment Jesus tells us that while the poor must by tended by his followers, they must also draw strength from their adoration of Christ. How can one feed the poor if their spiritual reservoir is drained.

We consider the sisters, Martha and Mary; Martha the head and Mary the heart. Martha is assuming her customary role serving the household guests. We must assume, given our own experience with those who feel obligated to take on the less pleasant duties of hospitality, that she is aware of what is taking place at the table. She has dropped her customary “attitude” (she tends to treat Jesus like a brother, complaining to him about Mary, chastising him for being late when his brother was ill (dead)). She knows about what is coming. She is the practical one after all. She may even have given Mary the money to go buy he expensive oil she now lavishes on Christ. Our vision of her at this time is one who has compartmentalized her emotions. Inside she is afraid of what is coming (perhaps for her brother as well). She is likely torn because of her great faith in Christ but that needs to be put aside – there are guest to feed, a table to be tended. If we look closely at her as she brings food to the table we may see a tear in the corner of her eye.

Her sister Mary on the other had wears her heart on her sleeve as she performs the ritual yet intimate anointing of the Lord’s feet. This is not done with workman like dignity; we see her caressing the feet that will soon be pierced with spikes as Jesus is nailed to the cross. Does she know or suspect? The details are hidden from her but her love of Jesus is clear to all. Given the emotional charge her actions add to the scene, it would not be surprising if Judas’ outburst was more out of embarrassment than or concern for the worth of the oil.

The Gospel author clearly does not paint Judas that way. His Gospel tells us that the youngest Apostle never trusted the holder of the purse. He goes so far in this passage as to call him “…but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.”

Regardless of his intentions, we have now considered the picture in the hose of Lazarus. We ask ourselves in this Holy Week where we see ourselves? Are we buried in work like Martha? Are we weeping at the feet of Jesus like Mary? Are we a bit put out over the whole thing like Judas? Or are we like Lazarus who is grateful to have his Savior with him?

As we walk these last few days of Lent, let us pray that we might have the best attributes of all, Martha’s strength, Mary’s love, even Judas’ concern for the poor. Time is flying by now; we pray that we do not get lost in anticipation.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “St Mary Magdalene” by Carlo Dolci, 1644-46
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

2010-03-27T20:22:00.002-04:00

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion :[3]
At the Procession with Palms

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany
at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples.
He said, “Go into the village opposite you,
and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered
on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
And if anyone should ask you,
‘Why are you untying it?’
you will answer,
‘The Master has need of it.’”
So those who had been sent went off
and found everything just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
“Why are you untying this colt?”
They answered,
“The Master has need of it.”
So they brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks over the colt,
and helped Jesus to mount.
As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.
They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He said in reply,
“I tell you, if they keep silent,
the stones will cry out!”
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Commentary on Lk 19:28-40

Jesus is now coming back to Jerusalem and it is clear that the disciples to which St. Luke is referring are more than just the twelve (“…the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy”). Included in this number were those who had seen the signs he had performed and had expectations of another kind of Messiah.

The acclamation the disciples gave Jesus in this version of the story is the same one that the angels gave at his birth; “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” It is also the reason the Pharisees asked Jesus to stop them. They did not want the Romans to interpret this acclamation as rebellion against the Emperor.

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At the Mass

Reading I: Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
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Commentary on Is 50:4-7

This is the third of four “Servant of the Lord” oracles in Isaiah. God chastises the people for not following the servant who willingly accepts God’s service and even the contempt of the people. The image of humble service is frequently associated with the suffering servant prophetic of Christ.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

R. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
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Commentary on Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

The personal lament in Psalm 22 echoes the abuse and ridicule heaped on God’s servants and the faithful. This selection goes further, prophetically describing the Passion of the Lord (“…They have pierced my hands and my feet” and “They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.”)

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Reading II: Philippians 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Commentary on Phil 2:6-11

This passage from Philippians is known as the Kenotic Hymn – The song of emptying. As part of St. Paul’s instructive letters, this is clearly to be used as a liturgical prayer or song. Used at the celebration of Palm Sunday, it provides a counter point to the elevated status of Jesus entry. The attitude of Christ is one of humility.

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Gospel
Longer Form: Luke 22:14—23:56

When the hour came,
Jesus took his place at table with the apostles.
He said to them,
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again
until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said,
“Take this and share it among yourselves;
for I tell you that from this time on
I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took the bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which will be given for you;
do this in memory of me.”
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which will be shed for you.

“And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me
is with me on the table;
for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined;
but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.”
And they began to debate among themselves
who among them would do such a deed.

Then an argument broke out among them
about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.
He said to them,
“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them
and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’;
but among you it shall not be so.
Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest,
and the leader as the servant.
For who is greater:
the one seated at table or the one who serves?
Is it not the one seated at table?
I am among you as the one who serves.
It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
and I confer a kingdom on you,
just as my Father has conferred one on me,
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom;
and you will sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded
to sift all of you like wheat,
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail;
and once you have turned back,
you must strengthen your brothers.”
He said to him,
“Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you.”
But he replied,
“I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day,
you will deny three times that you know me.”

He said to them,
“When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals,
were you in need of anything?”
“No, nothing, “ they replied.
He said to them,
“But now one who has a money bag should take it,
and likewise a sack,
and one who does not have a sword
should sell his cloak and buy one.
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me,
namely, He was counted among the wicked;
and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.”
Then they said,
“Lord, look, there are two swords here.”
But he replied, “It is enough!”

Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives,
and the disciples followed him.
When he arrived at the place he said to them,
“Pray that you may not undergo the test.”
After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling,
he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing,
take this cup away from me;
still, not my will but yours be done.”
And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.
He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently
that his sweat became like drops of blood
falling on the ground.
When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples,
he found them sleeping from grief.
He said to them, “Why are you sleeping?
Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”

While he was still speaking, a crowd approached
and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas.
He went up to Jesus to kiss him.
Jesus said to him,
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked,
“Lord, shall we strike with a sword?”
And one of them struck the high priest’s servant
and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus said in reply,
“Stop, no more of this!”
Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards
and elders who had come for him,
“Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
Day after day I was with you in the temple area,
and you did not seize me;
but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.”

After arresting him they led him away
and took him into the house of the high priest;
Peter was following at a distance.
They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it,
and Peter sat down with them.
When a maid saw him seated in the light,
she looked intently at him and said,
“This man too was with him.”
But he denied it saying,
“Woman, I do not know him.”
A short while later someone else saw him and said,
“You too are one of them”;
but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.”
About an hour later, still another insisted,
“Assuredly, this man too was with him,
for he also is a Galilean.”
But Peter said,
“My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.”
Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed,
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.”
He went out and began to weep bitterly.
The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him.
They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying,
“Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”
And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.

When day came the council of elders of the people met,
both chief priests and scribes,
and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.
They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us, “
but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,
and if I question, you will not respond.
But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated
at the right hand of the power of God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied to them, “You say that I am.”
Then they said, “What further need have we for testimony?
We have heard it from his own mouth.”

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 Christ, 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.
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 Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are 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 Christ?
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.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

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.
Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who,
though he was a member of the council,
had not consented to their plan of action.
He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea
and was awaiting the kingdom of God.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
After he had taken the body down,
he wrapped it in a linen cloth
and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb
in which no one had yet been buried.
It was the day of preparation,
and the sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind,
and when they had seen the tomb
and the way in which his body was laid in it,
they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils.
Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 22:14—23:56

The passion according to St. Luke recounts the “Last Supper” the “Prayer in the Garden”, Jesus arrest, trial, conviction, and execution. Detailed commentary will not be given; however, those who wish to spend the time are encouraged to review the footnotes from the USCCB site. The Passion of the Lord will be remembered again on Good Friday. It is fitting that during this Holy Week we should meditate upon the Lord’s great sacrifice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OR
Shorter Form: Luke 23:1-49

The elders of the people, chief priests and scribes,
arose and brought Jesus 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 Christ, 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.
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 Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are 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 Christ?
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.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 23:1-49

The shorter version of the Passion omits all that preceded Jesus’ trail by Pilate (the Lord’s betrayal by Judas, his arrest in the garden, and confrontation by Herod and the Sanhedrin). It focuses on the final condemnation of Jesus by the people and his physical abuse, followed by his crucifixion and death. While the shorter form may be used for pastoral reasons and does describe the climax of his passion, it should be noted that Christ’s suffering began in earnest with his betrayal by Judas – one of the twelve.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

The reflection on Palm Sunday is focused on the first Gospel reading from Luke that tells the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Like the light bulb that flashes brilliantly just before it is extinguished, the Lord enters the holy city on the eve of the great feast of Passover to the cheers; “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

And why, we ask, should they not? Jesus would be, by this time, well known to them. He had been seen performing “signs” and rumor must have reached them of even greater works attributed to him; feeding the multitudes, casting out demons of every sort. Here at last was one who preached peace and liberation. Here was the Messiah who would end there servitude and cast out the Romans.

The parts they probably had not heard were his attitude toward his fellow creatures. They must not have been familiar with the person of Jesus, only his reputation. Is it any wonder then when their religious leaders brought charges of blasphemy against him and the story of how he had submitted to them humbly to them reached the people they would turn against him? Is it surprising that, when their hopes were dashed after cheering his entry to the city, that they would condemn him and free Barabbas?

Don’t we do the same thing when God does not perform according to our desires? Don’t we, even fleetingly, cry to God saying, “It’s not fair, why do you abandon me?” Can we really blame the crowd in Jerusalem for their ignorance? This is our lesson, the one played out in the Blood of the Lamb. Rather than weeping for our God who willingly went to his death that we might win life with him, we rejoice that one so great could love us so much.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem” by Gustave Doré, 1865
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

2010-03-26T18:59:00.002-04:00

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Readings for Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Ezekiel 37:21-28

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations
to which they have come,
and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.
I will make them one nation upon the land,
in the mountains of Israel,
and there shall be one prince for them all.
Never again shall they be two nations,
and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols,
their abominations, and all their transgressions.
I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy,
and cleanse them so that they may be my people
and I may be their God.
My servant David shall be prince over them,
and there shall be one shepherd for them all;
they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob,
the land where their fathers lived;
they shall live on it forever,
they, and their children, and their children's children,
with my servant David their prince forever.
I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD,
who make Israel holy,
when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ez 37:21-28

The Prophet Ezekiel was probably not aware that this oracle would have great meaning beyond what even he foresaw. He predicts the return of the Hebrew people from their exile in Babylon and the restoration of Israel under a king from David’s line. In this return the Prophet sees a conversion of the people (“…I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people”); a return also to the law of the Lord which they abandon during the exile and a return to God’s covenant.

For us, looking back at his words we can see him (Ezekiel) predict the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ and how he will be the one prince over the entire world. It will have been Jesus that establishes the covenant of peace and reveals God’s love.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD's blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13

The song from Jeremiah also recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. Jeremiah also prophesies their return and reunification of the people.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
"What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation."
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, "What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 11:45-56

In the first section of this Gospel reading we can see the dilemma facing the Sanhedrin. The Messiah the God has sent is not the “Royal Messiah” coming to destroy the Roman domination but a humble servant. If the people of Israel follow him, Rome will wipe Israel from the map.

Caiaphas is introduced as the architect of the ultimate plot to kill Jesus. He unwittingly predicts that Jesus will die to save the whole nation, unwittingly because he does not understand that Jesus is God’s Son, only that he is a political threat.

This ends the period when Jesus was teaching openly in the temple area. He now leaves Jerusalem for a time. The plotting, however, continues as the scribes and Pharisees plan to seize him during the Passover.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:

If we were making a movie of salvation history, or perhaps one of those epic mini-series, we would us a cinematic device of overlays when we get to the part about Caiaphas speaking to the Sanhedrin. As he was speaking we would see overlaid a flash back to the ancient prophesy of Jeremiah and then perhaps Ezekiel speaking about the reunification of Israel. We would understand what motivated the Jews who, in their utter confusion about the nature of the Messiah, find Jesus to be a political threat. The back ground music would grow ominous and we would feel the whole weight of the Law and the Prophets rushing down to crush this young man from Galilee.

The stage is set for the climax of Jesus ministry on earth. He has bearded the lion in its den and challenged the long held traditions of the scribes and Pharisees. He has frightened the most powerful people in his region of the world at a time when Roman dominance and decadence had made human life cheap. We all know what happens when those who love power are frightened; they lash out, without compassion or mercy to utterly destroy the threat to their power. That is the storm we see gathering in scripture. And Jesus, the consummate reader of human souls, knows it.

But to bring God’s entire plan to fulfillment, his part must be played. God’s own feast of deliverance is at hand, the Feast of the Passover; celebrating the deliverance of the Hebrews from cruel bondage in Egypt. The great and near-great of land are gathering at the Temple in Jerusalem for this high feast and the Lord senses the time has come. He is well known – a prophet, miracle worker, rebellious rabbi. To his closest friends he is strongly suspected of being the Messiah, the Incarnate Son of God.

For us to the roller coaster of our spiritual emotions begins the clime that will take us to the pinnacle of holy week; to the Feast of the Lord’s Supper. Then we take that long plunge into Good Friday and all of our Lenten Journey will be recalled as we wait with the world for what must come.

Today we recall how the dreams of the great and powerful are so easily used by the Evil One and the mysterious interplay between the forces of good and evil that must come soon to its glorious end.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2]The picture used is ” Christ and Caiaphas” by Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, 1611-20
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

2010-03-25T17:40:00.002-04:00

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Readings for Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Jeremiah 20:10-13

I hear the whisperings of many:
"Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!"
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
"Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him."
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jer 20:10-13

Jeremiah is near despair as the plots of his family and friends are fomented against him. We can clearly hear the fear in his voice (“All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine”). Yet, in spite of his dire situation he trusts that God will support him. Indeed, he is hoping that God will not only save him but will punish those who plot against him.

This is a typical Old Testament understanding of the God of Justice who visits his wrath on the enemies of the faithful. We see also an interesting observation about the path of the faithful; “O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart” inferring that the path of faithfulness is always difficult.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

R. (see 7) In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

The breakers of death surged round about me,
the destroying floods overwhelmed me;
The cords of the nether world enmeshed me,
the snares of death overtook me.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
R. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

Psalm 18 is a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s salvation. While in its full form it is in thanks for victory following a physical battle, here we see that thanks given in the form of heavenly aid in difficult situations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gospel: John 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God."
Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, You are gods"'?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
"John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true."
And many there began to believe in him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Jn 10:31-42

Jesus is in the Temple at Jerusalem once again on a festival day (Probably the Feast of the Dedication or Festival of Lights). He has just finished his discourse on the Good Shepherd and a number of those present are pressing him to declare that he is the Messiah. Immediately preceding this reading, he answered them “The Father and I are one.” Now his enemies pick up stones.

Instead of leaving immediately, Jesus tells them to look at his works, the signs he has performed and judge if he is not doing the Father’s work. When they tell him it is not his works they challenge but his assertion that he is God, Jesus tells them; “Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods'?” This is a reference to the judges of Israel who, since they exercised the divine prerogative to judge (Deuteronomy 1:17), were called "gods"; cf Exodus 21:6, besides Psalm 82:6 from which the quotation comes.

Jesus continues to point at his salvific actions but the agents of the Sanhedrin do not accept this argument although many in the crowd do since we hear “…they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped their power.” This would seem to imply that they feared intervention from the crowd. Jesus leaves followed by “many” and continues to teach, across the Jordan.

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Reflection:

At the very beginning of St. Paul’s rendition of the Kenotic Hymn in Philippians 2: 5-11 he says; “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.” This attitude is very clearly presented in the Gospel of St. John as Jesus is confronted in the Temple by those who want him killed. It contrasts very nicely with the Prophet Jeremiah who is in similar circumstances depicted in the first reading.

Jeremiah is being persecuted. His family and friends have turned against him and he fears for his life. What does he do? As the faith-filled prophet he is, he turns to God with confidence that he will be vindicated, that his enemies will not succeed and that they themselves will feel the punishment of God. The prophet even longs to see the punishment God will visit upon those who plot against him (“Let me witness the vengeance you take on them”).

We contrast this attitude with the attitude of Christ that we as his followers are enjoined to assume. Jesus has come to Jerusalem, to the Temple, and there is confronting the Jewish Leadership who are tasked with remaining faithful to the Law and Prophets, waiting for the Messiah to come as promised who will lead them to the peace and salvation promised. Jesus is being urged by those who have seen the signs and long for the salvation of God to come out and announce that he is this long awaited Messiah. But, recognizing that this expectation is misplaced; that what they hope for is born of human desire, not the divine plan he has come to fulfill, he defers. Instead he takes a much more dangerous path, he tells them of his divine origin.

At once he is placed in a much more dangerous position than the one in which Jeremiah found himself. This is where we see the attitude of Christ. He does not flee, nor does he call upon the Father to punish the unbelieving people who call themselves Priests of God. He tries to open their eyes so that they can see that he is indeed the Son of God. “Believe the works” he begs them, not to save himself but to save them. Indeed the attitude of Christ is love. He expresses his love through his invitation even in the face of their hatred.

Alas the time of fulfillment has not yet come and he leaves, going to where it all began – where St. John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan. Soon though we see the attitude of Christ fully exposed. Soon now, God calls him home.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is from St Wolfgang Altarpiece: “The Attempt to Stone Christ” by “Michael Pacher
1479-81
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

2010-03-24T19:32:00.002-04:00

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Information about the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord [1]

Readings for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"
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Commentary on Is 7:10-14; 8:10

In the first part of this reading King Ahaz is offered a sign by the Prophet Isaiah. However, Ahaz refuses the sign because it would indicate that God was intervening on the prophet’s side and he did not want to do that.

The sign that would be given in spite of the King’s refusal is the oracle we understand referring to the perfect realization of the promise of a Davidic Dynasty in the birth of the Messiah – Christ Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
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Commentary on

Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

The Psalm of thanksgiving in this selection is focused on the key elements of today’s feast. We hear first of God’s desire for obedience, above sacrifice and burnt offerings, and then acceptance of God’s will.

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Reading II: Hebrews 10:4-10

Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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Commentary on Heb 10:4-10

The first strophe from the selection in Psalm 40 above is quoted here by the author and applied as if it were the Jesus addressing God, the Father. The intent is to stress that the Hebrew practice of animal sacrifice does not find favor with God and that Jesus sacrifice of his own body is the one and only sacrifice acceptable.

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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
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Commentary on Luke 1:26-38

In Luke’s Gospel we are given the actual story of the Archangel Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her she has found favor with God (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Over her concerns she is told of her burden and privilege.

Not understanding Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her and utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

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Homily:

Does it seem odd that as we approach the climax of our Lenten Journey the Church celebrates this joyous event? Here we are in the most penitential time of the Church year, having for the past five weeks spent our time in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – recalling those times we have failed the Lord. Now, suddenly we are confronted with the joy of the Annunciation. This Feast of Mary is a way we are called back from our hyper-focus on ways we have failed to the great joy we experience in the sure knowledge of forgiveness. In our Holy Mother’s answer to St. Gabriel, we recall that the Lord came for us so that we might experience the unbounded mercy of our Heavenly Father.

We can only imagine the drama of that moment when the Archangel approached the young virgin. She was selected by God from her immaculate birth to be the perfect vessel for God’s Only Son, yet she was created as all of her race with free will. She was no slave to be commanded, she was offered an honor no human had ever been offered before of since. Still the consequences of acceptance would have been far from clear. Her innermost fears would have been screaming “Say no!” Satan and his minions would have been supporting that primal notion, praying for her to say no. Consider – if she had rejected the offer of bearing the Author of Life – death would never have been defeated. Sin and death would still rule the hearts of mankind.

But to our great joy, her words are passed to us from St. Luke, who it is likely heard them from the Blessed Mother directly, were "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." The young girl humbly accepted God’s will for her and in doing so set an example for all the generations that follow of obedience and grace in the face of difficult choices.

Today we interrupt our Lenten Fast to celebrate an event that was momentous in the history of the world. Today we celebrate the Holy Mother’s inauguration as the vessel of salvation and rejoice in the gift she has given as a consequence. Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

Pax

[1] The picture used is “Annunciation” by Andrea Del Sarto,1512-13
[2] ALTRE
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

2010-03-23T20:16:00.002-04:00

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Readings for Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent [1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading I: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
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Commentary on Dn3:14-20, 91-92, 95

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is recounted in the reading from the Book of Daniel. The three brothers, companions of the Book’s hero, Daniel, are commanded to violate Mosaic Law by worshiping a graven image. In their love for God the reject this command and are condemned to be burned alive. Rather than perishing in the fire King Nebuchadnezzar had prepared for them, God sends an angle to intervene and the brothers are saved and the king is converted.

This passage, popular during the persecutions of both the Jews in their exile and the Christians, served as a sign of the promise of salvation for the faithful, proof that God would not abandon them in their need.

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Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!

“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
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Commentary on Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

The canticle of the three brothers, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is recounted in part in this passage. This is the song they sang as they waited in the white hot furnace. It is a hymn of praise which is an early litany of the creation and salvation of God.

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Gospel: John 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”

They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
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Commentary on Jn 8:31-42

In this passage from St. John’s Gospel Jesus continues his discourse with the Jews “who believed in him”. This statement is ironic since just a few verses later he says (v. 37) “But you are trying to kill me.” The point made here is that all are enslaved by sin and only Jesus, who is sent by the Father, can release us from that slavery. As much as the Jews argue that they have come from Abraham, Jesus pushes back and says if you came from Abraham your actions would make that clear, if you believe in God that also would be clear – something different must therefore be true.

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Reflection:

We are given two contrasting pictures of humanity in today’s scripture and we see God’s response clearly. In the first reading we find Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego confronted with a horrible death by being burned alive in a furnace if they do not become apostate, reject their God and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol.

The three companions of Daniel remain faithful and even though the men who cast them into the furnace are killed by the heat in the act of throwing them into the flames, they are unharmed. Not just unharmed, scripture tells us they are walking around on the white hot coals, in the company of a fourth who is apparently an angel (“…the fourth looks like a son of God.”). Their reward for faithfulness was salvation by divine intervention.

We then shift to Jesus, still embroiled in the discussion started earlier in St. John’s Gospel. It says he is speaking to Jews who believe in him but we note that later in the passage, on a couple of different occasions the Lord mentions they are trying to kill him – not something the “Jews who believe in him” would be doing.

St. John’s Gospel is full of ironic statements and there are a couple of good ones in this passage. But rather than getting focused on the language, let’s look at the message. The example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being saved because they were faithful in the face of death is taken to a new level in Christ who, being one with the Father, asks for that same belief in order to save us from an even worse fate.

When we take this message in the context of our Lenten journey, we see that scripture calls us to refine and sharpen our sense of who we are in Christ Jesus. He calls to us and tells us by example that if we believe in Him, our actions will demonstrate our faith. If we are truly people who believe in him, people will see us and how we love one another, and they will know.

We pray today that our actions will tell everyone who we are.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Three Brothers in the Furnace” By Gustave Doré,1865
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.