Today we begin the most solemn week in the Church year: Holy Week. We have been journeying for almost forty days through the Season of Lent, and the hope is that we have entered into the grace of this Season. The Lenten journey takes us to a shocking halt at the foot of the Cross and then to the stony impasse of the Tomb, where it appears all hope is lost… until Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Today’s Mass begins with St. Matthew’s account of the triumphant procession of Jesus into Jerusalem. He enters the city in humble fashion, riding on a donkey. The crowds hail him as their King, waving palm branches in celebration. They call out hosanna, which literally means “save us” – indicating that as they praise Jesus, they acknowledge him as the Messiah. However, the people who joyfully hail Jesus as the Son of David with shouts of hosanna are the same ones who, in only a few short days, are screaming for Pilate to have him crucified. How quickly the human heart changes!
The Liturgy of the Word ends with Jesus’ betrayal, trial, crucifixion and death. Our joy with the palms soon turns to horror as the account of Jesus’ Passion and Death is read. How could things have changed so suddenly? The Jews at the time mistakenly expect the Messiah to be an earthly king, political leader, or military commander who will liberate them from Roman rule. When they realize that Jesus is not the sort of king they were hoping for, they reject him. The same can also be said of us. Jesus does not always save us as we expect him to. He is a “sign of contradiction” (Lk 2:34). He comes in humility – even foolishness – riding a lowly ass. He empties himself, taking on the form of a slave, and obediently accepts death, even death on the Cross. If we want to share in Jesus’ Kingdom and his glory, we must follow him along his way of self-abasement – and this is repulsive to human nature. To honor Jesus and follow him in the way of the Cross does not come easily. In fact, if we are left to ourselves, the task is impossible. However, we are not left alone and unaided.
As we ponder the Gospel account of Jesus’ Passion and Death, we can imagine ourselves alongside the followers of Jesus. We look at their lives and see their weaknesses, and if we are totally honest, we see the same weaknesses in ourselves. All the disciples desert Jesus. Judas betrays him. Peter denies him out of fear for his own life. Jesus’ enemies deaden their consciences and reject the truth of his words. Even John, the beloved disciple, is nowhere to be found. Only Mary and a small remnant of people are faithful to the end. Through Mary’s faithfulness, John finds the courage to return and stand at the Cross with the holy women.
Mary’s presence at the Cross is key for us. If we remain with her, she will give us the courage to follow the Lord and to stand at the foot of his Cross. She is the Mother of the Redeemer who is proclaimed our Mother as well. We can look to her for the grace of the new heart promised by Jesus, through his Death on the Cross. Remaining with Mary always leads us to Jesus. She takes nothing for herself as she brings us to her Son.
This Thursday, Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrates the Feast of Passover with his disciples. Passover commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. During the Passover meal, the question is asked, “How is this night different from all other nights?” Then the story of the Exodus from Egypt is told. It is during the Passover supper – what we now know as the Last Supper – that Jesus institutes the Eucharist and the priesthood. The night of the Last Supper is the night that is different from all other nights because Jesus institutes two Sacraments of the Church and begins his saving Passion. “O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us” (from an ancient prayer; CCC 1402).
When Jesus dies on the Cross, the veil of the sanctuary is torn in two, there is an earthquake, and the dead rise from their tombs. Seeing all this, the Gentile soldiers issue a stark proclamation: “Truly, this was the Son of God!” Jesus is the Son of God! He has come to free us from sin. He takes on himself our condemnation, allowing himself to be beaten and finally killed, so that we might share his Divine Life. What an extraordinary display of love! Can we fathom his behavior and the depth of his love for us? This question is planted in our hearts as we begin Passion Week.
How can I remain faithful to Jesus when circumstances arise that go against my hopes and expectations? In what ways do I see myself in the weakness of the disciples during Jesus’ Passion? To what extent am I willing to empty myself for love of Jesus and others?
Excerpt from The Anawim Way, Volume 22, no. 3. More information about The Anawim Way may be found here.