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Gospel Reflection 20070401

The Way of the Cross is about suffering and death - AND the new life that can occur through difficulties.
Jesus' love for us is so great that he chose to travel the Way of the Cross, a path that can support us through some of the most agonizing events toward a newer and fuller life. By reflecting on the Way of the Cross, we are reminded that life's journey is never too impossible to be traveled. The Way of the Cross asks us to 1) consider what Jesus did, 2) to reflect on our life today, and 3) to pray in faith.

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April 1, 2007

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion


Gospel
Lk 22:14—23:56 or 23:1-49

When the hour came,
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.

“And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me
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.

Then an argument broke out among them
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.

“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded
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.”

He said to them,
“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!”

Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives,
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.”

While he was still speaking, a crowd approached
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.”

After arresting him they led him away
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.

When day came the council of elders of the people met,
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.”

Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him 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.”

On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
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.”

But all together they shouted out,
“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.

As they led him away
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.


When they came to the place called the Skull,
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.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“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.”

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
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.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said,
“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.


ONE
A picture is worth a thousand words. Mel Gibson's epic movie, "The Passion of the Christ” speaks more than a thousand words. The “Passion of the Christ.” brings alive the gospel of the passion of Jesus. It reveals the immeasurable love of our God for each one of us. A love in which God gives Jesus, His only begotten Son, to all humanity to suffer and die on the cross for our redemption. The movie is graphically violent and the suffering of Jesus horrendous. Jesus accepted this terrible suffering and death out of His love for each one of us in full payment for all of our sins. His horrendous suffering and death gives us a measure of the horrors of our sins accumulated against God and neighbor.
Jesus accomplished much in the last twelve hours of His life depicted in “The Passion of the Christ”. Flashbacks covered the Passion from the time of the Last Supper until Jesus on the cross said, “It is finished”. He gave us the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. He sealed the new covenant in His Blood to wash away our sins. He gave us the priesthood, to share in His priesthood and to act persona Christi in all the sacraments which are the ways and means to become holy. Jesus did not promise a life of ease by being His follower. Our lives are filled with troubles and trials such as sickness, long term depression from abortion, and the death of a loved one. These are some of our daily crosses which we offer to God to share in the passion of Jesus with the hope of sharing in His resurrection.
There is no greater love than one laying down his life for his friend. A soldier in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team sacrificed his life by smothering a grenade with his body during combat –a total denial of self to give life to his friends. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for this great sacrifice of love for his friends. The sacrifice of his life was given for his friends. It was not for all humanity. Jesus carried the cross weighed down with all our sins to suffer and laid down His life on the cross for all humanity. The debt of our sins are infinite and could only be fully redeemed through the infinite love of God, Jesus, who is second Person of the Trinity. The gift of our redemption is a gift of God and not man.
“The Passion of the Christ” is the gospel of God’s love. Our eyes of faith in Jesus see God’s love for us in the graphic, excruciating violence of the scourging, carrying of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus. We should not miss the point of God’s love by just looking at the movie rating of R or the many distracting concerns that it could possibly elicit anger and hate. After seeing the movie, audiences have left the theater in total silence and in deep reflection. We should reflect on God’s love and mercy, reflect on our failure to love that contributed to the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross and the little we have done to live the gospel message of love and mercy. We should not feel depressed by the movie. The “Passion of the Christ” assures us of God’s continued love and mercy for us. Jesus is ever and always present with us, to help us with the crosses of life which befall everyone of us. The problems of life may not go away but we will endure them with His help and grace. We should receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as possible for it is the sacrament of God’s mercy – Jesus’ first gift to us after His resurrection. We should pray and receive the Eucharist as often as possible. Communion gives us the graces to endure the crosses in our lives, to live more fully a life of love for God and neighbor and helps transform us more to the image and likeness of Jesus. We are bound in a communion of love and unity with God and neighbor. The movie “The Passion of the Christ” brings alive more than just the words of the gospel. It brings alive the love and mercy of God for us.


TWO
The recent release of Mel Gibson's film," The Passion of the Christ", has sparked more conversation about Jesus' Passion than any event in recent memory. As a result it may be well to review the readings in light of what is being said. First, Pontius Pilate was deeply hated by the Jewish people. Still, he was the only person who could execute Jesus.
The Jewish religious court had found Jesus guilty of (1) threatening to destroy the Temple, (2) claiming to be the son of God and (3), subverting the Jewish interpretation of the Scriptures. However, when Pilate asked what had been Jesus' crimes, the Jewish leaders replied, (1) treason against Rome, (2) refusing to pay taxes and (3) claiming to be a Messianic king, which was a challenge to Caesar. The last three charges were all false. As a matter of fact, Jesus at one time told the people to pay their taxes, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's."
Pilate actually tried to save Jesus but the Jewish leaders insisted He be crucified and Pilate, who was fearful there might be a revolt which could cause him to be recalled to Rome, lacked the courage to defy the will of the people. We justly consider Pilate to be a man without true convictions. When the going got tough, he folded.
However, the publicity generated by the "Passion" movie may distract us from seeing the real meaning of this event. We may lose sight of the fact that the message of Jesus is directed to us.
Jesus stood before the rulers of His secular world and did not back down. He continued to proclaim the words of His Father, even though He would suffer severe consequences. We might say to ourselves, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to face the same decisions that Jesus faced." However, that's not true. We are asked to make equally difficult decisions each day as we decide whether or not we will follow the teachings of our Father or whether we will let the modern "Pilates" dictate what happens in our lives.
Some would say, "We shouldn't mix religion with politics." As Jesus faced Pilate with the knowledge that His answers could probably lead to His execution, he definitely mixed His religion with politics and defied the wishes of the Jewish leaders. Jesus didn't sell His vote for anyone.
He even made a clear cut, voluntary decision when Pilate said to Him, "I have the power to save you." What was Jesus' decision? He remained silent. He did not ask for a pardon. He had the courage to stand before the mightiest man in Jerusalem and He didn't back down, not for personal or political gain. Even when faced with death, His decision seemed to be simple, "I will not compromise myself and forget the teachings of My Father just to save my life or to gain some personal or political advantage." We should ask ourselves, "Did Jesus make the right decision?" If we answer "Yes", then the issues that face each of us in this modern world should have new meaning to us.
Suddenly, this is not a "story" told some 2000 years ago. Suddenly the words we hear today bring us into the "passion" story of Jesus Christ. Each of us must face the "Pilates" of our modern society and each of us must make a decision. It's true, for some in the political arena that decision may bring consequences. Jesus' decision brought dire consequences. Did He make the right decision? For all of us, our decisions may not be accepted by our friends or, possibly, even by our families. His mother was burdened with unbelievable grief. His disciples ran from Him and were so frightened they hid from the Jews. One later doubted Him. Yes, our actions can have consequences. We may lose favor with a constituency, we may have friends that don't agree with out expressions of faith but if we have to choose sides, we must have the courage to do as Jesus did. The price we pay will never be as high as the price Jesus paid for our salvation.
And while at the same time we consider the "big" moral issues that we face, we must also consider those actions in our daily lives that are the same actions Jesus asks each of us to consider. He fed the poor, He visited and healed the sick, He helped a wedding couple at Cana and He preached love for everyone while, also, teaching that actions against the commandments of His Father would result in punishment. He was honest, he was fair, He was God.
And so as we consider the choices this man Jesus had to make and if we see the movie about His final hours, we must put ourselves into the picture. We must ask ourselves if we can have His courage, His conviction and his willingness to undergo tremendous pain and suffering, if necessary, to live the life He asks us to live. He, literally, gave His life for us. Will we do the same for Him even though it may be inconvenient, it may not be what the "crowd" wants us to do and, yes, it may result in some discomfort to us? Next weekend, as we celebrate His triumphant Resurrection we, too, should be convinced that that if we do follow His example, we also can reap the same eternal reward. That's His promise to us.

THREE
“I dread Good Friday this year,” It was an honest and simple statement from the gentle woman sitting before me recounting her faith’s journey. Yet she spoke not only for herself. She bore some weight we all carry when faced with the prospect of the Passion. How like Jesus himself, I thought. He desired to eat the meal but dreaded the thought of drinking the cup. When the awful time came, he was as clear and straightforward as the reluctant woman who feared Good Friday: "Father, if it is your will, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done." He tasted the anguish. He bled with worry. But as Isaiah foretold, this God-with-us would not turn back. He remained unshielded before the siege of life and death. Face set like flint, he clung only to the one who sent him. God, having made us in godly image, made God in Jesus the likeness of humankind.
The incarnation and its inevitable result would be a great emptying out into us. It would be the second fall: the fall of God into our human estate, a sublime bankruptcy with no golden parachute.
It is our human circumstance, grand and grotesque, that is at issue in the Passion. Our predicament is the healing of the wounds without the cover of cosmetics. Our problem is the solving of sin without endless stratagems of denial. "Not guilty," we all say, having taken the ploys of the courtroom as our method of life. We plea-bargain our way through while the slaughter goes on. Lacerations we bear in quiet. Cruelties we have inflicted go unmentioned. Deprivations we share in common are unnoticed.
How could any human being ever live and escape the Passion? We would never rear children, never be born, never inhabit such a dear world fraught with peril, and we would probably never grow. Certainly we would never love. It is for us that Virgil mourned the "tears of things." Jesus said more: "Do not weep for me," he advised the women of Jerusalem, "weep for yourselves and for your children."
And so we do in our own passion. We weep for ourselves in abundance or deprivation. We weep for the children we never had and the children we have brought to birth. The tears are inescapable, no matter how hard we might try to pretend. No power or Pilate or pleasure of Herod can preserve us.
My friend who so dreaded Good Friday had it quite right. It is an inevitable, dreaded season of life. We die our thousand deaths. We pour out our hearts and tears for our young, mourn the lost beloved, the broken companion, the unraveling parent. We sweat the love and bleed the sorrow.
If only there were a way out.
But unexpectedly, wondrously, the one who need not have been like us, yet chose to be so, did not flee. He entered the garden of Gethsemane to rectify the garden of Eden. Not clinging to the robes of divinity, he took the towel to wash our feet. And we, with Peter, might murmur, "not just our feet, Lord, but our whole being, our pains and terrors, our aging and fading, our agonies and death." C. S. Lewis wrote in his Poems that love was as warm as tears: unsettling, uninvited, cleansing, and comforting. It was fierce as fire, flickering with life, smoldering with rage, constant as some eternal flame. Love, too, was as fresh as spring, new and alive, daring and bold. But he ended this song of Love with the most telling stanza of all: Love’s as hard as nails, love is nails… Blunt, thick, hammered through the medial nerves of One who, having made us, knew the thing He had done, seeing (with all that is) our cross and His.
Perhaps it is that cross we dread. We’d rather go some day, bright, shining and unstained before the broken servant to thank Him for His pains, not for us, but for all those others out there who needed it. We would manage our salvation be our efforts and achievements. “Thank you, but, all the same, I’d rather not need such terrible proof of love.”
But the dream of sinlessness sours to nightmare when we fail and fall. Having counted on flimsy virtue that cruelly betrays us, in our honor we conclude that we were not even worth the Passion and all is lost. The Pharisee who did not need salvation is joined by the failure who judges himself hopelessly beyond its power and grace. Good Friday’s wood, on which hung the Savior of the world, remains waiting for our kiss. it bore the one who says to us, now and eternally, from the cross” “Yes, you needed this. And yes, your were worth it.”

posted by Mike Young @ 9:18 AM