March 20, 2016 – Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord – Lectionary: 37 and 38

At The Procession With Palms – Gospel – Luke 19:28-40

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany
at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples.
He said, “Go into the village opposite you,
and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered
on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
And if anyone should ask you,
‘Why are you untying it?’
you will answer,
‘The Master has need of it.’”
So those who had been sent went off
and found everything just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
“Why are you untying this colt?”
They answered,
“The Master has need of it.”
So they brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks over the colt,
and helped Jesus to mount.
As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.
They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He said in reply,
“I tell you, if they keep silent,
the stones will cry out!”

At The Mass – Reading 1 – Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Reading 2 – Philippians 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied 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.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel – Luke 22:14—23:56

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.

Or – Luke 23:1-49___________________________________________

The elders of the people, chief priests and scribes,
arose and brought Jesus 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.”

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Listen to the Scriptures: Click on the link below:

http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/16_03_20.mp3

PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

Today’s solemnity celebrates the paradox of the Cross: we proclaim not only our faith in the searing reality and value of our Lord’s suffering for us, but our joy, too, in possessing so great a Redeemer. How dearly God has loved us! “To ransom a slave he handed over his Son!”

Introduction: The rite of Holy Week urges the faithful to participate in the solemn procession of the palms in order “to give public testimony of their love and gratitude to Christ the King.” Our Lord, it is true, enters Jerusalem to meet his death, but he goes as a champion of his people, a victor who will reign from the cross. The old blessing of the palms was shortened in order to accentuate the importance of the procession. This is the opportunity, therefore, for all Christians to proclaim their loyalty to their King and their acceptance of the cross as a way to salvation and glory for themselves.

Point 1: After the procession, however, a more somber note is struck. In the first two readings we find the paradox of the life of Christ and of our own: after defeat, victory; after dark, light; after death, life. The Gospel is an account of Christ’s sufferings; notice how the evangelist keeps citing the prophecies of the Old Testament to show that God willed these sufferings in order to save mankind. Notice, too, the patient obedience and self-effacement of our Lord, and how he looks always to his Father with complete trust to bring him out of this anguish and to give him its reward – resurrection, glory, and the establishment of the kingdom of the redeemed who will praise God forever.

Point 2: This is the time to ponder the immense love of God for me personally. Galatians 2:20: “He loved me and sacrificed himself for me.” Whatever spiritual good and gifts of grace I enjoy, my deliverance from eternal damnation, my hope of eternal happiness, are mine because of his merits. Whatever my failures to come up to the ideal of my Christian vocation, I can always feel a great love of me in the Lord’s Passion. Other thoughts to consider this week: the infinite wisdom and goodness of God, who devised so suitable a means of melting the hearts of men; the confirmation of our hope (see Romans 5: 9-10); our vocation to imitate Christ (see 1 Peter 2:21).

Point 3: The saints have always found inspiration and strength in the Passion. It is a concentrated, powerful summary of Christ’s life and of the love and obedience which characterized it, as we see from Mark 10: 45: “The son of man,” he said of himself, “did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” When we imitate him we “proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

Conclusion: This week challenges all of us to decide how closely we want to walk in his bloodstained steps, whether we are content to be “delicate members of a thorn-crowned head.” Remember the Sign of the Cross. No one is completely free of trouble in this life. Pain, stress, tension, disappointment, sickness, failure, humiliation, depression, headaches afflict every person to some degree. By itself, this suffering has no meaning. When marked with the Sign of the Cross, however, it assumes spiritual, saving, and hopeful significance.

QUESTIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO OTHER THOUGHTS

What are some mistaken ways of coping with suffering?

Should we look for pain?

How do we tell the difference between psychological masochism and spiritual acceptance of suffering?

Who are some outstanding examples of bearers of the Sign of the Cross? Despite differences, is there something they have in common?

In what ways have you been challenged to love? Did it cause suffering?

How have you encouraged others in their struggle of faith, in their moments of suffering?

Reading 1 – Isaiah 50: 4-7

Isaiah discloses the inner sentiments of a man who has received the grace to suffer for his religious principles and belief. The man sees himself destined for martyrdom and realizes that the strength to face it comes from the Lord. He never believed he would find words to cope with his oppressors but the Lord has given him a bold language both to encourage the weary and to speak to the consciences of tyrants. At one time it would have been unthinkable for him to endure the inhumanity of beatings and humiliations. Now he finds unlocked within himself the splendid energy to offer his body to the persecutors and to accept whatever pain they choose to inflict. The important thing to remember is that this is not mere human bravery and grit but a grace from the Lord.

Reading 2 – Philippians 2: 6-11

One of the greatest problems we face is self-importance expanded beyond due proportion. There is no question the self is important but if we allow it to balloon into a preening self-indulgence then we will have very little hope of coping with the meaning of suffering and the significance of Christ’s passion. St. Paul tells the Philippians that Jesus walked in glory. Surely if anyone had the right to an exalted sense of self-importance, Christ would. Yet as Paul points out, Jesus laid aside the grandeur and the glory.

He emptied himself and walked the earth in simplicity and did not try to thunder his inner greatness against the frailty of people. Jesus shows how incredible inner greatness need not lead to arrogance but rather to the humble transformation of the sorrows of this life into genuine greatness, which is spiritual.

Gospel Reading – Gospel – Luke 22:14—23:56

The lengthy Gospel narrative of the Passion of our Lord reminds us of the extraordinary prominence which the preaching of the passion possessed in the apostolic mission. It is a fact, of course, that the original preaching of the apostles was first and foremost the passion and resurrection of Christ. They are concerned, as we should be, with the paschal mystery, the central object of our faith, for we are indeed saved by Christ’s death and resurrection. It should be clear to us that we can never hear enough about it. Given the forgetfulness of people, the Church makes sure that every Passion Sunday the narrative of the death of Jesus is read to all Catholic people. There is no human being who does not undergo a way of the Cross. The Gospel account of the passion teaches that the way of the Cross is the only real method for interpreting the significance of human suffering.

THE SEASON OF LENT and the FINAL SUNDAY IN LENT

The season of Lent has gradually unfolded to us the nature of the human condition. The first week focused on the temptations of man. The second week reminded us of how, in the context of this spiritual combat with the demonic, man wakes up to a PRESENCE who can do what He has promised. Gradually man experiences how long-suffering and patient God is (third week). He gives us time to repent, and mend our ways, like the prodigal son (fourth week). And thus our inward eye opens up to perceive the greatest of God’s deeds: His divine forgiveness (fifth week).

The sixth and final Sunday in Lent concentrates on what it costs to bring grace and life out of a situation of sin and death.

The cost is what Jesus had to go through trying to reconcile sinful humanity to God. The price of reconciliation is his Passion and Death. Indeed, there is no redemption without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9: 22). Jesus freely lays down his life with a heart full of love and forgiveness, even as others treacherously betray, deny murder and bury.

But there is a quality of life that cannot be murdered or buried. Those who are purified by the remembrance of what happened to Jesus will begin themselves to reflect this quality of life that not even death could violate or annihilate. Life reaches its perfect fulfillment when this quality enters into it.

It is the ability to give to the point of self-giving, forgiving and life-giving. All denials, betrayals and burials are blunted in the face of life that only wants to give and keep on giving, loving.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

For Pope Francis: that God will fill him with strength and guide him in leading the Church in fulfillment of its mission and in loving service of those most in need, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Church: that we may speak a word of hope and renewal to all who are burdened and yearning for life, let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to forgive: that we may be guided to forgive freely all who injure us just as God has forgiven us, let us pray to the Lord.

For a spirit of service: that we may help others bear their suffering and be instruments of God’s love and compassion to them, let us pray to the Lord.

For the grace to empty ourselves: that we may join Christ in surrendering ourselves into God’s hands and allowing God to raise us to new life in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are suffering: that their hearts may trust God more fully and remain open to God’s invitation, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have been humiliated or denigrated: that they may find their value and worth in being children of the Father, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have been unjustly accused: that God will give them strength and hope as they endure suffering and hardship, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have been condemned to death: that God’s light and truth will touch their hearts and give them hope, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who work for justice: that the reign of God will be manifest in their words and deeds, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have been the victims of crime: that they may find healing, peace, and freedom in the wounds of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have suffered abuse: that God will heal their pain, renew their sense of dignity as a child of God, and help them to fully live life, let us pray to the Lord.

For all world leaders: that they may follow the example of Christ and make service of the least a guiding principle of their work, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have lost jobs or cannot find employment: that God will open pathways for them to use their gifts for the good of the human family, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are ill: that they may find healing and hope in the sufferings of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Jewish people: that as they celebrate Passover this week, they may deepen their covenant with God and be touched more fully by God’s Word, let us pray to the Lord.

For the people of the Holy Land: that God will give courage to all leaders to make new efforts for peace and justice for who live in the biblical lands, let us pray to the Lord.

For peace: that God will inspire new efforts for peace and the resolution of all conflicts, let us pray to the Lord.