Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024

Praying in solidarity with Jesus

Mark 14:1—15:47

The Conspiracy Against Jesus.

14:1 ^* The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread^* were to take place in two days’ time.^a So the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to arrest him by treachery and put him to death. 2 They said, “Not during the festival, for fear that there may be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany.

^* 3 When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper,^b a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. 4 There were some who were indignant. “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? 5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.” They were infuriated with her. 6 Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. 9 Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

The Betrayal by Judas.

10 ^c Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them. 11 When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

Preparations for the Passover.

12 ^d On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,^* his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water.^* Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Betrayer.

17 ^e When it was evening, he came with the Twelve. 18 ^* And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one, “Surely it is not I?” 20 He said to them, “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish. 21 For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,^* but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”

The Lord’s Supper.

22 ^* While they were eating,^f he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed^* for many. 25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 Then, after singing a hymn,^* they went out to the Mount of Olives.^g

Peter’s Denial Foretold.

^* 27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be dispersed.’^h

28 But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be.” 30 Then Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” 31 But he vehemently replied, “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all spoke similarly.

The Agony in the Garden.

32 ^* Then they came to a place named Gethsemane,ⁱ and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”^j 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. 34 Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” 35 He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; 36 he said, “Abba, Father,^* all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” 37 When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 ^* Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.^k The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” 39 Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. 40 Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him. 41 He returned a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. 42 Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus.

43 ^l Then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44 His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, “The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely.” 45 He came and immediately went over to him and said, “Rabbi.” And he kissed him. 46 At this they laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 One of the bystanders drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to seize me? 49 Day after day I was with you teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me; but that the scriptures may be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled. 51 Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, 52 but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin.

53 ^{* m} They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 55 The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none. 56 Many gave false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 ^* Some took the stand and testified falsely against him, alleging, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.’”ⁿ 59 Even so their testimony did not agree. 60 The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus, saying, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?” 61 ^* But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” 62 Then Jesus answered, “I am;

and ‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power
and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”^o

63 At that the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as deserving to die. 65 Some began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards greeted him with blows.^p

Peter’s Denial of Jesus.

66 ^q While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along. 67 Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 ^* But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” So he went out into the outer court. [Then the cock crowed.] 69 The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 Once again he denied it. A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.” 71 He began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.” 72 And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept.^r

Jesus Before Pilate.

1^a As soon as morning came,^b the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council.^* They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^* He said to him in reply, “You say so.” 3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.” 5 Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

The Sentence of Death.

^* 6 Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested.^c 7 A man called Barabbas^* was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. 8 The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. 9 Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?” 13 ^* They shouted again, “Crucify him.” 14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” 15 ^* So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

Mockery by the Soldiers.

16 ^{* d} The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. 18 They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.

The Way of the Cross.

21 They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian,^* who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.^e

The Crucifixion.

22 ^f They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). 23 They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 ^{* g} Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning^* when they crucified him. 26 ^* The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left.^h [28] ^* 29 ^* Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,ⁱ “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross.” 31 Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.^j

The Death of Jesus.

33 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”^* which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^k 35 ^* Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” 36 One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” 37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 ^* The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 ^{* l} When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40 ^* There were also women looking on from a distance.^m Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus.

42 ⁿ When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea,^* a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.

Music Meditations

• “My God, My God, Why (Psalm 22)” (The Psalm Project) [YouTube]
• Psalm 22 (Marty Haugen setting)
• “Jesus Remember Me” (Taizé) [YouTube]
• “Your Will” (composed by Tony Eiras; sung by Michael Amaral) [amazingradio.com]
  Scroll down to find "Your Will"; the song can be played in its entirety for free.

Opening Prayer

Lord, help me to walk with you on this dark journey. Teach me how to share in your pain, but also in your faith in your God and your love for others.

Companions for the Journey

From a Good Friday Homily by Father Brendan McGuire 2020:

Dostoyevsky, the great Russian novelist, says that
“Love is a harsh thing and that it costs, it costs everything.”
That is the profound message of the Cross and indeed of Good Friday,
it costs everything.
Nothing less than everything.

I would like to talk about the cross in three ways to keep it easy: the 3 C’s:
Commitment.
Community.
Courage.

Let me talk about Commitment.
Love is a strange thing.
True love requires of us an all-in;
it requires of us, if we are serious, a deep love.
It requires a full, deep commitment.
Nothing less will work.
Ron Rolheiser says that if we want a deep love
then we have to have a deep commitment
to sweat blood and to die to self.
And that is what the Cross represents.
Jesus dies to himself and sweats blood in the Garden of Gethsemane
to share that love to all to the point of death on the Cross.

This message of dying to self, this sweating blood,
is not something that our culture is keen to embrace.
Our culture is good at many things
but sweating blood and dying to self it is not good at.
Commitment it is not good at.
And we are getting worse at commitment not better.

You see, it requires a deep commitment for love
whether it be family or spouse; whether it be friendship;
or whether it be religious vows.
Our society has a hard time with that commitment
because we want it all.
The struggle that we have in our society is
that we do not think any of us want to do evil
we are sure there are some people who do
but we think that most all of us are not caught up
in ill will, malice or really tempted by the evil one.
We are tempted to do the lesser of two goods.
When we choose the lesser of two goods
then we give in to the lesser commitment.

For example, we think we want to be saints
but we still want to have all the sensation of a sinner.
We want to be able to have it all.
We want to be faithful in our marriage
but we also want to be able to glance and flirt
with everyone who is attractive.
We want to be good parents but we are not willing to make the sacrifice
that it takes to be a good parent,
the sacrifice of our career
to be that good parent.
Or the sacrifice of not being liked by our child
for a couple of hours or a couple of days
while we teach them what is the right thing to do;
and to sacrifice while they learn it.

We want to be loyal friends but we enjoy our individuality
and we rather resent the imposition that we have to experience
when our friend or somebody else wants something of us.
You see, deep love requires an all-in commitment.
The love of the Cross costs everything.
There is nothing left behind.
That is what the Cross symbolizes, Jesus leaving nothing behind.
He understood the deep commitment of love even to the point of death.
We have to be very clear that when and if we want to be true disciples,
one who is committed,
commitment at all costs is commitment to the end.

That brings me to the second C , Community,
Community is where we do the loving.
If we think we can be a disciple on our own,
we are completely misinformed because it is not a solitary reality.
It is a communal reality.
We love someone and they love us back;
and then we love them back;
and we love someone who may not be capable of loving us
but that is shared inside the community.
It is what a community does when somebody, for example, dies.
And the community wraps its arms around the loss of that spouse
and helps that family through that period of loss.

It is what we miss so much in this pandemic,  the gift of community
and why this technology has been so critical to us
to recognize that community is still alive
and that the love we share operates inside this community
and that is where the clarity comes in.
We cannot pretend that we love alone.
We love inside the community:
Family, the greater community, our nation, our community.

That brings me to the last C, that of courage.
It takes courage to love.
To take heart is what the word courage literally means.
It takes courage to stand for one’s values.
It takes courage to love and to give the commitment at all costs.
It takes courage to put one’s self out and be vulnerable to others.
It takes courage to do the right thing for the right reasons.
That is courage.

Let me give you an example:
There was a young man, who wanted to go to medical school
and was determined to go to medical school.
So he saved up and he and his wife saved hard;
with great cost to him and to his family,
he headed off to medical school, leaving the wife and children at home.
He gets to medical school.
It was a huge honor even to do the medical entrance exam as they came in.
The proctor goes around and hands out all the entrance exams
and proceeded to leave the room at which moment.
All the other young men and women in the room
started to take out a little piece of paper from under their sleeve,
from inside a book, from inside a pocket.
And he thought to himself as a flush came over him,
“It is impossible to compete against cheaters.”
So he stood up at the back of the room and he said,
“To every single one of you who have a piece of paper out,
I will absolutely report you.
I left my wife and my children behind so that I can be in school.
I have no intention of being beaten by cheaters.”
And he sat down.
All the little pieces of paper went back into the sleeves.
That class went on to be one of the best classes
that school had ever had because of that moment of courage
that built a community around a commitment to truth.
We hold each other accountable to our commitment
to love inside the community and that takes courage.
It is never easy.
And in the pandemic it is as hard as any other time if not harder.

So when we come to the Cross today,
we see what Christ gave us.
It was courage.
It was commitment.
It was community.
And it was all in love.
Love that costs everything.

When we go home tonight, we spend this weekend
and look around at those whom we love
and may we renew our commitment;
may we renew our community;
and may we renew our courage in the Cross of Christ.

Further reflection:

• on “Active Indifference” >>
• Reflections on Palm Sunday (year B) from “First Impressions” >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Have I ever experienced an event which did not go as planned?
  Or one which I was bothered by later?
• Have I ever counted on friends in a stressful time in my life?
  How did that work out?
  Have I ever failed to be present to someone who needed me?
  How did I feel later?
• Have I ever been publicly shamed or even betrayed by a relative or friend?
  How did I react?
• Have I ever experienced being misunderstood, “condemned” unfairly?
  How did I deal with it?
  Did Jesus’ humiliation come to mind, or the example of someone else?
• Has fear of embarrassment or losing my reputation in work, home or with friends ever caused me to deny a conversation, an action or a relationship and to lie about what was really true?
  Have I dealt with it?
• How did I react in the face of anger and hatred, when a bunch of people turned on me, made fun of me, or worse? Was I silent and dignified, was I belligerent and accusatory, or did I react in another way?
• I think of someone, like Simon, who was there to lift a cross from my shoulders.
  Have I ever expressed my gratitude?
• How would it feel to be laughed at and mocked when you are in physical or emotional pain?
• I think of a time when I was called to love unconditionally, even to forgive, when there seemed to be no return. Have I ever felt alone or forsaken by everyone, wondering if even God forgot me?
• What in my life holds me entombed; where in my life do I experience death?
• PAUSE
• How am I feeling right now?
  The “Revelation Question”: Do I feel, sense, hear, intuit the voice, movement, or will, of God in the events of my own life?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Spend some time and put yourself in the person of Judas. What has brought you to this state of discontent with Jesus? Do you still care about Him even though you are angry or disappointed? How was your experience with the chief priests? How do you feel when He declares that someone at the Passover table will betray him? How hard is it to sit calmly eating, drinking and laughing with Jesus and all your fellow disciples? Are you afraid the others will turn on you, or have you gotten past any concern for those you spent three years of your life with? Do you have any doubts? When Jesus leaves the banquet what do you do? When you come upon Him in the garden what thoughts run through your mind? How hard is it to kiss your former friend? Now that the deed is done, how do you feel? What are your plans for the future? What if you made a mistake in giving Jesus to the Sanhedrin? Do you think Jesus will forgive you? Does God figure into any of your thoughts right now?

Spend some time reviewing your own life: Have you ever reacted angrily or impulsively and hurt another? Did you get a chance to apologize or to make amends? Did you ask Jesus for forgiveness, knowing that He will never say no? Spend some time with this understanding, then keep in mind your need to forgive someone who has hurt you through neglect, selfishness or cruelty. Keep in mind that you need to forgive yourself for past mistakes, having asked God for His forgiveness.

Pray for Judas…

Poetic Reflection:

One of the hallmarks of Ignatian Spirituality is a discipline called “Active Indifference”. We are invited to look at our gifts and choices and instead of telling God what WE want, we wait to find out what God hopes and desires for us, confident that God will reveal such hope to us. The end result is to desire only what God wants for us, and by doing so, to find God in all things. This section of the poem “Ash Wednesday,” by T. S. Eliot, captures this belief and this hope:

Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated
And let my cry come unto Thee.

Sit still for a moment and imagine what Jesus was going through in that garden after the last supper. Jesus had to make a choice, and He did so in accordance with the Father’s will. How hard was for Him to care and not to care? Then reflect on what you think God might be calling you to right this very moment. Is it something you want, or maybe, is it something you have refused to consider? Allow God to speak to you, giving you reassurance that all will be well, and then see if you can respond as Jesus did: Let it be as you, not I would have it. Ask for the grace to know and draw closer to Jesus’ will for your life.

Poetic Reflection:

How do you think Jesus felt on this night, in the garden, when Peter, and the others, still did not understand what he was going through?

“Lonely Christ”

Lonely Christ
I pray to you.
You are a puzzle to me
as those I love
always are.

My soul is at odds
with the words.
What mad reach of mine
touches any thread of you?
Or what of mine, arms or eyes,
ever shares with people
where they may lie—
as they always do—
in a hard place!

What of mine shall make good
their taking of a breath,
their rising, caring, feeding
their sleeping in fear—
what shall make good
their slight faith,
their enormous promises
made in iron
for a child, man, a woman—

what of mine shall be with the people
as they caress a special grief
fondled again and again
In bludgeoned love?

What do I bring
with which to clutch
the merest hint of your shadow?

—Rev. Ed Ingebretsen, S.J.

Poetic Reflection:

What must Jesus have felt like in the garden as he was praying for comfort to his “Abba”? Judas has slipped away, not doubt to complete his nefarious plan; his buddies are all snoring—sleeping the sleep of those without a care, and uncaring, it would seem, of the struggle Jesus is experiencing:

Slowly, slowly
Comes Christ through the garden
Speaking to the sacred trees
Their branches bear his light
Without harm

Slowly, slowly
Comes Christ through the ruins
Seeking the lost disciple
A timid one
Too literate
To believe words
So he hides
Christ rises on the cornfields
It is only the harvest moon
The disciple
Turns over in his sleep
And murmurs:
“My regret!”

The disciple will awaken
When he knows history
But slowly, slowly
The Lord of History weeps into the fire

—Thomas Merton “Cables to the Ace” (stanza 80)

Reflections on Palm Sunday (year B) from “First Impressions”

Processional Gospel: Mark 11: 1-10 or John 12: 12-16
Isaiah 50: 4-7   Philippians 2: 6-11   Mark 14:1- 15:47

By Jude Siciliano, O.P.

Today we have Mark’s passion narrative. We have been hearing Mark’s gospel since Advent of this liturgical year (B). In the beginning of the gospel, John the Baptist was turned over to Herod, who gave into the pressure of others, and had him killed (6:26). Early in Jesus’ ministry Pharisees and Herodians plotted to destroy him too. Jesus predicted his death three times in the course of the gospel (8:31, 9:31, 10:33--34). In Mark’s the disciples are particularly dense, and they do not understand what Jesus is saying.

Mark’s passion narrative begins close to Passover. In the tense atmosphere, a woman admirer of Jesus symbolically prepares for his death by anointing his body for burial. Meanwhile, the leaders are plotting with a disciple about his death (14: 1 – 11). Mark describes Jesus’ death using scriptural quotes about God’s righteous servant put to death by evil forces.For example, he interprets Jesus’ death in terms of Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant.” This servant is faithful to God while being tortured, mocked and killed (Is. 42:1--4; 49: one-- 7; 50:4--11). Meanwhile, the rulers of the world do not understand the identity of the one they are killing.

What can we say after journeying with Jesus during his last days of suffering and death? True discipleship comes through the suffering symbolized by the cross. In Mark’s narrative there are no human supports at the cross, just God alone. We disciples are totally dependent on God. Jesus does not abandon his cross, and so salvation comes to us by our acceptance of his cross.

Some critics have reacted negatively to Mark’s stark narrative of Jesus in Gethsemane. Some well-intended readers have noted that Jesus’ sorrow, even terror as he faced death, was because he shank from all the evil due to sin in the world. Others say, Mark really was describing Jesus’ reaction to death as he prayed, “Father all things are possible to you, take this cup away from me….” Mark’s passion begins on a somber note, and the darkness grows more intense as we move on to Jesus’ death. He receives no support from his followers and he dies alone. Jesus is very much on his own these last hours of his life as he tells them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death” (14:34). Mark’s telling of the passion is different from the other evangelists. In even harsh language, he stresses the totality of abandonment by even those closest to Jesus. For example, note the disciple (?) who flees naked from the garden, when Judas and the armed guard come to take Jesus. He is symbolic of the disciples who left family and property to follow Jesus, but now cannot wait to flee the scene.

This passion narrative is long and detailed. For this writing, we cannot examine each section. But as an overview, we note how severe and multilayered were Jesus’ last hours: he was abandoned by those closest to him; betrayed by one of them; rejected by the crowd that favored a murderer; mocked by the religious leaders, the Roman soldiers, and those around the cross; enveloped by darkness, and even seemed to be forsaken by God. But God vindicated Jesus: the veil in the sanctuary was torn in two at Jesus’ death, standing for the end of the old order. Now God has a new temple in the Son who will draw to himself both Jews and Gentiles.

There is one person at the foot of the cross, who sees what others, including those closest to Jesus, miss. Even the women kept a safe distance from Christ on the cross. But a Roman centurion is there as well. He looks on the dying, crucified victim and declares what others miss, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” In all of Mark’s Gospel he is the only person to come to this insight. Not just him, but us too, who have been hearing this gospel from its opening, “Here begins the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). Now we have come to the fuller message of the gospel, the cross, as we await the resurrection.

Mark’s Gospel seems to have been written for Roman Christians who had undergone severe trials and martyrdom. As they heard this gospel, they would have come to believe that suffering and defeat were not the last word, but an opportunity to embrace the cross and follow Jesus, just as we are invited to do. The German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was killed by the Nazis, warned of “cheap grace,” if we do not take seriously the gravity of sin, or the call to servanthood. We disciples of Christ are called to follow and die with him; to die to sin and self. This week in its entirety must also be kept in focus, for Christ’s death and the subsequent despair of his disciples are not the end of the story. The full story is revealed on Sunday morning when Christ defeated death and was raised to new life. What was an ending, was also an occasion for a new beginning. We will draw parallels from our lives this week with Christ’s suffering and we will also experience the transforming power of our God who raises the dead to new life.

Who and where are we in Mark’s passion narrative? Are we with the disciples who cannot accept a suffering Messiah? Or, are we with the Centurion, who sees the truth of the moment. Probably we are both. Perhaps we too easily identify with the frail disciples. But with them, on Easter Sunday, we have the promise they heard at the empty tomb from the young man dressed in white: “Go now, and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee, where you will see him, just as he told you’” (16:7)

FAITH BOOK

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run.

From today’s Processional Gospel reading Mark 11: 1-10:

Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches. Those preceding Jesus as well as those following kept crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Reflection:

Despite the fact that Jesus’ appearances were humble, this did not turn people off or drive them away from him. We tend to be impressed by splash and displays of power that fill us with awe. Jesus doesn’t draw attention by such grandiose spectacles, but because his words and actions hold out hope to the weary and hopeless. Today we join the crowds who greet Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. And add our own “Hosannas” to theirs. So we ask ourselves:

What is there about Jesus that draws me to him and keeps me as his follower? What can I do to reflect his simplicity and humility in my daily actions?

Active Indifference

From Choosing Christ in the World by Joseph Tetlow, S.J.:

• My life world offers me a welter of wonderful things-careers, places to live, consumer goods, travel, various educations. After l have set my face against anything sinful, how will I decide which among them to go for?

• I could choose in several ways:

First, I could simply follow fad and fashion.

Hankering after the latest clothes and activities, exciting trips, l could do what everyone else is doing right now.

• Or second, I could simply follow my own native taste.

I grew up loving open country, so I could choose that way of life.

I could choose to live in a suburb simply because prefer it and for no other reason.

If my natural preferences could lead me to pursue some profession, I could simply follow that lead, figuring that God would not make me hanker for something that would do me harm.

• Or third, I could set some definite goal for myself, to bring me to transcend myself, reach fulfillment, and do some real good for others.

For example, I could ambition being a federal judge or having total financial security or making some important discovery in genetics.Then I could aim everything toward that goal.

• A fourth way would be more difficult. I could begin with the premise that I will never do anything to break my relationship with God my Lord, but will choose only what my conscience freely allows.

Then I will wait to find out what God hopes for in me.

To achieve this mind-set, I have to believe that I can know what God hopes in me, and I have to hope that I can find that out.

I will also have to hold tremendously careful balance among all the welter of wonderful things that my life world offers me. I will not let myself get so stuck on any of them that it will incline me to this or that decision. That would mean that I would not follow the first or second way of choosing-by doing what everyone is now doing, or by merely following my own native preferences.

And not even the third-by setting my own life goal for myself without asking God what my Creator wants in me. To put that another way: I would not try to tell God what will make me happy (that judgeship or a heap of money or a brilliant scientific career). l will wait to find out what God has been hoping in me-and live confident that it will make me happy.

• Of course, I cannot sit back and expect God to strike me the way God struck Paul of Tarsus. I have to pray, and consider, and take counsel with trusted friends. I have to attend to what the whole Church now engages in and hopes for, and what the official teachers (bishops and theologians in their own ways) are teaching. I have to try this or that and see how it goes. But I will always be hoping to find God desiring in me, God shaping my life world, God bringing the Reign to reality. I hope to find what God wants first, then I will decide what I let myself want and what I will choose.

• Holding this kind of indifference among God's almost infinite number of gifts makes a person a great force for good. What a power she is who does not much care where she lives as long as God's hopes are being realized!

What a power he is who does not much care whether he lives wealthily or not, only as long as God's justice is being done! Such a person truly finds God in all things-God creating, God raising up justice and peace in all things,God working busily so that no one will be lost, but everyone brought to the Reign.

Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 17, 2024

He who loses his life will save it

John 12:20–33

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast
came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee,
and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
Philip went and told Andrew;
then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Jesus answered them,
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven,
“I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”
The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder;
but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Jesus answered and said,
“This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.
Now is the time of judgment on this world;
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself.”
He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Music Meditations

• He Was Despised—Handel
• Be Still My Soul—Gentri
• Don’t Be Afraid, My Love is Stronger—Mennonite Congregation of Boston
• Jesus—Chris Tomlin

Opening Prayer

Dear Lord, keep me from clinging to things of this world which may distract me from Your love and my love for You. Help me to love my life enough to participate in the things and relationships which matter; help me to let go of these when it is time to do so. Letting go is hard, Lord, as You yourself know. Give me strength to welcome whatever comes my way as part of your plan for me. Keep me faithful to Your word.

Companions for the Journey

By Jude Siciliano, OP. From “First Impressions” (2012), a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

A regular Scripture reader will notice a repeating theme throughout both Testaments: that of human sin and failure. Actually, we don’t need to read the Bible for that insight into our human condition. We meet sin and failures in ourselves and the world around us regularly. At times the picture can be quite grim and discouraging.

The other day I stopped reading the daily newspaper mid-story. It was about another suicide bombing with civilian victims in Afghanistan. (Today news came of a soldier there who went on a killing spree and killed 16 civilians, including children!) I had just finished reading about a shoot-out in Juarez, Mexico. The gangs used weapons smuggled across the border from America. The business pages were no refuge, they spoke of another Ponzi scheme resulting in losses of victims’ life savings. What to do, I wondered, just read the daily comics—and nothing more? Not watch any television? Not turn on the Internet?

The Scriptures don’t whitewash our broken condition. For example, Jeremiah had warned Judah that the Babylonians would destroy the nation because Judah had forsaken her covenant with God. The Babylonians did come, defeated the nation and took the people off to slavery. Human sin and failure, with resulting bitter consequences—nothing new in that.

However, there is another motif throughout both Testaments. After naming the people’s infidelity the prophet Jeremiah introduces what God will do. It begins with “But” and pronounces quite clearly that despite their sin, God is going to make a new covenant with the people. God doesn’t give up on us, but keeps coming back with new proposals of love.

We are well into Lent and, if we have been praying and reflecting, we have probably been made aware of ways we have fallen short in our covenant with God. In today’s classic passage Jeremiah offers us hope—nothing we have or haven’t done can turn God away. “… I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” God seems to do a lot of forgetting in the Bible and once again we are reminded God will “remember” our sin no more. Shall we trust God’s Word and receive forgiveness from our God who takes on a willing amnesia for us?

Our reading from Hebrews reminds us that Jesus was not an other-worldly creature disguised as a human. He did not live above the world of the body, detached from suffering and limitation. Instead, he took on our human state sharing with us our common lot—even unto death. Indeed, he prayed with “loud cries” to God; the way we do when life presses us down. His cries were accompanied by tears. His prayers, though heard by God, did not spare him from suffering. He may have prayed, not to escape suffering, but that God’s love would support him in it. And God’s love did.

As much as we would like it to be otherwise, when we accept the cross and Jesus’ way of living, we cannot escape pain. But Hebrews also suggests to us that by accepting the cross we will be transformed into the mind and heart of Jesus. Paul would say we are educated in Christ and have put on the mind of Christ; that is, we will think and act towards one another like Christ (Philippians 2:1–11).

Throughout John’s Gospel Jesus had been saying that his “hour” had not yet come. He wasn’t continually looking up at the sun to reckon the time. His “hour” refers to his hour of glory, when he would return to his Father by his passage through suffering, death and resurrection. Today he announces, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” What caused him to make that announcement at this time? The “Greeks,” from the Hellenistic world (representing the world beyond Judaism), had come seeking him. In the preceding verse the Pharisees spelled it out, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

But the outreach to the Gentile world would only happen after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The “grain of wheat” must first die in order to produce “much fruit.” All humanity will be saved by Jesus’ death and glorification. The world comes looking for light in its darkness and we, illumined by our faith, provide that light by the sacrifice of ourselves for the well-being of others. What Jesus said of himself, is also said of his followers, “The grain of wheat must die in order to produce much fruit.” Then the Gentiles, who asked, “to see Jesus,” will discover his light in us and they will “see” the Lord.

Jesus says that those who wish to serve him must follow his path. How do we gain access to our glorified Lord? Not primarily through the occasional phenomena of visions and miracles, but first by accepting the gospel and then, in response to what we have heard, by a life of service and dying to self. Jesus teaches that we lose our life when we cling to it and win our life when we are ready to give it up. He is inviting his disciples to follow his path of service into glory.

The “glory of God” here means discovering the presence of God who, at first, is hidden. We look in the wrong places with the wrong expectations. The gospel invites us to see God shining forth in Jesus’ crucifixion; God shown to us in loving service for all humankind. We don’t want to romanticize Christ’s suffering. He died in a cruel and agonizing way. The forces of darkness crushed life out of him. Yet on the cross the world’s darkness was defeated because of Christ’s love.

Contrary to all our usual instincts and logical conclusions, Christ invites us to follow him even when his ways seems foolish and defeated. To belong to Christ means a willingness to participate in his “hour” so as to come to know that resurrection, as improbable as it may seem at times, is the final glory in which we will share. We, baptized into Christ’s life and death, have resurrection-lens. We don’t shrink from following Jesus into the daily dyings because we already “see” the end of the story—his and our resurrection.

Further reflection:

• Commentary on John 12:20–33 from “Living Space” >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

Whoever loves his life, loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever felt that you were at a crossroads, approaching a significant “hour” in your life?
  What decisions did you have to make or carry out?
  Did you have doubts?
• Did you have a time in your life when you were facing something unpleasant, but knew that you had to undergo the unpleasantness?
  Did you try to see if there was an alternative?
  Did God play a role in your decision to persevere?
• Dying on the cross was, ultimately, Jesus’ calling. What do you think is your calling?
  Was Jesus free to accept or reject His calling, do you think?
  Are you?
• Is making a mistake a sign that we did not follow God’s will?
  What good might come out of making a mistake?
• “He who loves life will lose it”. How does Lent help me refine my choices about what matters in life?
  Does this mean we should hate our lives and eschew pleasure of any kind?
• “He who loses his life, will save it”. What, in my life, must I lose in order to save it?
  What in my life must I “lose” to become spiritually and emotionally more healthy?
• When Jesus confessed that he was troubled, was that a surprise to you?
  Did you think He was just playing at being human until He could get back to being God again?
• Does doing God’s will mean we can escape pain?
• Do I sense God always walking with me on my journey, through good decisions and bad ones, through good times and bad ones?
• One description of surrender to God’s will is when our actions and thoughts flow from a heart turned to God. What method or discipline do I have that helps me listen to my heart?
  What do I need to be simplified and cleared away to help that listening process?
• Do I really “want to see Jesus”?
  What will it cost me?
• From Faith Book 2015:
  What kind of dying is asked of me in my service to Christ?
  Do I see the fruits in my life of that dying?
• What if I am afraid to answer God’s call completely, like the rich young man?
  Does that mean God will no longer love me?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from Father Walter Burghardt in Grace on Crutches:

Yes, you CAN see Jesus. The question is how? What does it mean to see Jesus…now?…to see Jesus here on earth is to encounter Him, to experience him, to come into contact with him… One way focuses on the people who touch your life day after day; another way focuses on you.

First focus on others…Jesus himself declared, in Matthew’s striking passage, that when we feed the hungry, slake the thirsty, when we clothe the naked and house the stranger, when we visit the ailing and the jailed, we are doing this to Him. Not just a favor to him; we are doing it to him. This would be a good time, during lent, to ask yourself if you are actively encountering others in the way Jesus is calling us to—not by donating money, not by sending an e-card, but by engaging actively with someone who could use some help. Do you ever actually get out of your little “bubble” and get your hands dirty? But it would be a mistake to identify Christ with the disadvantaged alone, to see His face only in the crucified. All of us reflect the face of the Lord. Do you look at those you love and think that you are seeing the eyes of Christ looking back at you? Can you hear the voice of Jesus in the needy friend or the annoying relative who is seeking your attention or the one who always screws up, is sorry, and needs bailing out? Are you grateful for the gift of others in your life?

But there is still another way of focusing on Him; by focusing on yourself. Look at yourself. At this moment, the living Christ, the Lord who died for you and rose for you, the risen Christ, is alive in your heart. Don’t take my word for it; listen to Him the night before He died: “If anyone loves me…my Father will love him, and we will come to her and make our home with him. What does all of this do to you—this gift of God dwelling within you? Concretely, do you encounter Christ? You, as intelligent love, have the power to give yourself freely, profoundly, totally to another; the power to make an unreserved gift of yourself to those you meet in life every day. Christ, in loving you, has made you loveable. Now what?

Christ is calling you, inviting you, attracting you, to a total self-giving in love and faith and hope. Can you say yes?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship

Adapted from John Ortberg, What is God’s Will for my Life?:

Imagine that you are Jesus, and this trip to Jerusalem has made it clear to you that following the will of your Father is going to entail some difficult times ahead. This path you are on will probably get you killed. Are you sure this is what you should be doing at this moment? Do you wonder if you really need to go this far? Is there more left for you to do? Are you afraid? Do you toy with the idea that there might be another way to do the will of your Father?

Jesus follows a tradition which we see in scripture of those struggling to do the will of God when they have moments of doubt, when they are troubled and worried about the path they are on. As John Ortberg puts it:

The sequence in the Bible is usually not:

• Calling
• Deep feeling of peace about it
• Decision to obey
• Smooth sailing

Instead it’s usually:

• Calling
• Abject terror
• Decision to obey
• Big problems
• Repeat several times
• Deeper faith

Just look at the exodus from Egypt. Man, were there second thoughts! And those second thoughts in no way were an indication of God’s displeasure, nor were they in any way a prediction of the future of the Israelites. Ortberg again:

It took God one day to get Israel out of Egypt. It took 40 years to get Egypt out of them. Even in scripture, God’s call is met with resistance: Think Moses, Jonah, The Rich Young Man, Isaiah. But when in the Bible does God ever give anybody an easy job? When does God ever call somebody, set before them an open door, and say to them “This won’t inconvenience you much. You can polish this task off in a couple of minutes. I don’t really want it to be a burden on you”? Never. God never says it will be easy. What he does say is ‘I will go with you”.

Speak to Jesus about his experience and about yours. Where are you troubled? Where does the way not seem clear? Where are you afraid? Ask for His strength and His help as you live out a particular decision to follow God’s will in your life right now.

Literary Reflection:

Read the following poem by Denise Levertov. What does it say about placing our present and future in the hands of God?

As swimmers dare
to lie face to sky
and water bears them;
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace

Closing Prayer

Sometimes Lord, I think my prayers consist of a constant desire for life to work out on my terms. How often I say “Your will be done”, but really mean “my will be done”. Help me to remember that you are always with me, in good times, but especially in bad times. You know what is means to suffer, to be rejected, to be abandoned. You understand my fears because you have been there. Help me to trust in your presence in my life.

Commentary on John 12:20–33 from “Living Space”

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33

We are just one week away from Holy Week and our celebration of God’s love for us in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. Today we look at the meaning of what Jesus did for us. Jesus is the fulfilment of the New Covenant that Jeremiah prophesied about in the First Reading.

In today’s Gospel, some Greeks, probably converts to Judaism, approach Philip (whose name is Greek), saying: Sir, we wish to see Jesus. Philip tells Andrew (also a Greek name) and they both go with the request to Jesus. We are not told if those men ever did see Jesus, but we do know what seems at first sight the rather strange response that Jesus gave to his disciples: Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.

The grain, of course, does not actually die, but is totally transformed into something completely new: roots, leaves and fruit. Similarly, a caterpillar lets go of being a caterpillar to become transformed into something altogether different and often much more beautiful – a moth or butterfly.

Seeing Jesus

To see Jesus is not just to look at him, which is what those Greeks presumably wanted (recall the curiosity of the tax collector, Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore tree to get a better look at Jesus as he passed by underneath.) To see Jesus is to enter totally into his way of thinking, to understand why he had to suffer and die and rise again.

Like the grain of wheat, Jesus has to let go of everything, including his own life, in order to bring new life to himself and those who believe in him. In the process, both he and we will be transformed. If we cannot see this as the core of Jesus’ life, we have not really seen him.

But Jesus goes further and says we must have the same way of thinking: Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

And, if we want to be close to Jesus, we have to walk his Way: Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

It means walking with Jesus and with Mary all the way to Calvary, wherever that happens to be for each of us.

Ready to let go and let God

Are we ready for that? Are we afraid to let everything go? Is Jesus asking too much? Let us have no doubt, Jesus himself was afraid, deeply afraid:

Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? It is clear that is the prayer Jesus would like to pray. The Second Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews puts it graphically: In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death… Letting go did not come any more easily to Jesus than it does to us. But, after his prayer, when he sweat blood in fear and trembling, he was able to say “yes” because: Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him… As Jesus himself says at the end of today’s Gospel:

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

“Lifted up” refers to the cross:

He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

But “lifted up” also refers to the glory of the Father where we are invited to follow.

So today, let us learn to see Jesus, the Jesus of the Gospel. The Jesus who let go of everything for us and who invites us to be with him all the way. Let us pray for his courage and his trust in his Father, that the life and happiness and fulfilment we all long for is in that letting go and letting God.