Verses from the Passion

Although it’s at the very heart of our faith, the story of the suffering and death of Jesus is recounted in its entirety only twice a year, and then in the same week: on Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

Though we hear this story infrequently, its characters, scenes, words and phrases live in our imagination: particular words and phrases have embedded themselves in our spiritual memory. 

So some of these verses echo in a place deep in your soul, as they do in mine?

Listen again…

I say to you, one of you will betray me…

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Palm Sunday. Fr Oliver Keenan take us on a journey through Bethphage. If you have an idle moment, you can […]

The Dominican Friars in Britain

Who Is This?

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (A)  |  Fr Fergus Kerr invites us to rediscover the identity of Jesus as […]

The Dominican Friars in Britain

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord  |  Fr Robert Ombres meditates on our entry in Jerusalem together with […]

The Dominican Friars in Britain

Jesus is One of Us

Because of the length of the Passion, I only want to share with you a few thoughts on today’s second reading that comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I believe that what Paul says in that letter can be of great comfort to us as we face the threat of this coronavirus.

We are truly in unprecedented times. We are locked in our homes. We worry about our own health and the health of those that we love. We feel helpless. And we try to imagine when and how this threat to our world will come to an end. But as we face the struggle with this disease, it is important for us to remember that Jesus understands our vulnerability and our fear. Paul describes Jesus to the Philippians, “Although he was in the form of God, he humbled himself and took on human form, accepting even death on a cross.”

God is greater than us, but Jesus is one of us. He understands what it is to experience human fear. He understands what it is to worry about those we love. He knows what it means to feel helpless, because he was helpless before those who crucified him. Therefore, when we turn to God in prayer during this crisis as we well should, it is important for us to understand that Jesus knows us completely. In that human understanding that he has as our brother, he knows our vulnerability. He feels our fear. He strengthens us to hand our lives into our Father’s hands.

Into the Cacophony of Sin

Into the Cacophony of Sin - Word on Fire

On Palm Sunday, we are privileged to listen to one of the great Passion narratives. In Matthew’s account, we see Jesus as a still-point in the maelstrom, as God’s fidelity amidst a cacophony of sin. In the course of the Passion, Jesus confronts betrayal, laziness, violence, untruth, abuse of power, self-destruction, and wanton cruelty—the whole […]

Word on Fire

Recalling 2020’s Lockdown

PALM SUNDAY, YEAR A 5th April 2020. Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66. The lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has made this Palm Sunday an unusual one. The third for

Sunday Homily

The lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has made this Palm Sunday an unusual one…

Our self-isolation and social distancing could be a blessing in disguise! According to the gospel, it was the chief priests and the elders that persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. Today in our isolation we will not hear the voice of the chief priests and the elders. Social distancing will remove from us all distractions. We shall be left alone to decide who is to be released into our lives. One promises relative peace amidst pain, while the other promises life eternal. This is a choice that must be made from the solitude of our hearts. As we make our way into the Holy Week, may our thoughts be guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Sign of Contradiction

Our liturgy today begins with a celebration of the entry of the Lord into the Holy City and then rapidly focuses in on the Crucifixion of the Lord, this year from the Gospel of Matthew. What a contrast! We go from Jerusalem where the crowds were celebrating Jesus, crowding him, singing hosanna, to Golgotha, where Jesus was mostly deserted by all as he died on the cross.

There are contradictions even deeper than that. Mankind was disobedient to God. Jesus was obedient. Mankind was immersed in material possessions. Jesus was only concerned about the spiritual. Mankind was selfish, each person only concerned with himself or herself. Jesus was self-less. He sweat blood the night before, but he accepted the role he would play in the drama of the Kingdom. Mankind feared death clinging to life. Jesus embraced death recognizing death as a passage to eternal life. Mankind had embraced physical life and sacrificed his spiritual life. Jesus surrendered his physical life so that we can possess spiritual life.

Christ Gave His Body and Blood for Us, and Still is Today

Christ gave his body and blood for us, and still is today

Passion Sunday, Year A First Reading: Is 50:4 – 7 Second Reading: Phil 2:6 – 11 Gospel Reading: Mt 26:14 – 27:66 This Sunday’s Gospel Reading recounts not only Jesus’ crucifixion but also his Last...

The B.C. Catholic

Accordingly, the Catechism says, Jesus left us “a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands).” The Mass continuously re – presents his one sacrifice to us sacramentally, perpetuating its memory and applying its saving power to the forgiveness of our daily sins. It becomes visible to the eyes of faith at the consecration of the Mass, when Christ appears on the altar as sacrificed; that is, with his blood (under the appearance of wine) separated from his body (under the appearance of bread).

The Humility of Our Lord

In the second reading we hear, once again, about the glorification of Jesus.  However, the exaltation St. Paul talks about comes from our Lord’s obedience, even to the point of death on a Cross.  St. Paul speaks specifically about the humility of our Lord in taking on our human nature and in His obedience.  So, unlike what happened on Palm Sunday, the exaltation of our Lord by His Heavenly Father took place only after the humiliation of the Cross.  Of course, Jesus is God, so when se say our Lord’s disposition did not change, then neither did the disposition of His Father change.  God exalted Jesus (while on earth) on the Cross; and He exalted Him after His life on earth in the resurrection, ascension, and glorification in Heaven.  God’s disposition was one of love, demonstrated by humility and service. 

The King Who Comes in Humility and Silence

The King who comes in Humility and Silence

Palm Sunday Public opinion is a fragile thing, especially for politicians. In a world, where polls often seem to take the place of...

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Public opinion is a fragile thing, especially for politicians. In a world, where polls often seem to take the place of prophets, the final outcome still remains an open question. You may be leading in the polls, but that doesn’t mean that you would get the most votes when the actual ballots are counted. Likewise, the underdogs should not throw in the towel too prematurely. Who knows? They may emerge as the unsuspected victor. 

This is what happened during the first Holy Week. A descendent of David enters the city of Jerusalem and is hailed as king by the crowds but at the end of the week, he is condemned a criminal. At the beginning of the week, he is considered the best candidate, but as the week progresses, as public opinion wanes, he is regarded as the worst. This is reflected in the triumphant tone at the start of our liturgy which slowly evolves into a bitter story of betrayal and rejection. As far as public opinion is concerned, it had turned against this man. It is true that public opinion is a dangerous beast to try and ride, not even kings are safe from its force.

Clergy E-Notes

Pro-life reflections and intercessions related to the Sunday readings

The Passion of the Lord

Homily: Palm Sunday, Year A, The Passion of the Lord - SINGLE HUMANITY

By Christ Passion God's extreme love is laid bare. IHis outstretched arms embraces all humanity, there we discover ourselves as brothers and sisters

SINGLE HUMANITY

In the passion of Jesus we appreciate better the tenderness of the merciful Father whose eyes are fixed to the road as he awaits the return of his rebellious son. In the passion, we understand the depth of that apparently unwise and uneconomical action of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep at risk and bothers to go and retrieve the lone lost sheep. Indeed, in the passion of Jesus the depth of God’s love for us is laid bare.

“Hosanna”…”Crucify Him”

Palm Sunday, the sixth Sunday of Lent, commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as recorded in all the four Gospels. It is the great doorway leading to Holy Week when the Lord Jesus makes His way towards the culmination of his earthly existence.  Palm Sunday begins the Passion or Holy Week. It is also called Passion Sunday. In some cases it is referred to as Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. The day’s principal ceremonies are the benediction of palms, the procession, Mass and the singing of the Passion.

A Man with Alzheimer’s

When all is said and done, we celebrate the one thing we must never forget. As Fr. Richard Neuhaus said, “If what Christians say about Good Friday is true, then it is, quite simply, the truth about everything.”* A poignant story will bring home this point. 

It is about a man suffering from Alzheimer’s. Sometimes we joke about the disease – it is natural considering how much forgetfulness is part of our human condition. But Alzheimer’s is more than forgetting birthdays and where the keys are. For the person’s family it is a wrenching burden. In this case, the family watched in pain as the man lost different aspects of his memory. First, he began forgetting ordinary things like how to turn on the shower or to use a toaster…

Meditating on Jesus’ Passion

As we reflect on Jesus’ Passion, we remember the crowd on Palm Sunday waving palm branches expecting Jesus to win a victory. Jesus did win a victory, not as they hoped but infinitely better, the victory over death. We too can say Hosanna, “Save us,” but asking Jesus to save us by the fruits of his Passion.

Humming “All Glory, Laud and Honor” – Palm Sunday and the Tritium

For about a week now I have been humming, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” – the traditional hymn associated with Palm Sunday.  The hymn is usually sung after the distribution of palms and as the congregation enters into the church calling to mind our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem.  

Since Ash Wednesday we as the Church have been preparing for the celebrations of the upcoming week.  

I do not preach on Palm Sunday (which is an option for the priest and deacon).  I believe that the reading of our Lord’s passion and death says it all and sometimes the best thing that a preacher of the word can do is know when to remain silent.

At the end of the Mass though I do share some words regarding what we as Church will be about this next week…

The Church: A Barrier to Grace?

Jesus found the religious institution symbolised by the temple to be not a vehicle of grace but a barrier to it. He was forced to empty it. This is our final chance as we begin Holy Week to ask him to cleanse away whatever in our hearts is a barrier to grace. More importantly, we are asked to take a good look at the institution of the church, especially as it is lived in our local community. Are we as a church an instrument of grace to those outside and a way of holiness for those within? If not, Jesus will have to do to us what he did to the temple.

The other anti-­‐‑climax is that the crowd who welcomed Jesus with such enthusiasm became just as enthusiastic in calling for his crucifixion. That our following of Jesus might be more sincere, the Church asks us to listen today to the Passion Story. Surely it will move us to gratitude and love and a renewal of faith and commitment. As in imagination we walk the way of the cross with him let us hear him speaking to us (I am borrowing these words from Father Bede North):

Betrayal

he liturgy of Passion Sunday is a collision of themes: glorious hosannas and somber omens. Isaiah promised a servant of God who would have a “face set like flint” to brave the pummeling, spit, and ridicule. Paul’s lovely hymn in Philippians is one of triumph—“every knee should bend in heaven and earth and every tongue confess”—but only after disgrace and ignominious death.

It goes unnoticed, for the most part, that the inescapable context of the Passion is a national, tribal, and political struggle. The betrayals are always hatched in the presence of looming authorities who seduce the betrayer—the Judas, the Peter, the disciple in us. You cannot avoid the sense that there is some profound geopolitical strife going on here. The stage is set for armed violence, the raised sword in the cause of right. There are secret police and public meetings of high priests, governors, assemblies. There are political prisoners. Finally, there is a crisis of authority. “Are you the king of the Jews?” Are you the king of Christians? Are you the king of Catholics?

“Eli Eli Lema Sabachthani”

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? These last words from Jesus on the cross are from psalm 22. You may wish to pick up a bible this week and prayerfully read it, because in this psalm contains Jesus’ understanding of why his death on the cross was salvific for the human race. The last part of psalm 22 is quite revealing. Towards the end the psalmist says, “All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the Lord…All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; all who have gone down in the dust will kneel in homage.”