Sunday 24 March
2013
Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) C
Isaiah 50:4-7. Psalm 21: 8-9.
17-20. 23-24. Rv 2. Phil. 2:6-11. Luke
22:14-23:56
I set my face like flint; I
know I shall not be shamed.
I will tell of your name to my
brethren
His state was divine yet Christ
Jesus did not cling to his equality with God.
Father forgive them, they know
not what they are doing.
First reading
Isaiah
50:4-7
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.
This is one of the Songs of the
Servant of Yahweh. Originally it was written with regard to the sufferings of
one man or may be of the people of Israel in captivity in Babylon. However
Jesus would have understood himself in this poem. He too was to suffer
unjustly and he too would be helpless and refuse to resist, while trusting in God to save him.
The early Christians in trying to understand the horror of the death of Jesus
found meaning for it in these passages. Likewise we too are to find consolation
and strength in the fidelity of God in the sufferings which we must face and
cannot avoid.
Psalm
Psalm
21:8-9,17-20,23-24
My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?
All who see me deride me.
They curl their lips, they toss their
heads.
‘He trusted in the Lord, let him save
him;
let him release him if this is his
friend.’
My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?
Many dogs have surrounded me,
a band of the wicked beset me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet
I can count every one of my bones.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?
They divide my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my robe.
O Lord, do not leave me alone,
my strength, make haste to help me!
My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?
I will tell of your name to my brethren
and praise you where they are assembled.
‘You who fear the Lord give him praise;
all sons of Jacob, give him glory.
Revere him, Israel’s sons.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Second reading
Philippians
2:6-11
Jesus Christ’s state was divine,
yet he did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he 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 other names
so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the
underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of
Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
God’s love for us goes beyond
anything we can understand. First, out of love for us he becomes a man and
lives among. He becomes a true man, not just an appearance. He has all the
weakness, the ignorance and the inevitability of death that every human being has.
However he is totally obedient out of love and obeys God in all things. This is
the only difference between Jesus and us. He has identified with us. Do we
identify with him?
Gospel
Acclamation
Phil2:8-9
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
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.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
Gospel
Luke
22:14-23:56
When the hour came, Jesus took his place
at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have longed to eat
this passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it
again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’
Then,
taking a cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and share it among you, because
from now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the kingdom of God comes.’
Then
he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them,
saying, ‘This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of
me.’ He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new
covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.
‘And
yet, here with me on the table is the hand of the man who betrays me. The Son
of Man does indeed go to his fate even as it has been decreed, but alas for
that man by whom he is betrayed!’ And they began to ask one another which of
them it could be who was to do this thing.
A
dispute arose also between them about which should be reckoned the greatest,
but he said to them, ‘Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and
those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. This must
not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the
youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater:
the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I
among you as one who serves!
‘You
are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a
kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve
tribes of Israel.
‘Simon,
Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift you all like wheat; but I
have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail, and once you have
recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers.’ ‘Lord,’ he answered
‘I would be ready to go to prison with you, and to death.’ Jesus replied, ‘I
tell you, Peter, by the time the cock crows today you will have denied three
times that you know me.’
He
said to them, ‘When I sent you out without purse or haversack or sandals, were
you short of anything?’ ‘No’ they said. He said to them, ‘But now if you have a
purse, take it; if you have a haversack, do the same; if you have no sword,
sell your cloak and buy one, because I tell you these words of scripture have
to be fulfilled in me: He let himself be taken for a criminal Yes, what
scripture says about me is even now reaching its fulfilment.’ ‘Lord,’ they said
‘there are two swords here now.’ He said to them, ‘That is enough!’
He
then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with the disciples
following. When they reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray not to be put to
the test.’
Then
he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw away, and knelt down and prayed. ‘Father,’
he said ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your
will be done, not mine.’ Then an angel appeared to him, coming from heaven to
give him strength. In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat
fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
When
he rose from prayer he went to the disciples and found them sleeping for sheer
grief. ‘Why are you asleep?’ he said to them. ‘Get up and pray not to be put to
the test.’
He
was still speaking when a number of men appeared, and at the head of them the
man called Judas, one of the Twelve, who went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus
said, ‘Judas, are you betraying the son of Man with a kiss?’ His followers,
seeing what was happening, said, ‘Lord, shall we use our swords?’ And one of
them struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. But at
this Jesus spoke. ‘Leave off!’ he said ‘That will do!’ And touching the man’s
ear he healed him.
Then
Jesus spoke to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guard and elders
who had come for him. ‘Am I a brigand’ he said ‘that you had to set out with
swords and clubs? When I was among you in the Temple day after day you never
moved to lay hands on me. But this is your hour; this is the reign of darkness.’
They
seized him then and led him away, and they took him to the high priest’s house.
Peter followed at a distance. They had lit a fire in the middle of the
courtyard and Peter sat down among them, and as he was sitting there by the
blaze a servant-girl saw him, peered at him, and said, ‘This person was with
him too.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman,’ he said ‘I do not know him.’ ‘Shortly
afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You are another of them.’ But Peter
replied, ‘I am not, my friend.’ About an hour later another man insisted,
saying, ‘This fellow was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean.’ ‘My
friend,’ said Peter ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ At that
instant, while he was still speaking, the cock crew, and the Lord turned and
looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, ‘Before
the cock crows today, you will have disowned me three times.’ And he went
outside and wept bitterly.
Meanwhile
the men who guarded Jesus were mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him
and questioned him. ‘Play the prophet’ they said. ‘Who hit you then?’ And they
continued heaping insults on him.
When
day broke there was a meeting of the elders of the people, attended by the
chief priests and scribes. He was brought before their council, and they said
to him, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’ ‘If I tell you,’ he replied ‘you will
not believe me, and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on,
the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God. Then they
all said, ‘So you are the Son of God then?’ He answered, ‘It is you who say I
am.’ ‘What need of witnesses have we now?’ they said. ‘We have heard it for
ourselves from his own lips.’ The whole assembly then rose, and they brought
him before Pilate.
They
began their accusation by saying, ‘We found this man inciting our people to
revolt, opposing payment of the tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a
king.’ Pilate put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘It is
you who say it’ he replied. Pilate then said to the chief priests and the
crowd, ‘I find no case against this man.’ But they persisted, ‘He is inflaming
the people with his teaching all over Judaea; it has come all the way from
Galilee, where he started, down to here.’ When Pilate heard this, he asked if
the man were a Galilean; and finding that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction he
passed him over to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod
was delighted to see Jesus; he had heard about him and had been wanting for a
long time to set eyes on him; moreover, he was hoping to see some miracle
worked by him. So he questioned him at some length; but without getting any
reply. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes were there, violently
pressing their accusations. Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him
with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak on him and sent him back
to Pilate. And though Herod and Pilate had been enemies before, they were
reconciled that same day.
Pilate
then summoned the chief priests and the leading men and the people. ‘You
brought this man before me’ he said ‘as a political agitator. Now I have gone
into the matter myself in your presence and found no case against the man in
respect of all the charges you bring against him. Nor has Herod either, since
is he has sent him back to us. As you can see, the man has done nothing that
deserves death, So I shall have him flogged and then let him go.’ But as one
man they howled, ‘Away with him! Give us Barabbas!’ (This man had been thrown
into prison for causing a riot in the city and for murder.)
Pilate
was anxious to set Jesus free and addressed them again, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify
him! Crucify him!’ And for the third time he spoke to them, ‘Why? What harm has
this man done? I have found no case against him that deserves death, so I shall
have him punished and then let him go’ But they kept on shouting at the top of
their voices, demanding that he should be crucified. And their shouts were
growing louder.
Pilate
then gave his verdict: their demand was to be granted. He released the man they
asked for, who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and handed Jesus
over to them to deal with as they pleased.
As
they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was
coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind
Jesus. Large numbers of people followed him, and of women too, who mourned and
lamented for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For the
days will surely come when people will say, “Happy are those who are barren,
the wombs that have never borne, the breasts that have never suckled!” Then
they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”; to the hills, “Cover
us.” For if men use the green wood like this, what will happen when it is dry?’
Now with him they were also leading out two other criminals to be executed.
When
they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there and the two
criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left. Jesus said, ‘Father,
forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ Then they cast lots to
share out his clothing.
The
people stayed there watching him. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He
saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the
Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer
vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him
there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One
of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save
yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no
fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our
case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done
nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed,
I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
It
was now about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over
the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down
the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, he said, ‘Father,
into your hands I commit my spirit’ With these words he breathed his last.
When
the centurion saw what had taken place, he gave praise to God and said, ‘This
was a great and good man.’ And when all the people who had gathered for the
spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts.
All
his friends stood at a distance; so also did the women who had accompanied him
from Galilee, and they saw all this happen.
Then
a member of the council arrived, an upright and virtuous man named Joseph. He
had not consented to what the others had planned and carried out. He came from
Arimathaea, a Jewish town, and he lived in the hope of seeing the kingdom of
God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He then took it
down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb which was hewn in stone in
which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day and the sabbath was
imminent.
Meanwhile
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus were following behind. They took
note of the tomb and of the position of the body.
Then
they returned and prepared spices and ointments. And on the sabbath day they
rested, as the Law required.
Following?
His hour has come.
It is the showdown – not between the Jewish authorities and Jesus but between
the Christ and Satan. The battle lines are drawn. As Messiah Jesus will only
use his human strength. No overwhelming divine power, it will be an even
contest, as for all human beings whom he represents. Satan has tempted Jesus in
every way but has failed to make him turn from God. Now he is about to throw everything he has at
him in the hope that he will abandon his faith and trust.
Satan has
infiltrated the group of disciples and won over Judas. The chief priests are
ready to do his will. He can easily persuade Pilate and the Roman soldiers and
Herod is already his. Jesus too has friends but they lack political power and
most of them are unstable. Furthermore,
Satan has had his will and sifted them like wheat. They will not put up any
resistance. They will all run away at the critical time and their leader will
publicly deny Jesus. Only some women will remain faithful until the end and
follow him to his burial. It looks like a one-sided fight.
Jesus on the
other hand prepares for the contest by prayer and throughout he will be in
union with his Father. There is no question of running away. If his Father
intervenes and changes the scenario, he will be relieved but he himself will
not escape. He prepares for the final
battle by more intense prayer - ‘his sweat fell to the ground like great drops
of blood’. His Father answers his prayer. He rises full of peace, resolution,
and strength. Satan can do anything now. Jesus will suffer it all but not lose
trust in his Father. He will love him until the end. Though abandoned by his
disciples, betrayed by Peter, mocked and buffeted by his guards, the object of
prejudice and the false accusations of the Jews, the injustice and cruelty of
the Romans, Jesus never loses his composure. In the midst of frenzy, he is
dignified. In the midst of hatred, he loves, comforting the women, forgiving
and praying for his murderers. In the
midst of mockery and abuse, he turns to save the thief who pleads with him.
When all his strength is gone, he gives his final witness. Turning to his Father,
he offers his spirit, bows his head, and dies. The pagan centurion at the foot
of the cross declaring him innocent gives praise to God. The people there go
home repentant beating their breasts.
The battle is over. Satan is defeated. The shame of Adam’s disobedience
is wiped away. The veil of the Temple
is torn down and we are reconciled with God.
Our Brother
won for us the Spirit of the new creation. You are now a child of God. Do you
try to love and obey as Jesus did?
Father, grant that I may follow Jesus through his Passion and mine to
the Resurrection.
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