Catechism Links [1]
CCC 557-560: Christ’s entry into Jerusalem
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| “Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem” by Gustave Doré, 1865 |
Readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion [2]
Gospel: Luke 19:28-40
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 whom 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 one reason the Pharisees asked Jesus to stop them. They did not want the Romans to interpret this acclamation as rebellion against the emperor. However, they were also aware of the prophetic image the Lord presented: "Christ is greeted with the prophetic words referring to the enthronement of the Messiah, contained in Psalm 118:26: 'Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord!' But the people also acclaim him as king. This is a great messianic demonstration, which infuriates the Pharisees. One of the acclamations, 'Peace in heaven and glory in the highest', echoes the announcement made by the angel to the shepherds on Christmas night (cf. Luke 2:14)." [5]
CCC: Lk 19:38 559
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At the Mass
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.
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
“The poem is neatly constructed in three stanzas, each beginning with the words, ‘The Lord God’ (vv. 4, 5, 7), and it has a conclusion containing that same wording (v. 9). The first stanza emphasizes the servant’s docility to the word of God; that is, he is not depicted as a self-taught teacher with original ideas, but as an obedient disciple. The second (vv. 5-6) speaks of the suffering that that docility has brought him, without his uttering a word of complaint. The third (vv. 7-8) shows how determined the servant is: if he suffers in silence, it is not out of cowardice but because God helps him and makes him stronger than his persecutors. The conclusion (v. 9) is like the verdict of a trial: when all is said and done, the servant will stand tall, and all his enemies will be struck down.” [6]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
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?
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?
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
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Reading II: Philippians 2:6-11
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
CCC: Phil 2:6-11 2641, 2667; Phil 2:6 449; Phil 2:7 472, 602, 705, 713, 876, 1224; Phil 2:8-9 908; Phil 2:8 411, 612, 623; Phil 2:9-11 449, 2812; Phil 2:9-10 434; Phil 2:10-11 201; Phil 2:10 633, 635
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Gospel
Longer Form: Luke 22:14—23:56
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.
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.
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.
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.”
“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!”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
“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.
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.
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.”
“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.”
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.
“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.
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Commentary on Lk 22:14—23:56
The passion according to St. Luke recounts the “Last Supper,” the “Prayer in the Garden,” as well as Jesus' arrest, trial, conviction, and execution.
The Last Supper (Luke 22:14-38)
The beginning verses of the passion set the tone for what is to follow. Jesus is fully aware of what will transpire in the next hours and embraces his mission fully (“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer"). “We must therefore approach this mystery, above all, with humble reverence, not following human arguments, which ought to be hushed, but in steadfast adherence to divine revelation.” (Paul VI, Mysterium fidei) [7]
In Luke 22:24-30 an argument among the disciples takes place following the Lord’s announcement that one of his closest friends would betray him. Jesus proceeds to provide the disciples with straightforward teaching about the servant role they were to exemplify. He then promises all of them that, because they will have stood by him, they will also be with him in heaven.
Following this part of the discourse, Jesus predicts Peter’s denials. In Mark 14:27-31 and Matthew 26:31-35 this discussion takes place as the disciples walk with Jesus to the garden at Gethsemane. In Luke it takes place in the upper room. Here, “the theme of trials (v. 28) is continued and has some implications for the Eucharistic celebration. The intimacy of the dinner table casts deeper shadows of shame and guilt about Peter’s denials; Jesus’ anticipated forgiveness lays down a basic condition how Christians are to approach the table.” [9] Peter has already been told by Christ that he is to have a special and important role in continuing the Lord’s ministry. He was told he would be Cephas, “the rock” upon which the Church would be built (John 1:42). This promise is not withdrawn as Jesus tells Peter he will fail to support the Lord. He will fail but he will not lose faith. “As St. John Chrysostom comments, it is as if our Lord were saying to Peter, ‘I have not prayed that you may not deny me but that your faith may not fail.’ (Hom. On St. Matthew, 3).” [10]
Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-63)
Jesus takes his disciples “as was his custom” to the garden. Only in St. Luke’s Gospel do we understand that he frequently uses this place to pray. The owner must have been a friend to allow this access. Jesus moves away from the disciples for private prayer. The imminent sense of his trials causes him to go into intense prayer. Only in this situation do we find Jesus explicitly kneeling in prayer, completely humble before his Father. He shows his human frailty in the fear of what is to come. At the same time he demonstrates his complete obedience in the prayer he offers. In a singular gift of loving grace, God’s messenger, an angel, appeared to him, offering God’s consolation. We note that another time when angels were present in Jesus’ life was during his temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13). Following his prayer which we are told was so intense that “his sweat became like drops of blood,” Jesus returns to his friends and finds them asleep, pleading again that they may not suffer as he is about to suffer.
Even as the Lord is chastising his disciples his betrayer approaches. Judas is to use a prearranged signal (Matthew 26:48) to identify Jesus to the guards who have come with him. Even at this point, the Lord attempts to offer his disciple a path to redemption saying “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” How tenderly he offers this question in the face of Judas’ deed. The disciples, however, seeing the threat, respond with violence; one of them (Simon Peter – John 18:10) striking the high priest’s servant (Malchus), cutting off his ear. Jesus touches the slave and heals him, putting an end to resistance from his disciples and performing his last healing miracle before his death.
The arrest plays out as Jesus places the action in its proper light. He first asks why they have chosen this time and place (night and remote). He speaks plainly – it is a cowardly act of darkness. He submits and is led away to the house of the high priest. In Luke’s story no mention is made of what became of the other disciples. We hear only of Peter following along at a distance. When they arrive at the house of the high priest, Peter is questioned and fulfills the Lord’s prophecy in denying Jesus three times. The numerical significance is clear. Peter denied Christ completely in the third repetition. While Peter is fulfilling his destiny, Jesus is undergoing the first of his humiliations and scourging at the hands of the temple guards.
The Trial(s) (Luke 22:64–23-25)
When Luke’s account of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin is compared with the accounts from Matthew 26:59-66 and Mark 14:53-64 it appears as if there are two trials before the Jewish leadership. Their first of these, at night, reported in Matthew and Mark, would have established the charges to be leveled against Jesus. In Luke, the daytime trial before the whole Sanhedrin takes place. The Jewish leaders want a charge that merits the death penalty and so attempt to use blasphemy as their avenue. Under questioning, Jesus is fully aware of the intention of the Sanhedrin and confirms that he is the Messiah, at which point the assembly takes him before the Roman procurator, Pilate.
The accusations placed before Pilate are intended to paint the Lord as a revolutionary rather than one who is the target of religious zeal. They charge him with refuting the authority of Caesar and attempting to assume political power in opposition to Roman rule. If these charges had been authentic, Pilate would not have hesitated to condemn Jesus to death. However, in the exchange between Pilate and Jesus, no such resistance to the Roman rule is seen. Indeed, Jesus likely makes an impression on Pilate who quickly finds Jesus not guilty. Those who brought the charges immediately challenge the innocent verdict. Pilate discovers that Jesus is a Galilean and therefore belongs to Herod’s jurisdiction and defers the decision to him.
Jesus' trial before Herod is uneventful since Jesus stands mute before him. Herod for his part was looking forward to being shown a sign, like the ones he had heard of in Jesus' public ministry. Instead, he sends him back to Pilate with no real evidence of wrongdoing either way. He does, however mock the Lord intending humiliation as punishment.
When Jesus arrives before Pilate again, the procurator clearly intends to release Jesus after having scourged him. The Jewish leadership is adamant that Jesus is a threat to Roman rule and becomes increasingly more agitated, finally demanding that he be crucified. They asked instead that Barabbas be released. (Barabbas was, according to historical accounts a zealot and a revolutionary.) Because of the zeal of the crowd demanding Jesus’ death, Pilate finally accedes to their demand.
The Crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:26-43)
Jesus, now condemned, is led away to the place of execution. Reference is made in Luke 23:35-43 to the most grievous charge leveled against Jesus before Pilot. The Sanhedrin told the proconsul that Jesus had claimed kingship over the Jews in opposition to the rule of Caesar. We recall that at the head of the cross was a sign that read “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”
Luke’s account, while it omits a number of events such as the crowning with thorns and the taunting of Jesus by the praetorian guards, expands the agonizing journey to the place of execution into the description of the Way of the Cross.
At Golgotha (the place of the skull) (Note: Luke does not use this name. The later term Calvary comes from the Latin word for skull – calvaria.), Jesus is crucified with two criminals to further fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 53:8ff wherein the Messiah is assigned a place among evildoers though he has done no wrong. In this part of the passion, we hear the jeering of those in leadership because of what they perceived to be the Christ’s ironic fate. Even one of the two criminals begins to take up the insult but is silenced by the other who seems to understand that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world, but rather the Kingdom of God. Demonstrating the love only the Savior is capable of, the Lord forgives those who have tortured and crucified him even as his life’s blood flows down the wood of the cross.
The Death and Burial of Jesus (Luke 23:44-56)
As the Savior cries out and breathes his last, several events occur that are significant to the life of the Church. The darkening of the sky occurs signifying that the light of Jesus who once walked the earth as a sign of God’s unimaginable love for his people has departed from this life. The curtain in the temple being torn in the middle is significant as it depicts the destruction of the old covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. “The curtain being referred to was the one hanging between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31ff). In Hebrews 9:12 and 10:20 this event is interpreted as the suppression of the Mosaic cult and the admission of all men, Gentiles as well as Jews, into the heavenly sanctuary.” [11]
Luke next relates how Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, petitions Pilate for the body of Jesus and is granted permission to remove it. This would have been important as it was Friday, the day before the sabbath and preparations needed to be made quickly. The burial must have taken place immediately as no work could be done on the sabbath and touching a corpse would have made them ritually unclean. This is why later “on the first day of the week," the Marys would have been going to complete the entombment preparations.
CCC: Lk 22:15-16 1130; Lk 22:15 607; Lk 22:18 1403; Lk 22:19-20 1365; Lk 22:19 610, 611, 621, 1328, 1381; Lk 22:20 612; Lk 22:26-27 894; Lk 22:27 1570; Lk 22:28-30 787; Lk 22:29-30 551; Lk 22:30 765; Lk 22:31-32 641, 643; Lk 22:32 162, 552, 2600; Lk 22:40 2612; Lk 22:41-44 2600; Lk 22:42 532, 2605, 2824; Lk 22:43 333; Lk 22:44 2806; Lk 22:46 2612; Lk 22:61 1429; Lk 22:70 443; Lk 23:2 596; Lk 23:19 596; Lk 23:28 2635; Lk 23:34 591, 597, 2605, 2635; Lk 23:39-43 440, 2616; Lk 23:40-43 2266; Lk 23:43 1021; Lk 23:46 730, 1011, 2045; Lk 23:47 441
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OR
Shorter Form: Luke 23:1-49
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.”
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.”
“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.
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.
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.”
“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.”
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.
“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.
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Commentary on Lk 23:1-49
CCC:Lk 23:2 596; Lk 23:19 596; Lk 23:28 2635; Lk 23:34 591, 597, 2605, 2635; Lk 23:39-43 440, 2616; Lk 23:40-43 2266; Lk 23:43 1021; Lk 23:46 730, 1011, 2045; Lk 23:47 441
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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.”
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem” by Gustave Doré, 1865.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 368.
[6] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 223.
[7] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 489.
[8] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.149.
[9] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:159, p. 158.
[10] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 494.
[11] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:173, p. 162.
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