PASCHAL TRIDUUM, HOLY THURSDAY

Exodus 12:1-8.11-1

Psalm115

1Corinthians 11:23-26

John 13:1-15

MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

Today's Mass in memory of the Last Super opens the "Pascal Triduum", a three day's journey that commemorates the events that led to our Redemption: the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The focal point of today's liturgy is the Upper Room, where Jesus took the Last Super with his disciples. Three events are celebrated:

- the giving of the new commandment of love, expressed through the washing of the disciples’ feet,

- the institution of the Eucharist as a symbol of Jesus’ self-giving for us,

- the institution of the priesthood to perpetuate Jesus’ presence among God’s people. That which holds these three mysteries together is Jesus' love for us: “knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, Jesus loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

As such, all the readings help us to understand Jesus’ love for us which is the key to understanding the pascal mystery. In effect, the first reading narrates the institution of the Jewish Passover, marked by the immolation of the lamb. The eating of the Passover lamb preceded the exodus event, which manifested God’s closeness to his people. The second reading explains the Eucharist as instituted by Christ himself during the super that preceded his Passion and death.

At the Last Super, Jesus did not only institute the Eucharist, but also stood among his disciples as one who serves. He washed their feet as a concrete example of humility and selfless service. Perhaps, today, we may not be asked to die heroically for others as Jesus did. But what Jesus is asking us to do is to make small but concrete gestures of service, kindness, compassion, generosity and sacrifice. For it is in serving and loving that we find the joy of living. 

As we begin the Triduum, let us ask for forgiveness from God for the many times we had failed to show sincere love to one another. Let us also pray for all priests so that they may become more and more authentic ministers of the mystery entrusted to them and to carry out their ministry with love, sincerity, fidelity and holiness. Amen

PALM SUNDAY/ PASSION SUNDAY, YEAR B

Procession: Mark 11:1-10

Mass: Isaiah 50:4-7

           Philippians 2:6-11

           Mark 14:1—15:47

THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS ON EARTH

Today marks the beginning of the Holy Week. Thus, we are called upon to follow Jesus and live with him, the last events of his earthly life. In today’s liturgy, we celebrate first the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem amid the jubilation and chants of Hosanna of the crowd (Mark 11:1-10). Jesus enters the holy city, where he will suffer, die, be buried and resurrect for our redemption.

On the other hand, the readings for the Mass narrate the Passion of Jesus: his sufferings, crucifixion and death as the humble Servant of God. What may strike us is the dramatic and sudden change of events. From the hosanna chants of the triumphant entry, we pass to the “crucify him” refrain of the Passion narrative. But the attitude of Jesus remains the same: humble and silent. He bears the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the abandonment of his close friends, the hatred of the Pharisees, chief priests and scribes, the unjust condemnation of Pilate, the scourging and beatings of the soldiers, the curses and insults of the crowd, and the shameful death of the cross in obedience to the Father for our sake.

Listening to these readings, we cannot but ask ourselves some questions: How many times have we not betrayed or disappointed those who trusted us? How often do we not turn back to humiliate the same people we  appreciate and praise? How many times have we not been accomplices to the atrocities against some people and to the condemnation of the innocents? How often do we not exchange justice and  integrity with the fear of losing our friends, our job or our position? How often do we not sacrifice others on the altars of our pride, selfish desires and shameful ambitions? How many times have we not allowed our envy and jealousy to lead us to criminal and sinful acts? 

In any case, whether we are authors or victims of such acts, we must always remember that God will surely save the just and the innocent. He will not put them to shame. 

As we begin this Holy Week, let us ask the Lord to be merciful towards us so that the Passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ may not be in vain. Amen

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Psalm 51:3-4.12-15

Hebrews 5:7-9

John 12:20-33

THE CHRISTIAN PARADOX

On this fifth Sunday of Lent, the readings introduce us into the Pascal mystery that we will celebrate during the Holy Week. The first reading announces the conclusion of a new covenant between God and his people, a covenant not like that of Sinai but a covenant written on the human heart. According to the second reading, Jesus is the model of obedience. He accepted the humiliating death of the cross in obedience to the Father in order to become the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey him. 

In the gospel, St John narrates the episode about the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus. Instead of a “yes” or “no” answer, Jesus announces that his “hour” has come, that is, the hour of his crucifixion. He does so using two images: the image of a grain of wheat that falls into the ground; and that of his being lifted up from the earth. These two images express the paradox of Jesus’ death. Two lessons may be drawn for our meditation. 

Firstly, the hour of Jesus’ crucifixion was not an hour of defeat, but the hour of his triumph, glorification and exaltation. His death was not the end, but the beginning of a new stage of God’s relationship with mankind. For the hour of the cross, which seemed to be the darkest hour in history, was in fact the source of salvation and redemption for mankind. 

Secondly, if we wish to have a share in Jesus’ life and glory, we must also become like grains of wheat. In other words, if we wish to have life, we must let our ego and old ways of life die in us. We must live not for ourselves, but for God and for others. If we wish experience the transforming power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we must look up on the cross and be ready to follow Jesus till the end. 

Obviously, the journey will not be easy. Faced with the hour of his Passion, Jesus himself did not hesitate to express his anguish and sorrow: “Now my soul is troubled,” he said. But he trusted in God the Father till the end. We also need to trust in God, especially in our moments of trials and challenges. May he grant us the grace to seek him, follow him and serve him each day. Amen

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23

Psalm 136:1-6

Ephesians 2: 4-10

John 3:14-21

LAETARE SUNDAY

The fourth Sunday of Lent is usually called "Laetare Sunday" or Sunday of rejoicing. Why rejoicing in this time of penance and regret of our sins? The reason is this: God loves us. He is patient and never gets tired of loving us despite our unfaithfulness, sinfulness and weaknesses. Even when the situation gets desperate, he intervenes to bring us salvation and joy. 

This was the experience of the people of Israel. The first reading narrates that God tirelessly sent his prophets to the Israelites, calling them to conversion. But they would not listen. Thus, God delivered them in the hands of the Babylonians. They went to exile, a bitter experience in their history. Even then, God intervened and delivered them by raising king Cyrus of Persia who allowed them to go back to their homeland. 

In the second reading, St Paul says that God so loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy, when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ. This is the amazing grace that God has revealed to us in his Son Jesus Christ.

Moreover, in his encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus reveals that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to us, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. He came not to condemn the world, but to save the world. To help us better appreciate this amazing grace and love of God, Jesus makes a reference to the lifting up of the golden serpent by Moses in the desert (cf. Num 21:6-9).

The serpent was a symbol of consolation and healing to the Israelites in the desert. Jesus on the cross becomes also the sign of our salvation, sign of God’s love for you and me. On that cross which was the symbol of humiliation and torture, death and condemnation, is found the emblem of love, forgiveness and redemption. By looking on the cross, we come to appreciate God’s love and mercy. As such, without taking God’s forgiveness for granted, we should never be discouraged or give up because of our weaknesses, failures and sins, for God is greater than our weaknesses, than our infidelities, than our sins. May he help us to always raise our eyes up to the One who was crucified for our sake. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Exodus 20:1-17

Psalm 18:8-18

1Corinthians 1:22-25

John 2:13-25

CLEANSING OUR TEMPLE 

As we know, Lent is a time for spiritual renewal, a time to cleanse our hearts so as to offer a worthy worship to God by keeping his Commandments. In today’s first reading, God gives the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments to his people Israel liberated from Egyptian slavery. These laws are not to be seen as a burden or limitations to human freedom, but as directives to help us live our covenant relationship with God and create a society of love and mutual respect. 

In the second reading, Saint Paul opines that the cross was nonsense for the pagans and a stumbling block to the Jews, because they could not believe that the Messiah could be crucified on a cross, a symbol of shame, humiliation and curse. But for the believer, the cross manifests God’s power and wisdom. It reveals the love of God who wished to renew his Covenant with mankind in his Son Jesus Christ. 

This is why even Jesus’ action of angrily driving the merchants and moneychangers out of the Temple was a prophetic action. When the Jews asked him about his authority of doing so, Jesus told them to destroy the Temple and in three days he would raise it up. He was referring to his death and resurrection. But they did not understand him as they would not understand the real meaning of the cross. 

Three lessons may be drawn from today’s readings. First, we should always keep sacred and respect our churches and other places of worship. They are the House of God, a house of prayer, and not a marketplace or an entertainment center. Second, the Lenten season is an opportune time to cleanse our hearts of sinful and bad habits, because our hearts are the outmost places of worshipping God. Third, to be able to keep our hearts always clean, we need to observe God’s Commandments every day. It is therefore important for each one of us to examine often his conscience and see if he/she is faithful to God’s covenant or not. Let us remember: the Decalogue is not a list of things to be learnt by heart, but Ten Words to be lived with the heart.

 

May the Lord grant us the grace to prepare ourselves so as to celebrate worthily his Passion, death and resurrection at Easter. Amen