PALM SUNDAY
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends with the Easter Vigil which is celebrated after sundown. Throughout these sacred days the Church gathers many poignant scriptures to assist us in our contemplation of the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ Passover from life through death to resurrected life. The events from Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem until the morning of his resurrection are celebrated as a sacred drama. We’re there, one might say. We walk with the people as they place their cloaks along the route Jesus will take. We wave palm branches and sing to the King as he enters Jerusalem. We observe the events of his betrayal. We allow him to wash our feet. We eat the Last Supper with him. We weep before his cross. We stand in silent awe before his tomb. We barely breathe as we wait for the sun to rise on the morning of the resurrection.
A brief commentary for each day follows. I hope you find my reflections a helpful tool for you to journey through the events of Holy Week on your own. I suggest you read all the scriptures listed for each day.
PALM SUNDAY Gospel for the Procession with Palms Matthew 21:1-11
It is a time of great caution. The religious leaders are looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus. He made an arrangement with a secret disciple to obtain a donkey for his entrance into Jerusalem. He tells two of his disciples to go to the nearby village to procure it. “This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled. Say to daughter Zion, ‘Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’’” (Zechariah 9:9)
The people shout acclamations that acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus allows them to publicly proclaim him as the Messiah knowing full well the consequence of this decision. The people are welcoming Jesus as a military leader, but he enters Jerusalem humbly riding on a donkey. He enters as the Suffering Servant.
Readings for the Mass Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
The prophet Isaiah presents us with a picture of the Suffering Servant – the Messiah. “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked at my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6)
Paul delivers an instruction to us through his letter to the Philippians. “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he humbled 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.”
We read the Passion according to Matthew today. He presents the death of Jesus as a cosmic event an eclipse darkens the world – the earth quakes. Creation responds to the death of its King. I suggest that you keep this in mind as you read the Passion. The account ends with the Roman centurion’s testimony declaring that even the Gentile world acknowledges Jesus as the anointed Messiah. “The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, ‘Truly, this was the Son of God.’”
MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11
Isaiah presents his vision of the Messiah and defines his mission. “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.”
John’s account sets the stage for Jesus’ eventual arrest. “Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was…The large crowd 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 were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.”
During the meal Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfumed oil. Judas protested at the extravagance claiming that the oil could have been sold and given to the poor. John adds a comment that Judas “said this not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.” Jesus’ response to Judas was simple and prophetic: “Let her keep this for the day of my burial.”
TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK (Spy Tuesday)
Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38
Isaiah proclaims the Messiah once again. This time he calls out to all the Gentiles. “Here me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples.” He again articulates the mission of the Messiah. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
John presents the moment at the Last Supper when Jesus acknowledges Judas as the betrayer. Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus wasdeeply troubled and testified, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me…It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.’ So, Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.” The powers of darkness are gathering. The great conflict is drawing near. As the day of his arrest and execution draws near, John adds, at this point in his narrative, an interpretation of Jesus’ death. “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” John even titles the Passion section of his Gospel, “The Book of Glory.” I suggest spending some time reflecting on the death of Jesus as his glorification. It will be a good preparation for the reading of the Passion according to John on Good Friday.
WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Isaiah 50:4-9a, Matthew 26:14-25
Isaiah speaks a prophecy to us that assures us that God will vindicate his suffering Messiah. “The Lord God is my help, therefore I shall not be disgraced…See, the Lord God is my help; who will prove me wrong?”
Matthew lets us witness the moment Judas betrays Jesus to the religious leaders. “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.’” In the Old Testament account of Jacob and his twelve sons (Genesis 37:136), Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers for twenty pieces of silver – the price of a slave. The story foreshadows Jesus sold by one of his closest disciples. Even though they sold him into slavery Joseph saved his brothers when they came to Egypt seeking food during a terrible drought. Jesus will offer salvation not only to those who handed him over but to anyone who comes to him.
HOLY THURSDAY Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 ,1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15
This is a solemn, mystical evening. The liturgy focuses on the very heart of Christianity, the Eucharist. We begin our reflection by reading the account of the night of the Passover from the Book of Exodus.
We are left with a powerful image to ponder – the death of the Passover Lamb and its blood saving the people of Israel. John’s Gospel pays particular attention to the Passover Lamb connecting it to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus, the Christ.
In the second scripture reading Paul instructs us. “I received from the Lord what I 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 memory of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in memory of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” Paul is reminding us that when we celebrate the Eucharist we enter the eternal moment of redemption. In a mystical union with Christ our gathering redeems the world. We then re-enact the Lord washing the feet of his disciples. “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, so you should do.” Jesus is inviting us to eat his body and drink his blood to ratify the new covenant God is offering. The Eucharist also calls us to empty ourselves, as he did, by assuming the character of a slave, by devoting our lives to others. At the close of the liturgy the clergy process with the Bread of Life to the repository where it remains for the silent veneration of the faithful. Returning to the altar, they strip it of cloths and candles. The church is darkened. We begin to contemplate the death of the Lord. This evening, I suggest that before you retire for the night you light a candle, take some simple bread and a glass of wine, and keep it near you as you slowly and reflectively read these three scriptures. Open your heart to the Lamb that redeemed us.
GOOD FRIDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION
Isaiah 52:13- 53:12, Hebrews 4:16-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1 – 19:42
The service begins in silence with the celebrant, clothed in red, the color of martyrdom, prostrating himself before the altar. He rises and calls the congregation to order praying, “Remember your mercies, Lord, and with your eternal protection sanctify your servants for whom Christ, your Son, by shedding his blood, established the Paschal Mystery.” We then listen to Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant. “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 are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each one following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all.”
2 The passage from the Letter to the Hebrews that follows ponders Jesus’ role as “the High Priest who became the source of eternal salvation.” On this Good Friday the Church encourages to “confidently approach the throne of grace.” For a second time this week we read an account of the Passion. Today we read the Passion according to John. We ponder the death of the Messiah through a pivotal image. “One soldier thrust a lance into his side and immediately blood and water flowed out.” From the side of the new Adam, the new Eve is born – the Church born of blood and water.
On Good Friday we enter the mystery of our redemption. We recall our baptism through which we have been washed in the blood of the sacrificial Lamb. Today I suggest you light a candle. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your meditation and then slowly and reflectively read the Passion of John. Take your time; ponder the images. End with the prayer, “Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.”
HOLY SATURDAY Easter Vigil
VIGIL READINGS Genesis 1:1-22, Genesis 22:1-18, 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
We begin this sacred night vigil by lighting a fire that recalls Jesus ‘declaration: “I have come to set fire on the earth.” (Luke 12:49) From that fire we light the Paschal Candle and our own candles thereby saying that we will participate in this mission of Christ.
The first reading, Genesis 1:1-22, is the account of the creation of the world in seven days. Tonight, we’re celebrating the creation of a new world, a world redeemed and reborn through the blood of Christ.
We move on to read Genesis 22:1-18. In this account God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. For us, it is a prophetic text. Abraham asked Isaac to carry the wood for his own sacrifice. We recall Jesus carrying the cross to Calvary. “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”
The passage from Exodus tells the story of Israel’s deliverance. We recall the blood of the lamb that freed the Jewish people. On this holy night we celebrate Christ’s Passover from life through death to resurrected life, and the blood he shed to bring new life to the world.
Isaiah 54 speaks of our new relationship with God. “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.”
Isaiah 55 invites us to “come to the water. “The water of rebirth awaits the catechumens, those who are to be baptized. Tonight, we remind ourselves of our own rebirth through baptism into the Paschal Mystery of Christ.
The Prophet Baruch calls us to return to divine Wisdom. “Return, O Jacob, and receive her (Wisdom), walk by her light toward splendor.” Finally, the Prophet Ezekiel ends the vigil with tremendous words of hope. “I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities.” “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.” “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
THE MASS BEGINS
MASS READINGS Romans 6: 3-11, Matthew 28:1-10
In this passage from his letter to the Romans Paul teaches us. “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 his death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.” Finally, after 40 days of suppressing the Alleluia, we sing the Easter Alleluia and read Matthew’s account of the resurrection of Jesus.
Matthew’s account of the resurrection is great cosmic proclamation. There is an earthquake as an angel, dressed in clothing as bright as lightning, removes the great stone from the entrance of the tomb. The women who have gathered there are told not to be afraid because the crucified has been raised. Suddenly, Jesus appeared to them and reiterated what the angel said, “Do not be afraid.” This resurrection message needs to be repeated a third time today as we support each other during this time of global upheaval. “DO NOT BE AFRAID!” Peace be with you.
