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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The picture of Jesus that scripture has been building for us during Lent is nearly complete. The prediction from Isaiah provides a deep look at the Lord’s mission and reception from the distant past. We feel the sense of destiny; of predetermination in the actions that unfold in the Gospel.
The piece provided today is almost the last piece of the puzzle. The background is nearly complete. Christ has done all that the Father has asked of him. We have been informed directly, first at his baptism when the voice of God proclaimed him "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) and then again as he was transfigured and the Father pronounced "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." (Matthew 17:5) that Jesus is God’s beloved Son.
We have watched as the leaders in Jerusalem became more and more afraid. Herod killed St. John the Baptist for announcing the Lord’s coming, the Sanhedrin seeks Jesus life. Finally, in the picture presented in the Gospel of St. John his closest friends begin to understand what is coming and even though they protest, Jesus knows that his tiny flock is human and that fear will cause them to flee. He will be alone when he faces his terrible fate. He will be alone when they beat him, those he came to save. He will be alone when lies are told to his face. He will be alone when the soldiers mock him and humiliate him. And he will be utterly alone, when he is nailed to the cross. The language of the Gospel is clear at this point he knows what is coming.
And for us, we see this picture of the Son of God, knowingly walking into the hands of the authority he so blatantly challenged and accused. He called these men of power hypocrites. He used parables that told them they were destined to go to hell. He told them their power would be stripped and they would be reviled by all. And perhaps worst, he disrupted the order they had established in which they were glorified above the God they claimed to serve.
What do his actions mean to us? We are in the holiest week of the year. We wait for the hope and joy that it Easter. Yet before we can rejoice, we must once more relive the tragic events that were the price of our salvation. Before we can sing the great Alleluia we must remember our failings; the faults that required God to send his Son in atonement for our sins. It was the only way he could save us from ourselves.
As we approach that holiest of nights, when the Morningstar that never sets shines from the Easter Candle, let us enter into great heart of the one who loves us so we can appreciate some small part of the intense love that brought him to the place of testing and pain.
Pax
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reflection:
The picture of Jesus that scripture has been building for us during Lent is nearly complete. The prediction from Isaiah provides a deep look at the Lord’s mission and reception from the distant past. We feel the sense of destiny; of predetermination in the actions that unfold in the Gospel.
The piece provided today is almost the last piece of the puzzle. The background is nearly complete. Christ has done all that the Father has asked of him. We have been informed directly, first at his baptism when the voice of God proclaimed him "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) and then again as he was transfigured and the Father pronounced "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." (Matthew 17:5) that Jesus is God’s beloved Son.
We have watched as the leaders in Jerusalem became more and more afraid. Herod killed St. John the Baptist for announcing the Lord’s coming, the Sanhedrin seeks Jesus life. Finally, in the picture presented in the Gospel of St. John his closest friends begin to understand what is coming and even though they protest, Jesus knows that his tiny flock is human and that fear will cause them to flee. He will be alone when he faces his terrible fate. He will be alone when they beat him, those he came to save. He will be alone when lies are told to his face. He will be alone when the soldiers mock him and humiliate him. And he will be utterly alone, when he is nailed to the cross. The language of the Gospel is clear at this point he knows what is coming.
And for us, we see this picture of the Son of God, knowingly walking into the hands of the authority he so blatantly challenged and accused. He called these men of power hypocrites. He used parables that told them they were destined to go to hell. He told them their power would be stripped and they would be reviled by all. And perhaps worst, he disrupted the order they had established in which they were glorified above the God they claimed to serve.
What do his actions mean to us? We are in the holiest week of the year. We wait for the hope and joy that it Easter. Yet before we can rejoice, we must once more relive the tragic events that were the price of our salvation. Before we can sing the great Alleluia we must remember our failings; the faults that required God to send his Son in atonement for our sins. It was the only way he could save us from ourselves.
As we approach that holiest of nights, when the Morningstar that never sets shines from the Easter Candle, let us enter into great heart of the one who loves us so we can appreciate some small part of the intense love that brought him to the place of testing and pain.
Pax
[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture used is “Last Supper” by Master of the Housebook, 1475-80
[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.
[2] The picture used is “Last Supper” by Master of the Housebook, 1475-80
[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.
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