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Palm Sunday 2020

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Mass Readings

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At The Procession with Palms: Matthew 21:1-11
At The Mass: Isaiah 50:4-7
Responsorial: Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24
Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66 OR 27:11-54

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040520.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Isn’t it strange to be entering Holy Week from our homes? Confession time: when I was a child and in particular when I was a younger parent with small children, I dreaded Palm Sunday! Next to the Easter Vigil, this was probably one of the longest masses ever! I always felt like everyone was watching us as we’d try to corral our children – get them to stop playing chase or climb tables or benches or swing from trees while we all stood outside during the first part of Palm Sunday mass.

And now, to celebrate with our parish via live stream, well it seems unreal. We don’t need palm leaves to worship God, but something about them helps make the Gospels come to life, right? Of course, coming to mass is not an individual matter. We gather as a community of believers, and that’s important to remember. It’s good and reassuring and supportive to our faith to see our church friends. That interaction I think helps ground us. You never know what you have until it’s gone.

In some small way, we in the West can now better relate to those Christians who are forbidden to gather for worship – those Christians who must worship in secret. I don’t mean to minimize their experience, but perhaps our experience of quarantine//social distancing/imposed isolation will help open us to the reality that some Christians who live under totalitarian regimes face and help us be better stewards of the freedom of religion – not the right to worship – but the freedom of religion that we hold so dear, and there is a difference.

But we must carry on, virtually as it were, to celebrate the return of the king! In today’s readings, Jesus makes his triumphant entrance to Jerusalem to the cheer of the crowd! He enters not a horse but, on a donkey, to symbolize that he is not a warrior king, but a king of peace. And the crowd goes nuts! You can almost hear them cheering and singing because their messiah has come at long last! They celebrate him by waving palm branches, and they lay their cloaks on the ground before his donkey. Can you see it in your mind? What an image!

But all too quickly, the readings shift. From the institution of the Eucharist to the crucifixion, we stand as helpless observers not able to change the course of events. We arrive at last to the gruesomeness of the crucifixion. Why? Why is it necessary to dwell on the crucifixion?

Scripture writers tell us that the nature of sin is like being stuck. The Original Sin so totally disoriented us that we could not be in alignment with the Father. There is no repentance, no act of valor that can bridge the gap. So, God decides to come himself. The very act of the Incarnation – when heaven touches earth – our world is remade holy. The Incarnation is the first light to cast away the darkness. This is the moment when Jesus, as we find in our second reading from Philippians, when Jesus, “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;…,” (Phil 2:7).

Try to absorb that. God – the creator of the universe and lord of all – became a human being just like you and just like me in every way except sin. That God would sully himself by becoming human is so offensive that Lucifer and his followers revolt against God. The Incarnation of Jesus shook the pillars of heaven and earth.

And yet, it’s not enough. Only his blood – only the blood of an innocent – would be enough to bridge the gap created by the Original Sin. Only his obedience, “to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (Phil 2:8), would be enough. We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song, but there is no resurrection without the crucifixion. It’s difficult for many to accept. Contemplating the horror, the scandal of the cross, to use Billy Graham’s words, causes many Christians to stumble, just like St. Paul tells us.

But my brothers and sisters, I have good news! The darkness that shrouds the crucifixion is chased away by the light at Easter. We are helpless bystanders watching this week as Jesus carries his cross to his death, but we look forward to Easter Sunday with great hope and joy! Perhaps this Easter will be the first in a long time when we as a Christian people focus on the meaning of the historic event of the resurrection. We are saved by the blood of Jesus shed on Good Friday and we rejoice at the resurrection when we bear witness to Jesus conquering death itself. We are saved in Christ Jesus.

So, as we begin Holy Week somber as it is, we honor Christ’s sacrifice for us so that we can rejoice with the community of believers on Easter Sunday! We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song!

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and by Spiritual Communion, I ask you to reflect on the following two questions during this most holy of all weeks.

  1. Recall from the Gospel that when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken. What part of Jesus’ message challenges us most deeply?
  2. Picture yourself holding palms while standing along the side of the road. Picture yourself cheering as you lay your palms down for Jesus who is present the healthcare workers as they make their way to the hospital, or the first responders, or the farmers and laborers who keep the food coming, or the grocery store clerks or employees at the electric company, the water works, sanitation workers and all those who are keeping things moving during this pandemic.

I think that doing our homework this week challenges the roots of our discipleship and helps us see Jesus the servant king in the faces of those who help us persevere. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References:
1. Barron, Robert. “Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (April 5, 2020).” Message to Deacon Rudy Villarreal, et al. E-mail.
2. Hamm, Dennis. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
3. Houghton, Mike. “5th Sunday of Lent – March 29, 2020.” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, April 4, 2020. Accessed April 5, 2020, https://www.hprweb.com/2020/04/homilies-for-april-2020/.
4. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
5. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010.
6. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
1. Son of God, 441
2. Jesus the Lord, 201, 449
3. The Word become flesh, 461
4. Docetism, 465
5. Christ is God and man, 472, 602, 705, 713, 1224, 5812
6. Mary’s perpetual virginity, 500
7. Jesus as our model, 520
8. Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, 557-560
9. Jesus and the temple, 585-86
10. Jews not collectively responsible for Christ’s death, 597
11. The Passion of Christ, 602-618
12. The Last Supper, 610-11
13. Descent to the dead, 633
14. The Paschal Mystery and the liturgy, 654, 1067-68, 1085, 1362
15. Jesus institutes the Eucharist, 1337-44
16. The Eucharist, pledge of glory to come, 1403
17. Life in Christ, 1694, 2842/Prayer, 2641, 2667
18. Christ’s kingship gained through his death and Resurrection, 2816

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040520.cfm

At The Procession With Palms – Gospel 35 YEAR A
Matthew 21:1-11
When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
“Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered,
and a colt with her.
Untie them and bring them here to me.
And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,
‘The master has need of them.’
Then he will send them at once.”
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,
and he sat upon them.
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and strewed them on the road.
The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied,
“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

At The Mass
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 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24.
R. (2a) 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.”
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. 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!”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Second Reading
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.

Verse Before The Gospel
Philippians 2:8-9
Christ became 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.

Gospel
Matthew 26:14—27:66 OR 27:11-54
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity
to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’”
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
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.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it with you new
in the kingdom of my Father.”
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Then Jesus said to them,
“This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Though all may have their faith in you shaken,
mine will never be.”
Jesus said to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times.”
Peter said to him,
“Even though I should have to die with you,
I will not deny you.”
And all the disciples spoke likewise.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to feel sorrow and distress.
Then he said to them,
“My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch with me.”
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying,
“My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep.
He said to Peter,
“So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again,
“My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass
without my drinking it, your will be done!”
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open.
He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time,
saying the same thing again.
Then he returned to his disciples and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand
when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let us go.
Look, my betrayer is at hand.”

While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders
of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
“The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him.”
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
“Hail, Rabbi!” and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
“Friend, do what you have come for.”
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
“Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?”
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
“Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Those who had arrested Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Peter was following him at a distance
as far as the high priest’s courtyard,
and going inside he sat down with the servants
to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated,
“This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God
and within three days rebuild it.’”
The high priest rose and addressed him,
“Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?”
But Jesus was silent.
Then the high priest said to him,
“I order you to tell us under oath before the living God
whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“You have said so.
But I tell you:
From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power’
and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
“He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses?
You have now heard the blasphemy;
what is your opinion?”
They said in reply,
“He deserves to die!”
Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying,
“Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?”
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.
One of the maids came over to him and said,
“You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
“I do not know what you are talking about!”
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him
and said to those who were there,
“This man was with Jesus the Nazorean.”
Again he denied it with an oath,
“I do not know the man!”
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
“Surely you too are one of them;
even your speech gives you away.”
At that he began to curse and to swear,
“I do not know the man.”
And immediately a cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:
“Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.”
He went out and began to weep bitterly.

When it was morning,
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They bound him, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned,
deeply regretted what he had done.
He returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and elders, saying,
“I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.”
They said,
“What is that to us?
Look to it yourself.”
Flinging the money into the temple,
he departed and went off and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered up the money, but said,
“It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury,
for it is the price of blood.”
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field
as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah
the prophet,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the value of a man with a price on his head,
a price set by some of the Israelites,
and they paid it out for the potter’s field
just as the Lord had commanded me.

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “You say so.”
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
“Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?”
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
“Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?”
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
“Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him.”
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
They answered, “Barabbas!”
Pilate said to them,
“Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?”
They all said,
“Let him be crucified!”
But he said,
“Why? What evil has he done?”
They only shouted the louder,
“Let him be crucified!”
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves.”
And the whole people said in reply,
“His blood be upon us and upon our children.”
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
—which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“This one is calling for Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
“Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.”
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
“Truly, this was the Son of God!”
There were many women there, looking on from a distance,
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.
Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening,
there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,
who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen
and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb
and departed.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

The next day, the one following the day of preparation,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said,
“Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said,
‘After three days I will be raised up.’
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day,
lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people,
‘He has been raised from the dead.’
This last imposture would be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them,
“The guard is yours;
go, secure it as best you can.”
So they went and secured the tomb
by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.

or

Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus said, “You say so.”
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
“Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?”
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
“Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?”
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
“Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him.”
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
They answered, “Barabbas!”
Pilate said to them,
“Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?”
They all said,
“Let him be crucified!”
But he said,
“Why? What evil has he done?”
They only shouted the louder,
“Let him be crucified!”
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.
Look to it yourselves.”
And the whole people said in reply,
“His blood be upon us and upon our children.”
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha
— which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“This one is calling for Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.”
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.

And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
“Truly, this was the Son of God!”

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Third Sunday of Lent 2020

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Mass Readings

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First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7
Responsorial: Psalm 95
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Gospel: John 4:5-42

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031520.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

I hope this message finds you in good health and strong in the Spirit! It seems like all we hear about is the Corona Virus. I’m recovering from a cold and I found myself having difficulty sorting through all the “official information” just to find an accurate list of the Corona Virus symptoms. There’s almost too much information and of course tons of misinformation out there. It’s almost overwhelming enough to join the Israelites fleeing Egypt yell, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” (Exodus 17:7).

But my brothers and sisters, I have Good News! Jesus offers us Living Water – the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – the ultimate of the spiritual consolations. Unlike ordinary water which can never satisfy, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the water he offers will never leave her thirsty.

Now her first reaction is pretty ordinary, right? I mean, at first, she’s caught off guard by the presence of a Jew. The Jews and Samaritans accuse each other of defiling the faith, so, they don’t get along. Second, he is talking to her which was a big no-no back then. Men weren’t supposed to speak with women outside their family, especially without a chaperon. And third, she had snuck up to the well in the middle of the day and hadn’t planned on meeting anyone.

Usually, people would draw water in the morning and in the evening. She clearly didn’t want to interact with the women of the village, so when Jesus offers her water that never leaves her thirsty, she’s all in! The more socially awkward situations she could avoid, the better. So, Jesus has her attention. He asks her to come back with her husband. Aha! She knew there was going to be a catch!

She tells him she doesn’t have a husband. Jesus says she’s right, because she’s on her fifth husband! How does this stranger know about her? She’s blown away and assumes he’s some sort of prophet, but his words touch her. She comes to accept that he is the Messiah – the hope of the people. She goes to town and she tells everyone about him. They come quickly to see what the commotion is all about.

Who are her five husbands? We don’t know that anymore than we know her name. Some suggest that perhaps these “husbands” are symbolic for the things that distract her in life – maybe pleasure, comfort, wealth – you get the idea. Whatever the situation, remember she came to the well when she thought no one else would be around. Maybe she just didn’t want to hear the gossipers, or maybe she didn’t want to get picked on. But maybe, she was ashamed. Maybe the life she was leading was not the life she dreamed about when she was a child.

She was trying to stay under the radar. I wonder how many people try to hide themselves – maybe hide behind some intellectual bravado always ready with a sarcastic comeback. We don’t want anyone to see behind our walls. We can’t let anybody see who we really are. In the midst of this pandemic, it’s easy to feel alone and afraid – especially if you’re sick. Maybe you have a cold or the flu, but everybody around you stares when you cough. Or maybe you imagine them talking about you behind your back.

Whatever your circumstance, my brothers and sisters, that’s where Jesus finds us. He’s not afraid to show up at our “well” – the place we try to hide. He’s there with a smile and his love. You see, Jesus will never force himself on us, but he won’t leave us either.

This Lent in combination with the pandemic is a powerful time to turn our sin over to Jesus – those moments and failings we’re not proud of, to ask for reconciliation, to be cleansed and move on in the Spirit. Christ’s church is here ready to assist. I know that might sound complicated given the suspension of masses in some areas or limiting masses to smaller groups, but trust me, the Spirit is still working through Christ’s church.

Even if you can’t physically get to mass to receive the Eucharist, you can still recommit your life to Jesus Christ. By the way, just because you might not be able to get to mass doesn’t mean the Church gets a pass on the electric and water bills. Please, if you have the means, send your regular contribution to your parishes and maybe add a little extra for your parish social ministry to help your community reach out to those facing a particularly difficult challenge during this pandemic.

There are so many free resources to read the mass readings, listen to a reflection (like this podcast), and then invite the Holy Spirit to wash over you – to flood your life. We call it an Act of Spiritual Communion.

For your homework, I ask two things of you. First, please share this podcast with someone you know who might not be able to get to mass. Its wildly important help people feel connected the community. Second, I invite you to join me in an Act of Spiritual Communion and don’t forget to listen to All Things Catholic on Wednesday when we’ll unpack what Spiritual Communion is all about.

Pray with me, won’t you?

My Jesus,
I believe You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive the Eucharist,
I invite You to come into my heart.
I embrace You and unite myself to You.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
+Amen!

The Lord be with you. May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

References:

  1. Hahn, Scott W. and Curtis Mitch. Romans. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017.
  2. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
  3. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015.
  4. The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

  1. Jesus’ human nature, 470-78
  2. God’s love manifest in the death of Christ, 604
  3. Reconciliation through the death of Christ, 613-14
  4. Justification through the death of Christ, 617, 1992
  5. Symbols of the Holy Spirit, 694
  6. The Holy Spirit, the living water, a gift of God, 694, 733-36, 1215, 1999, 2652
  7. Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit, 727-29
  8. Love is God’s gift and our response, 733, 2658
  9. Baptism, rebirth of water and Spirt, 1214-16, 1226-28
  10. The theological virtues, 1812-29, 1991
  11. God’s peace, 1829

Third Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 28
Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031520.cfm

First Reading
Exodus 17:3-7
In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the LORD,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The LORD answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the LORD, saying,
“Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

Responsorial
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9.
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Second Reading
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Verse Before The Gospel
John 4:42, 15
Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world;
give me living water, that I may never thirst again.

Gospel
John 4:5-42
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”

At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

or
Jn 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.

“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

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Set the World on Fire

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Set Your World on Fire!

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Psalm: Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4
Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

“I have come to set the earth on fire,” (Luke 12:49).

Okay…what does this mean?

Jesus came to set fire to the earth. This is very often interpreted to mean the fire of the Holy Spirit which will be set upon the earth after Jesus endures the baptism of his passion and death.<1> But Jesus goes on in this same verse to say, “…how I wish it were already blazing!” And then he goes on to say that his message will divide people and divide families. Why? What’s going on here?

Well, I think it’s too easy to get caught up in the mechanics of life. It’s too easy to be caught up in all the things this world tells us are important or necessary – contradictory messages that you can have it all, so apply for that new credit card, against the message of saving and investing. It can be so confusing, and at the same time so tempting. We’re drawn into the realities of this world, often out of necessity, and find that we work and work and hardly get ahead in life. I often wonder if the enemy hasn’t rigged the system to keep so many of us distracted from what’s really important – to keep our eyes off Jesus. And so, we get caught in the rat race – a proverbial hamster wheel from which many will never escape. The rat race traps us in into mediocre and unfulfilled lives.

But Jesus came to set the world on fire! He came to smash the hamster wheel, if we’ll let him. He came to lift us out of the rat race, if we accept him. He came to offer us the chance to be the people we are called to be.

So, where do we start? The answer to that question is an invitation to discipleship, which is the overall theme of our readings today.

First, as we heard in the Letter to Hebrews, we need to confess our sins, (Heb 12:1). Why? Look, happiness and fulfillment aren’t out there somewhere. You can’t go out and try to find your happiness and you will never find it in a cherry-red convertible. Happiness isn’t something that will magically come tomorrow. Happiness is available to us right here and right now. We need to confront the sin and the pain and hurt in our lives so that we can let it go and move on and experience the joy that Jesus offers us right now – today!

Second, we need to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. That means we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, as we find in today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. For many of us, this means reigniting the fire of our baptism. Allowing the Holy Spirit to set fire to our lives means that we surrender our attachment to this world – to everything which distracts us, like money, possessions, control, social media. By detaching ourselves, we then can take our rightful place as stewards using wealth and resources as tools rather than allowing ourselves to become slaves to the tools.

Next, we need to deepen our relationship with Jesus. We do this in several different ways. We can try to learn more about Jesus intellectually, like participating in Bible study programs or like going to talks offered by your church or in your area. We build on the intellectual by spending time with Jesus in prayer and in the mass. In our Catholic tradition, there are even opportunities to sit with Jesus during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. But here’s the catch: we mustn’t try this exclusively alone. Yes, there are some aspects of this we do as individuals, but Jesus didn’t just come to save you and to save me. He came to us in the context of the community. That’s what the Kingdom of God is – a community. So, we need to reach out to those who are on the same journey we are on and discover the gift of seeing Jesus in their eyes. That’s beautiful! That’s a gift!

Finally, we need to share the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, the gift to rise above the rat race with other people. We need to witness to the one savior, Jesus Christ, to his church, to the community of believers. We need to witness to the fullness of salvation available through Jesus Christ. <2> This is what it means to be a missionary disciple.

Setting the hamster wheel a blaze, spending more time with Jesus and sharing the saving message of Jesus Christ and the gift of his church on earth are not popular messages. Walking this path could strain friendships and divide families. This path is not easy. In our first reading, they threw Jeremiah in a cistern for speaking out against an unjust war. Think about St. Teresa of Calcutta. Yes, she dedicated her life to serving those on the margins, but she fought years of doubt and depression in order to carry out God’s will. Or St. Agatha, the twelve-year-old girl who endured all kinds of torture, including disfigurement and sexual assault, but she would not deny her faith in Jesus Christ. Bishop St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More refused to go along with a man who wanted to make himself head of the Church in England and paid for it with their lives. And of course, they crucified Jesus for his radical message. <3>

But Jesus endured cross so that you and I might not, “grow weary and lose heart,” (Heb 12:2-3). We are challenged as disciples to keep running the race, (Heb 12:1). We are emboldened by the virtue of fortitude, which is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a quality inherent in the human person. By allowing the fires of discipleship to consume the yoke that enslaves us to this world, we can help others rise above the distractions which keep our eyes off Jesus, and we can introduce others to Jesus Christ. Our salvation cannot be found in our bank ledger or our in our possessions. Those things are fleeting and can easily be lost or taken away from us. Our salvation comes from the undeserved, unmerited grace of God. Our salvation comes from the scandal of the cross. Our salvation comes from the blood of Jesus Christ. Our salvation comes through the fire of the Holy Spirit. Are you ready to set your world fire?

Homework! After being nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on these questions this week.

  1. We didn’t get a chance to discuss it, but who do you think the “cloud of witnesses” in the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews refers to? What do you think everyone in the cloud of witnesses has in common?
  2. Does the radical unconditional love that God has for you cause resistance or division in your heart? If yes, why?

I think by doing our homework, we will be able to become more authentic witnesses as the disciples Jesus calls us to be. Do you got it? Do you get it? Are you going to do it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Notes:
<1> The Gospel of Luke by Pablo T. Gadenz, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Baker Academic (2018).
<2> A History of The Christian Tradition by Thomas D. McGonigle and James F. Quigley, Paulist Press (1996).
<3> St. Teresa of Calcutta
St. Agatha
St. John Fisher
St. Thomas More
St. Catherine of Sienna