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Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord

Scripture:

Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10

Reflection:

Recently I visited the Gettysburg battlefield where General Reynolds was shot and killed.  He was the highest ranking Union general to be killed in the Civil War.  He was one of the Union’s most outstanding generals and only 43 years old.  His aids quickly removed his body so his men of the Iron Brigade would not see his dead body and get discouraged.   

During this Holy Week we have been doing the opposite.  We have been staring at the suffering and dead body of Christ so that we will not get discouraged!  We gaze at the crucified Christ trying to comprehend the awesome love that God has for us.

Now we await the "living One." (Luke 24:2)  We do infinitely more than looking at a statue of General Reynolds venerating his service and dedication to his country 148 years ago.   We experience now not just a past act of love, but a living Christ presenting this love to us made eternal  by his Resurrection.  In faith we encounter this non-dying, ever living, last full measure of devotion right now as much as the early witnesses of the death and resurrection of Christ.

This wonderful truth of our faith that "God lives in an eternal now" brings all the love expressed in the incarnation of Christ two thousand years ago ever present.   For God the Father the shout of Jesus on the cross and at his resurrection is still echoing in his ears!  It must also echo in ours today!  The past of Jesus is not dead, it is not even past!  In this blessed season we are invited as much as Thomas was: "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:26)

Alleluia!  Happy Easter!

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Holy Saturday
Scripture:
Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a
Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Exodus 14:15-15:1
Isaiah 54:5-14, Isaiah 55:1-11
Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4, Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Romans 6:3-11
Matthew 28:1-10

Reflection:

One of the things that has intrigued me about Holy Saturday before the Easter Vigil is the feeling of being "in-between." We have left our remembrance of Jesus’ Crucifixion on Good Friday, but have not yet arrived at celebrating His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. I have often recommended to people that they pray with Jesus in the tomb during the daytime hours of Holy Saturday, especially if they are at an "in-between" time in their lives. Sometimes we need to stay in the "in-between" until it becomes clear as to where God wants us to go.

When we come to that wonderful celebration of the Easter Vigil, with its symbols of light and water, and the reception of the elect into the Church, we hear many readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as a reading from Romans, and a Gospel reading from Matthew. To have all these readings is unique to the Easter Vigil. They remind me of a family gathering, where one of the younger members says to the matriarch of the family, "Grandma, tell us the story about Great-Grandma coming over on the ship to America," or "Tell us the story about how you and Grandpa met." The story of Creation in Genesis, and the story of parting the Red Sea in Exodus are parts of our story as believers. And so of course, are Jesus’ Passion and death and Resurrection.

In the story of Jesus’ Resurrection in Matthew’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary find that Jesus is not in His tomb. Instead, they find an angel who says to them: "Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said." The implications for our story are profound. Jesus is not in the emptiness of despair or fear or hatred or anger. He has won the victory for us! And even if we are still experiencing our own Good Friday, we know Easter is coming. Thanks be to God, Alleluia!

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is the director of St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

 

 

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Scripture:

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42

Reflection:

Good Friday came alive for me the year one of my sons was an 8^th grader, and his class was acting out the Stations of the Cross. He was chosen to drive the nails in Jesus’s hands and feet. I had been pursuing a relationship with Jesus and was closer to Him than I had ever been in my life. When Jesus came by the pew I was sitting in, dragging the cross, He fell in the aisle right next to me, and I burst out crying. His falling hit me deeply because this was the first time I had gone through the events of Holy Week with Jesus as my best friend. It was all I could do to stay in my pew and not jump up to help Him.

Then when they finally got to the front of the church and my son had to nail Jesus to the cross, I lost it again. I felt ashamed that my son was the one inflicting that unspeakable pain onto Jesus and yet I was also convicted that I was the one nailing Him to the cross because of my sins. We all helped nail Jesus to the cross and we all need a savior. The most amazing thing about His sacrifice is that "He died for us while we were yet sinners".  He loves us so much that He chose to endure the pain of His passion and death because of His amazing love for each of us. Thank you Jesus!

As a mom, I was hoping my son would portray Jesus, and yet I think it was more powerful for me because he didn’t. Also, as a mom, it’s nearly impossible to imagine what Mary went through as she stood at the foot of the cross and watched her only Son die such a shameful and agonizing death. It seems to me that most moms suffer as much if not more when they have to watch their children suffer. And so we thank you too Mary, for your example of trusting in God’s plan, even when it seems hopeless and useless. May we all learn that kind of trust and cling to You, Lord when things in our own lives don’t make sense and life seems unbearable.

Lord we bow before you today and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sacrifice and for your willingness to die so that we can live with You forever.

 

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. Janice also leads women’s retreats. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 4. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at janice@frcedric/org

 

Scripture:

Acts 2:36-41
John 20:11-18

Reflection:

The Gospel of John presents us with a striking story of Mary Magdalene’s grief. Her heart is broken and her grief at the loss of Jesus so intense, her only response is to be near the dead body of Jesus and weep. What else can she do! The angels seem to tell her to stop weeping; the gardener also repeats the advice. Interestingly, the worse advice we can give someone who experiences great loss is to tell them to stop weeping. The tears rolling down uncontrollably are actually part of a healing process. This needs to happen and should not be discouraged.

Is Mary’s identification of the Gardner a reference to the Garden of Eden? The world’s pain and sorrow began in a garden with the sin of Adam and Eve. Now a new and different life finds its beginning in a garden. Ironically, Mary was right in identifying Jesus as a Gardner. He is the Gardener who brings new life out of the soil of sin and death. "For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ"  Romans 5:17.

Another point is that after Mary "turned around," she recognized Jesus. There is an interesting connection between turning around and the theme of repentance that Peter preached in the first reading. Repentance implies not just regret for past behavior but a radical change to one’s way of thinking and behaving. The Greek word "metanoia" (repentance) is best translated into English as "conversion," a turning around to a completely new way of seeing life. In turning around, Mary now sees the Glorified Jesus, not the Jesus she knew earlier. She cannot cling to the older image of Jesus but now must accept the new Jesus as Risen and Glorified. Mary does not find Jesus; Jesus finds her and brings new life, a new way of seeing. In the turning she moves from sadness to joy, from strangeness to recognition, from a sense of doubt and discouragement to faith

This Easter season is an opportune time of the year look at the garden of our life, to turn around and find Jesus in the people we ignore and the situations we avoid.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.

Scripture:

Isaiah 50:4-9a
Matthew 26:14-25

Reflection:

"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me… they began to say to Him one after another, surely it is not I Lord."

 

Betrayal really hurts.  Most of us have experienced betrayal’s sting at some point in our lives and it can leave us deeply hurt and broken in spirit. 

Today’s Gospel relates the story of Jesus betrayal by Judas for 30 pieces of silver.   Perhaps no other betrayal story in Scripture is as well known at this one.  The name "Judas" itself has become synonymous with disloyalty, treachery, and deceit.  

Judas was one of the chosen twelve and I often wonder what made him turn against Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Maybe it was simply greed. Maybe it seemed like a good deal at the time.  The gospel doesn’t tell us much about his motives, but it does tell us that the money didn’t bring Judas a life of happiness and contentment.  Judas’ decision brought him deep despair.

When Jesus indicated to his disciples that one of them would betray him, each of them responded : "Surely it is not I Lord."  Yet, most all of them did in their own way. Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and most all of them abandoned Him when He needed them the most.

If we’re honest, with ourselves, there is a little bit of Judas in each of us.  We too are often tempted to betray Christ.  We do this by choosing to do wrong and failing to do good.  Sin is how we betray Christ.  We do this whenever we fail to live the Christian life and we hand over our integrity, self-respect, and peace of mind.  At the deepest level, we are handing over Jesus. And maybe it seemed like a good deal at the time, but it usually leads us to guilt, shame and despair.

As we enter the Easter Triduum, we are invited to offer ourselves to Christ, to pause and reflect before taking actions that could lead to betrayal, and to remind ourselves of our commitment to Christian discipleship.

 

Deacon Brian Clements is a member of the retreat team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, Calif. 

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

False witnesses have stood up against me and my enemies threaten violence; Lord, do not surrender me into their power! (Psalm 26:12-Entrance Antiphon).

Today’s readings prepare us to accompany Jesus as he lives his last days on earth. The Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1-6) embraces the many ambiguities of his life: the call to be a messenger of God from birth, the feeling that he has accomplished so little, maybe even nothing, the strong faith that God will ultimately prevail and the feeling that his mission is even greater than he originally realized. "It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, to restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the world." It is easy to see how this passage is applied to Jesus.

The Gospel (John 13: 21ff) shows us a Jesus who is deeply troubled. He is at supper with his disciples at the end of his life and he is keenly aware of his failures. He may have even felt like Isaiah when Isaiah describes himself as "having toiled in vain, and uselessly spent my strength," as seen in our first reading. Jesus is surrounded by his apostle whom he personally chose after a night of prayer. He knows that one of them will betray him. He is aware of the consuming, vicious rage of the chief priests and the religious leaders of his day and their inexhaustible quest to put him to death. He realizes that he has failed miserably to make his apostles understand the nature of his mission, and how difficult it will be for each one of them to follow him personally to the end. In fact, they all scatter when he is captured. They all abandon him at the very moment he needs them to testify to his innocence. At this point, Jesus could only pray for them and stand ready to forgive them when they realized their sin and welcome them back into discipleship if they chose to come back to the upper room after the Resurrection.

There are so many times that we find ourselves overwhelmed by the forces of life that surround us. Sometimes, the difficulties of life we face are brought about by our own stupidity or even sinfulness. We put ourselves at risk, thinking that we are stronger than we are, that we are smarter than we are or that we are more capable of overcoming sin than we are. At times, our immediate pleasure or personal profit is so enticing, that we choose the wrong instead of walking away. And there are even times when we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are doing something noble, for the good of the community, and so we are willing to betray the ones who love us the most. This, in my opinion, is what happened to Judas. Whether the forces of life that surround us are of our own making or not, we need to respond to them as Jesus did.

Jesus never allowed the forces of evil to have power over him. He never fell into the trap of despair, just because life was crashing in on him. He did not abandon his mission just because it was not going well. He did not hate his detractors just because they accused him falsely and wanted to put him to death. St. Paul says in Romans 12:21, "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good." In this way, God will glorify us as God glorified his Son Jesus. This is the reason we pray: "Lord, do not surrender me into their power!"

Fr. Clemente Barron, C.P. is a member of the General Council of the Passionist Congregation and is stationed in Rome. 

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Scripture:

Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54

 

 

Reflection:

Holy Week in my house has always been a time of great reflection and solemnity. While we do look forward to Easter Sunday’s treats, we take time to focus on journey and the sacrifice that was made for us. My brother and I were always reminded of where our thoughts should be; whether it was handing palms out on Sunday, praying the rosary every night of Holy Week, or marching down the middle of our town with our church as we reflected on the Passion through the Stations of the Cross on Friday. Even though I have grown up and moved on, these are still traditions I continue to carry with me. Through these traditions, I can begin to see the amazing love that was given to us by Christ on the cross. Through the time we have taken during Lent and throughout this week, we can experience the love given to us and though praise and worship of God we can begin to reciprocate that love. The journey to the cross does not begin on Friday but begins here on Palm Sunday.

As Christ rides into Jerusalem, many people greet him, laying out their cloaks and palms and shouting "Hosanna!" We mirror these early believers by taking palm branches this Sunday and holding them up in procession in honor of this moment. Yet most of these people would abandon Him a few days later in his hour of great need. As we look forward to the Triduum we turn our eyes towards the Passion. Today’s readings show us the Passion not just from one but four vantage points. We begin with Palm Sunday and the entrance into Jerusalem. While everyone around him greeted him with great joy and exultation, He knew what was to come, willfully allowing the prophecies to come true:

Say to daughter Zion,
"Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." Zech 9:9

Have we prepared throughout Lent to accompany Christ on his journey to the cross or will we be fair-weathered and depart when the storm comes?

The psalm foreshadows what is to come, Christ’s pain and suffering on Good Friday. It is so painfully accute yet beautifully written. The response "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me" is something we experience at different points in our lives. We have felt that God is no where near these terrible situations that we are in and may turn our backs on him. Christ says the same in St. Matthew’s recount of the Passion:

And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"which means,
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mt 27:46

Since he was fully human, he felt the need to call out to his father in his most painful moment, reminding us of his pain and suffering. He’s allowed himself to be emptied for us. At the end of this psalm, the writer continues to have faith God will deliver him and he continues to praise his name. In difficult times, times of great need, do we continue to see God will deliver us or do we turn away? Do we continue to praise Him?

In the second reading, St. Paul takes us into the future, giving a beautiful and succinct post-resurrection synopsis of our Salvation History. Even though it is only a few verses, it is a very thorough account of the cornerstone of our faith: while it reminds that Christ emptied himself for us, it also tells us how to move forward.

Every knee shall bow…every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  
Phil 2:10-11

How are we living out this calling to profess the glory of God? In the midst of this solemn time are we still passing on the Good Word of God’s great love?

One thing has become very clear during my short time working with the Passionists: their love for Christ and love for their mission of spreading that love to others though the passion of the cross. While we must realize  this is a solemn time, and the readings will continue to lead us to the cross, we must also rejoice in the love given to us, a love so true and mighty he gave of himself so we might live. We must take the time now to reflect on what is to come in the next week so we may accompany Christ on the road to Calvary. While we are getting ready for Easter happenings, dinner, egg hunts, parties, let us also take the time to walk with Christ. He walked this road for us, so our sins would be taken from us, so that we might live. Even through those hard times when we may be abandoned by everyone and denied by those we love, God is there to lift us up with his amazing love. As he always walks with us, so too must we walk with him. Let us take time this week to pray and reflect upon the sacrifice He has given for us.

 

Kim Garcia is on the staff at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center, Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

There is only a short space of time at Mass, minutes, between the first reading, which soothes us with its promise of peace, to the reading of John’s Gospel, in which sides are being chosen and death looms.  This "short space of time" seems to be, in and of itself, a metaphor for how quickly in life we can go from unity to divisiveness. We travel from peace to war sometimes at a dizzying speed.

Perhaps like me, you, too, feel weary as you read the news about the outbreak of war or violence in yet another country. The tone of our national politics remains polarizing; local crime is heartbreaking. Personally? I lost my temper with a neighbor this week and am still simmering.

But here is this beautiful promise from God in today’s first reading – that Israel will be restored, her people united, and new life will be breathed into dry bones – a promise that God will set up a sanctuary among us and make us holy. When I hear the passages from Ezekiel, of God’s promise of a covenant of peace, I feel such a sense of longing.

We can all lay down our arms and rest in the presence of God.

Then comes the Gospel, however, and we are plunged into a sense of growing fear.  There is trepidation on the part of the people about their personal and national fate in following Jesus. His death is prophesied and Jesus removes himself from the public eye. We know the Cross awaits him. It’s as if God’s covenant has vanished already! Where once we felt hopeful and safe, now we are looking over our shoulders.

This, I suppose, is one of the terrible balancing acts of being human. We yearn for peace, crave it, but we mess up, get angry, feel fearful, lose our center, and lose our God. Nations go to war, political parties get fired up, individuals snipe at one another and neighbors bark at neighbors. God’s promise of peace still exists – He has not walked away from His covenant with us – it is we who have lost faith in the relationship and wandered away into states of despair or anger.

As we prepare to enter Holy Week, we will probably not see peace on earth. But, God willing, we can see peace restored within ourselves and our community, and from small ripples a greater wave might be born.  Peace is a process, I believe, not a static event, and it is Christ’s very Passion and Resurrection that confirms we are not foolish to believe it is possible and to work towards it, inside our hearts and out in the world.

 

Nancy Nickel is director of communications at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.