God’s Word for Holy Week

Monday 25 March 2013

Readings at Mass

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First reading

Isaiah 42:1-7

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom my soul delights.

I have endowed him with my spirit

that he may bring true justice to the nations.

He does not cry out or shout aloud,

or make his voice heard in the streets.

He does not break the crushed reed,

nor quench the wavering flame.

Faithfully he brings true justice;

he will neither waver, nor be crushed

until true justice is established on earth,

for the islands are awaiting his law.

Thus says God, the Lord,

he who created the heavens and spread them out,

who gave shape to the earth and what comes from it,

who gave breath to its people

and life to the creatures that move in it:

‘I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;

I have taken you by the hand and formed you;

I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,

‘to open the eyes of the blind,

to free captives from prison,

and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.’

As we approach the celebration of the mystery of Christ’s passing from the world of weakness and sinfulness to the world of divine glory, we meditate on who Jesus really is. We are nothing before God and so nothing in ourselves, but we can rest secure in the presence of Jesus. He is the man for others and if we can surrender to him then he will share the fruits of his passage with us. He will preserve us for the day when we too pass from this world to the glory of God.

Psalm

Psalm 26:1-3,13-14

The Lord is my light and my help.

The Lord is my light and my help;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

before whom shall I shrink?

The Lord is my light and my help.

When evil-doers draw near

to devour my flesh,

it is they, my enemies and foes,

who stumble and fall.

The Lord is my light and my help.

Though an army encamp against me

my heart would not fear.

Though war break out against me

even then would I trust.

The Lord is my light and my help.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.

Hope in the Lord!

The Lord is my light and my help.

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Gospel Acclamation

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Hail to you, our King!

You alone have had compassion on our sins.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

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Gospel

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’

Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

God cares for his Son

Judas, a thief, is ready to betray Jesus. The Jewish leaders plot his death. However, throughout God shows his care for Jesus. The High Priest unconsciously prophesied and now Mary unconsciously carries out her care for Jesus in preparation for his burial. It is an extravagant show of love for him and the house is filled with the perfume. It is as if his Father is with Jesus and will be through all the days that are to come. God will not abandon him as Jesus obeys him like a lamb among wolves. We must have the same fidelity towards Jesus and the same love as shown by Mary. Jesus is however not visible. We can still pour rich perfume on his feet. “You will have the poor with you always” “I was hungry and you gave me to eat” let us show our love by loving ‘the poor’.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Readings at Mass

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First reading

Isaiah 49:1-6

Islands, listen to me,

pay attention, remotest peoples.

The Lord called me before I was born,

from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

He made my mouth a sharp sword,

and hid me in the shadow of his hand.

He made me into a sharpened arrow,

and concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)

in whom I shall be glorified’;

while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,

I have exhausted myself for nothing’;

and all the while my cause was with the Lord,

my reward with my God.

I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,

my God was my strength.

And now the Lord has spoken,

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

to gather Israel to him:

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,

to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;

I will make you the light of the nations

so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

Whatever the original meaning of this passage, we can see how it fits the life of Jesus. In his Passion, he is alone. On the Cross he dies abandoned and yet his life is the cause of our salvation and divine life as God’s children. If we believe in Jesus and are his disciples, this passage also applies to us.

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Psalm

Psalm 70:1-6,15,17

My lips will tell of your help.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, free me:

pay heed to me and save me.

My lips will tell of your help.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,

a mighty stronghold to save me;

for you are my rock, my stronghold.

Free me from the hand of the wicked.

My lips will tell of your help.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, since my youth.

On you I have leaned from my birth,

from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your help.

My lips will tell of your justice

and day by day of your help.

O God, you have taught me from my youth

and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

We can easily imagine Jesus praying this psalm. He is surrounded by the hostility of the Jewish leaders and the incomprehension of his disciples. He must have felt isolated in his life of doing God’s will. Yet through this psalm, he could express his trust in God, his Father. We too can join him in his prayer as we say this psalm in our own life situation. 

Gospel Acclamation

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Hail to you, our King!

Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion

as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

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Gospel

John 13:21-33,36-38

While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.

When he had gone Jesus said:

‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified,

and in him God has been glorified.

If God has been glorified in him,

God will in turn glorify him in himself,

and will glorify him very soon.

‘My little children,

I shall not be with you much longer.

You will look for me,

And, as I told the Jews,

where I am going, you cannot come.’

Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’

Who is the Beloved Disciple?

Jesus is troubled in spirit. One of the Twelve will betray him. Judas rejects the last offer of grace when he takes the bread. He has sided with Satan and Satan enters into him. Jesus is anxious that the contest begin. He sends Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly”. Judas goes into the night but the Darkness cannot overcome the Light. Now the Passion, way to glory for Jesus, begins. The Twelve will flee. Peter will disown him three times. Is there anyone who will be faithful? We meet the beloved disciple for the first time. He reclines next to Jesus “close to his breast” as the Son is close to the Father’s breast (John 1:18). He is the one who will be faithful. God calls us all to be beloved disciples, close to Jesus in love and fidelity. How close are you to Jesus?

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Readings at Mass

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First reading

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Lord has given me

a disciple’s tongue.

So that I may know how to reply to the wearied

he provides me with speech.

Each morning he wakes me to hear,

to listen like a disciple.

The Lord has opened my ear.

For my part, I made no resistance,

neither did I turn away.

I offered my back to those who struck me,

my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;

I did not cover my face

against insult and spittle.

The Lord comes to my help,

so that I am untouched by the insults.

So, too, I set my face like flint;

I know I shall not be shamed.

My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?

Then let us go to court together.

Who thinks he has a case against me?

Let him approach me.

The Lord is coming to my help,

who will dare to condemn me?

Why did Jesus not resist his enemies? The first thing is that he loved them and he loved them dearly. He wanted to save them from their sinfulness at any cost. Revenge is out of the question. But could he not have prevented them from dehumanizing themselves? Could he not have run away while he had time? He stood by his beliefs and the truth that he proclaimed and which they were unable to grasp. However, the main reason was that he could not resist. He was helpless in their hands, just as you and I would be if we were in the same situation. He was fully human, not acting a part. Wicked and unjust people daily murder innocent human beings. Jesus, God’s Son, is one of those unjustly murdered.

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Psalm

Psalm 68:8-10,21-22,31,33-34

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

It is for you that I suffer taunts,

that shame covers my face,

that I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my own mother’s sons.

I burn with zeal for your house

and taunts against you fall on me.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

Taunts have broken my heart;

I have reached the end of my strength.

I looked in vain for compassion,

for consolers; not one could I find.

For food they gave me poison;

in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

I will praise God’s name with a song;

I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

The poor when they see it will be glad

and God-seeking hearts will revive;

for the Lord listens to the needy

and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour

This too is the psalm of Jesus. He looked in vain for compassion, for consolers.Where are you in the Passion of Jesus? Where am I?

Gospel Acclamation

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Hail to you, our King!

Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion

as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Hail to you, our King!

You alone have had compassion on our sins.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

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Gospel

Matthew 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

To Repent or to Despair

What a disappointment it was for Jesus to see the fall of Judas. Judas was not predetermined. He was free. He fell from the great heights of the Twelve through his free decisions. Jesus had great hopes on him. Judas could have become like Peter or one of the others. However, he allowed sin to enter his soul. It is not so much the sin, which is destructive, but what we do after our sin. Do we sincerely repent in our weakness and fall at the feet of the Lord or do we grow used to our sin? Judas became hardened and was a disciple only in looks. The others say, “Is it I Lord?” Judas says “Master”. Judas is a warning to everyone. He fell little by little. What is you hidden relationship with Jesus? Are you what you appear? Do you sincerely seek to know and love Jesus?

Thursday 28 March 2013

Readings at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper

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First reading

Exodus 12:1-8,11-14

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:

‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt, I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’

This Passover is an ancient feast celebrated by the Israelites when they were shepherds and before they had settled down to a stable farming way of life. It is given new significance in the light of their escape from Egypt. We give it a new significance in that we see Jesus as the Lamb of God who sheds his Blood on the Cross and fees us with his Body in the Eucharist. Through his death we are liberated from the slavery to Satan and through his Body we are nourished in our journey through life to the real Promised Land with God. We celebrate with thanksgiving the giving of his life for us by Jesus and eating his Body we are to become what we receive.

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Psalm

Psalm 115:12-13,15-18

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

before all his people.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

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Second reading

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

Jesus does not just ask us to perform a ritual of the breaking of bread. Jesus says, this bread is me given for you. As I have given myself so you must give yourself for others ion memory of me. Without this self-giving, the celebration of the Eucharist is just a ritual. John in his Gospel explains it in terms of Jesus washing our feet and that to celebrate the Eucharist we must one another’s feet, We must give ourselves for the good of others.

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Gospel Acclamation

Jn13:34

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

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Gospel

John 13:1-15

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’

When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

The Lord who Serves

If you are one ‘of his own’ then Jesus loves you and loves you to the end. Then what have you to fear? Jesus washes all his disciples’ feet including those of Judas. Judas belonged to him and so do you. He washes your feet too. He girds himself with a towel and humbly washes their feet. He will never remove this towel. Peter thinks like us. How can Jesus, Master, Lord, Superior in every way kneel before him and wash his feet! Unless we understand, we too have no part with Jesus. Like Jesus, we must empty ourselves and humbly serve our brothers and sisters. He is Mighty God.. We are nothing. He humbles himself. We, in pride demand a position we do not have. To receive Jesus in Holy Communion is to become a servant. This is the meaning of the Eucharist. Have you understood? Do you serve?

Friday 29 March 2013

Readings for the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

First reading

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant will prosper,

he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.

As the crowds were appalled on seeing him

– so disfigured did he look

that he seemed no longer human –

so will the crowds be astonished at him,

and kings stand speechless before him;

for they shall see something never told

and witness something never heard before:

‘Who could believe what we have heard,

and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’

Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,

like a root in arid ground.

Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,

no looks to attract our eyes;

a thing despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,

a man to make people screen their faces;

he was despised and we took no account of him.

And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,

ours the sorrows he carried.

But we, we thought of him as someone punished,

struck by God, and brought low.

Yet he was pierced through for our faults,

crushed for our sins.

On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,

and through his wounds we are healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep,

each taking his own way,

and the Lord burdened him

with the sins of all of us.

Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,

he never opened his mouth,

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,

like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers

never opening its mouth.

By force and by law he was taken;

would anyone plead his cause?

Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;

for our faults struck down in death.

They gave him a grave with the wicked,

a tomb with the rich,

though he had done no wrong

and there had been no perjury in his mouth.

The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.

If he offers his life in atonement,

he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life

and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

His soul’s anguish over

he shall see the light and be content.

By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,

taking their faults on himself.

Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,

he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,

for surrendering himself to death

and letting himself be taken for a sinner,

while he was bearing the faults of many

and praying all the time for sinners.

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Psalm

Psalm 30:2,6,12-13,15-17,25

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.

Let me never be put to shame.

In your justice, set me free,

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In the face of all my foes

I am a reproach,

an object of scorn to my neighbours

and of fear to my friends.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Those who see me in the street

run far away from me.

I am like a dead man, forgotten,

like a thing thrown away.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

But as for me, I trust in you, Lord;

I say: ‘You are my God.

My life is in your hands, deliver me

from the hands of those who hate me.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Let your face shine on your servant.

Save me in your love.

Be strong, let your heart take courage,

all who hope in the Lord.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

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Second reading

Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

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Gospel Acclamation

Phil2:8-9

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Christ was humbler yet,

even to accepting death, death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name which is above all names.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

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Gospel

John 18:1-19:42

Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They answered, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ ‘I have told you that I am he,’ replied Jesus. ‘If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.’ This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’

Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’

The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’

Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter, ‘Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?’ He answered, ‘I am not.’ Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, ‘I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.’ At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, ‘Is that the way to answer the high priest?’ Jesus replied, ‘If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?’ Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’ He denied it saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’ Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.

They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ They replied, ‘If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.’ The Jews answered, ‘We are not allowed to put a man to death.’ This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.

So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ he asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’ ‘Truth?’ said Pilate ‘What is that?’; and with that he went out again to the Jews and said, ‘I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?’ At this they shouted: ‘Not this man,’ they said ‘but Barabbas.’ Barabbas was a brigand.

Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’; and they slapped him in the face.

Pilate came outside again and said to them, ‘Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.’ Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, ‘Here is the man.’ When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.’ ‘We have a Law,’ the Jews replied ‘and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.’

When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him, ‘Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?’ ‘You would have no power over me’ replied Jesus ‘if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.’

From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted, ‘If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.’ Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. ‘Here is your king’ said Pilate to the Jews. ‘Take him away, take him away!’ they said. ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Do you want me to crucify your king?’ said Pilate. The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king except Caesar.’ So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, ‘You should not write “King of the Jews,” but “This man said: I am King of the Jews.”’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’

When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another, ‘Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.’ In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:

They shared out my clothing among them.

They cast lots for my clothes.

This is exactly what the soldiers did.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:

‘I am thirsty.’

A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:

Not one bone of his will be broken;

and again, in another place scripture says:

They will look on the one whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Nailed with hatred, he died with love

Why did Jesus die? Sin is rebellion against God. It breaks our relationship with him. Sin destroyed any hope of life with God and brought us eternal death. God in his mercy sent his Son as man to live among us and make reparation for our sin. It was his Father’s will that he live a life of love. From birth until death, Jesus gave himself in love: he revealed God as Father, preached the truth about God and life, shared all our suffering and bore our pain. Most of all he came to win forgiveness and the Holy Spirit to make us God’s children. God did not desire Jesus to die on the Cross. Wicked men rejected everything Jesus said and did. In hatred, they killed him. Until his last breath, he loved and offered his life for our salvation. Do you offer your life to him in gratitude?

Holy Saturday

Mark 15:40-47
There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. 42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Cursed for our Sake

Jesus has become a curse for our sake. In Deuteronomy 21:23 it says that everyone who dies on a cross is under a curse. Joseph of Arimathea is a righteous man who waits for the coming of God’s kingdom. He goes to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He does not appear yet to be a disciple and only gives the simplest of burials. He thereby fulfils the Law of Moses, which forbids a crucified man to hang on the tree over night lest the land be cursed. The women do not help him either but stand at a distance and see how and where he laid the Body of Jesus. The women are the disciples. They go to prepare spices and oils for a proper burial. As God rested on the Sabbath now Jesus rests on the Sabbath. How will you meet the Risen Lord tomorrow?