2:6-11. Luke 22:14-23:56:
Lectionary # 38
Luke, the Evangelist, has taught us well. After finishing the long journey
narrative wherein Jesus has formed us as disciples, we now enter Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday with some moments of joy shouting Hosanna to the person of
Jesus. This celebration is short lived and we listen to the narrative of
the Passion according to Luke. Jesus is the prophet par excellence among
the Gospel Christologies in Luke; he will also be the Savior-- a title
reserved to Jesus in Luke. We know him from Isaiah's Suffering Servant
Songs to be the Suffering Servant of God through the lense of this Gospel.
He is presented as our universal Savior who heals all and redeems all
persons past, present, and future. We have a sense of belonging when we
follow today's Passion Narrative. We know Jesus has chosen us as disciples
who are loved and cared for; therefore, we enter into a close relationship
of love during this last week of his life.
We joyfully start the week with our procession of palms and we praise Jesus
as the Messiah of the royal family of David. The Passion however together
with his death and resurrection reminds us of each Eucharist that we
participate in for it is the center of our Eucharistic celebration each of
which remembers Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection.
Luke presents Jesus as relating to others thereby teaching us some very
important things about our discipleship. Love, kindness, compassion and
friendship are signs of our discipleship. As he is led to the cross Jesus
shows us how to be one with him in our relationships. In Gethsemane he
invites the disciples (who are not named) to pray with him and to support
him in what soon will be the chalice of suffering he drinks of. We may
waver and fall asleep but he comes back to us to help us support him a
second time. Then he meets the women who are grieving. Mourners were part
of the culture and were among the lowliest. Jesus stops and addresses
them, consoles them and warns them of the future. We too are to console
the sorrowing and the mourners and those who are suffering. Is his mother
among them as we think of the fourth mystery of the Stations of the Cross?
Most likely she is there as she was at Cana and as John will tell us she is
there at the foot of the Cross.
Jesus is in direct union of heart and mind with Abba, his Father, and Jesus
is carrying out the will of God and the plan of God through his suffering
and death. Are we aware of this during these last days of Lent and the
beginning of our Triduum? Then Jesus forgives those who are crucifying
him. He accepts one of the criminals who shows sympathy toward Jesus and
corrects the other thief. Our Gospel Passion Narrative teaches us that
interacting with one another in love and compassion is what Jesus teaches
us. We are to focus on our relationships with one another as we reflect on
the great example of Jesus' love for those whom he chooses to relate to on
his way of the Cross. Amen.
Scripture for Monday of Holy Week, March 29, 2010. Lectionary # 258.
Isaiah 42:1-7. Psalm 27:1-2.3. 13-14. John 12:1-11:
Yesterday, on Passion (Palm) Sunday we listened to the great narrative of
Luke. In reflecting upon this part of the Gospel we realize that there are
also the Passion Narratives of Mark, Matthew, and John. All of them were
probably the first part of the Gospels to be written. They are complete
units in themselves and go into great detail about the last days of Jesus.
Why? Because these final actions and words of the Savior were more easily
remembered because of the trauma they caused in those who were there when
he died upon the Cross. "In the beginning were the Passion Narrative" is
the way Martin Dibelius expressed this so well. We are fortunate then to be
led through these last days by this careful remembering on the part of
those who passed it on to the four evangelists.
John starts us with the scene six days before the Passover when Jesus is
located in the home of his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus whom he
raised from the dead. Bethany is the place of their dwelling and Jesus
may have visited them often. Now he is with them in his last visit a few
days before his suffering and death.
We are aware of this week by calling it Holy Week. It is the most solemn of
weeks for us as followers of Jesus and as disciples of his. Our Lent ends
this Wednesday and then we enter into the Triduum to particpate in the
Lord's last supper and then on to the day on which Jesus died, Good Friday.
Our hope persists as we move toward the Vigil of Easter and pause and pray
while Jesus is in the tomb. The first day of the week, a Sunday will be
our great and joyful feast of the Resurrection--Easter Sunday (see
Revelation 1:10 for the importance of the Lord's day as Sunday).
We pray and ponder over these sacred events and we let Jesus and the
Evangelists speak to us about these events so that we too may be
transformed like Mary Magdalene, the Beloved Disciple, the holy Women and
the apostles themselves as they later reflect on what has happened to their
Lord and Master. We realize that Christ has died; Christ is risen, and
that He will come again in glory. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 3:17 PM
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