Claire Smith

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:1-6
John 13:21-33, 36-38

Reflection:

You gotta love Peter! What you see is what you get with this man.

We are in the throes of Holy Week. We begin the week with “Hosana,” move to “Crucify him,” and finally end with “Alleluia.” We rightfully follow the journey of Jesus through this week, but let’s not forget those who accompanied him through these confounding events. So, back to Simon Peter.

The scene is the Last Supper in the upper room, the cenacle. It is an intense scene with the Beloved Disciple resting his head on Jesus, Judas’ betrayal, and then this exchange in today’s gospel.

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer…

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.”

Simon Peter is so brave to declare his unwavering commitment to God, as we all hope we would. But I cannot help but look around and see time and again the ways in which we waffle, just as Peter will do. We choose to lay down our lives for our job, our political party, our country, our friends. There is nothing wrong with making a commitment to any of these. The problem begins when they displace our commitment to live the gospel by caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, forgiving our enemies, judging not, and loving one another. We’re likely to get that stare from Jesus that says, “Really? You’ll lay down your life for me and the message of love I preach?”

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:1-7
John 12:1-11

Reflection:

The gospel story feels like Act II of a riveting play. The formerly dead Lazarus is very much alive, dining with Jesus and his family. His sister Mary lovingly anoints Jesus’ feet. Even Judas is present, complaining about the cost of the oil. He missed its deeper meaning.

For three years, Jesus connected with everyone, rich and poor alike. He challenged powerful, hypocritical religious leaders and found real joy hanging with humble fishermen.

The crucifixion was a brutal reality, so his choosing expensive oils for burial had to surprise a few people. On those same lines, Joseph of Arimathea, a devoted follower, later offered his own costly tomb. In our time, especially now that inexpensive cremation has become so common, the gift of a family burial plot would still be huge.

My family has a few hundred square yards of lawn in a southwestern Pennsylvania cemetery. About 80 years ago, a non-family member was given a single plot. The tombstone reads, “To Henry Smith, Daniel McQuain’s Best Friend.” Henry must have been quite a guy.

I find comfort in Mass readings, like today’s, that reflect our earthly reality. Utopia doesn’t exist; wealth and poverty are constant companions. Good and evil, cruelty and kindness are always near. But we can clearly see that choosing Jesus’ way offers strength and joy through life’s struggles. Though our time on earth is finite, we know how to build strength for confronting suffering well on earth and legitimately hope for a smile on our faces when we get to knock at heaven’s gate.

Jack Dermody is President of Share Our Gifts, Inc., a Passionist alumni organization dedicated to assist those who live in poverty; he is also editor of CrossRoads, the Passionist Alumni Association’s newsletter.

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Scripture:

Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56 or 23:1-49

Reflection:

On this Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the Gospel of Saint Luke proclaimed. Several elements unique to Luke demonstrate his distinctive style of presenting Jesus as Messiah—God’s anointed. Jesus is the one who has come to bring glad tidings, proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom for the oppressed (4:16-21) frames the narrative throughout the Gospel.

Jesus’ role as teacher and prophet is highlighted by adding a farewell discourse to the Passover meal—instructing his apostles on what to expect when he is no longer with them. One might say that this Gospel sheds the apostles in a kinder light. For example, following Peter’s declaration never to abandon him, Jesus responds with, “You will deny three times that you know me” (Lk 22:34), not an outright declaration of denial of Jesus (Mk 14:30).

He doesn’t need his disciples to keep him company or pray with him on the Mount of Olives, he suggests they pray for themselves, addressing them only once as they slept. Although Luke is keen to portray Jesus’ very real anxiety as he “sweats drops as if blood” (v.44) in coming to accept his impending betrayal and suffering. Absent from the other synoptics Luke has Jesus make eye contact with Peter following Peter’s denial of him. There seems to be no sense of condemnation in the exchange.

Jesus forgives his executioners from the cross even as they mock him, but to the criminal who responded in faith, he promised a place in paradise. Absent from the cross is any frantic cry of desolation like “My God, why have you forsaken me” (Mk 15:35-37; Matt27:46-49). Jesus’ last words are “Into your hands, I commend my spirit” (Ps 30:6). While this Psalm portrays equally the rejection of the righteous one by enemies, it offers a quiet confidence in God’s saving power ending with, “have courage and let your hearts take strength, all you who hope in the Lord” (Ps 30:25).

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah and the second reading from Philippians blend beautifully with Luke’s Passion narrative. Commonly known as the third servant song, Isaiah details the Lord’s commissioning in preparing the prophet to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them” (50:4). This was Jesus’ prophetic message—his training—his mission. However, Jesus was no ordinary prophet, he was the Son of God. The early Christians struggled to find words to express this incredible distinction. Reflecting the desire to create a fitting language, the text in Philippians is believed to be an old hymn sung at liturgies in praise of Jesus Christ.

In Luke’s passion narrative, Jesus’ actions are the primary focus. The reader’s attention is not as distracted by betrayals, denials, or political-religious manipulations. While Luke doesn’t deny the presence of those elements, Jesus’ actions are elevated in such a way that the rest fades into the background. Luke’s Jesus died as he lived. He accomplished what he came to fulfill.

May we enter into Holy Week filled with gratitude for the unspeakable gift of Jesus our Savior, finding hope and strength for our times. May peace reign in our hearts. Amen.

Jean Bowler is a member of the Ministry Team at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:21-28
John 11:45-56

Reflection:

Today’s readings, woven together on this final day before Holy Week, portray a compelling portrait of our salvation history as a people of God. 

In the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel, God gathers his people (us) together as one “to bring them back to their land” (Heaven).  He proclaims that he will “make them one nation upon the land”.  “There shall be one prince (Jesus) for them all.  “Never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms” (good and evil).  He will “cleanse them so that they may be his people, and he may be their God”.  God appoints his servant David as the temporal prince and shepherd of his people.  However, 1,000 years later, Jesus will supersede David as the eternal Prince of Peace.  God goes on to proclaim that his people will live on this land forever.  That will include not only current generations but also their children and their children’s children forever…. Therefore, ultimately all nations and all peoples of the earth, even those yet to be born for the rest of time.  God says that he will multiply them and put his sanctuary among them forever.  He will make an everlasting covenant with his people through his son.  His sanctuary shall be set among us forever.

In John’s Gospel reading the anticipation of the imminent arrest, torture and death of this Prince of Peace and Shepherd of God’s people is real.  Some of the Jews had gone to the Pharisees to tell them what Jesus had done.  This presents a dilemma for the Jewish hierarchy.  “This man is performing many signs.  If we leave him alone, all will believe in him and the Romans will come and take both our land and our nation.  However, from the first reading we know that no one can take the land from God’s chosen people.  God’s sanctuary has been set up among us forever. 

Caiaphas, the high priest, becomes instrumental in salvation history.  He chastises his own people: “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.”  The gospel proclaims that Caiaphas himself “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.”  Isn’t that precisely what God had promised in the first reading.  Caiaphas could not have known how impactful his own words were.  “So, from that day on they planned to kill him.”  The wheels had been set in motion.   Jesus was going to come to Jerusalem for his final feast to offer himself up on a cross to fulfill what his father had proclaimed 1,000 years previously.  Still there were skeptics among the people: “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?”.   How could he not come to the feast?  It was, after all, his own feast that had been set in motion from the beginning of time. He was going to give up his life for the salvation of his people.

One week from today we will again be mourning and simultaneously celebrating the death of this Prince of Peace, the eternal Shepherd of God’s people.  He has come to fulfill the promise that his father had given to the Israelites 1,000 years before his birth.  In his final moments on the cross, Jesus expresses his own sentiment: “It is finished”.  By his own passion and death he has fulfilled that promise that his father had made to all of us so many centuries ago.  Thank you, Jesus.

Have a blessed Holy Week.  May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.

Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family.  Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.