Palm Sunday - The Last Sunday of Lent

 

Humor aside, this Sunday begins Holy Week - the week that changed the world! This week begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, on Sunday, and by Holy or Maundy Thursday they have arrested Him and the next day, Good Friday, they have hung Him on the Cross.

Meditations for the Week

Today we think of Jesus' glory and recognition as the Messiah, gather your palms and after Mass take them home and display them for the year. They will be returned to the church a week or two before Ash Wednesday and burned - their ashes then used on Ash Wednesday.

Thursday, Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday - Jesus is celebrating Passover with the Apostles. Later this night He goes to Gethsemene to pray. Jesus knows what is coming and He pleads with the Father that this cup may pass if it be the Father's will - but not His own will. He prays so hard that He sweats blood. It is here that Judas betrays Him with a kiss and Jesus is arrested and taken off to Caiphas.

Friday, before Pontius Pilate, Jesus is sentenced to death on the Cross. He is taken out and forced to carry His Cross to Golgatha - the hill of the skull. He is crucified, died, and is buried.

Lent is coming to an end.

Why Is This Week Different From the Rest?

Ma Nishtana

Traditionally, during the Passover Seder, the youngest (capable) son asks, "Why is this day different from all the rest?"  Our tradition should be to ask, "Why is this week different from all the rest?"

In the Hebrew tradition, the reading of the Torah in preparation for Passover, the Ma Nishtana is one of 4 (or 3, depending on the tradition) questions asked by the youngest male child. It is a way of involving the children in the lessons/readings for this season - a great lesson we can all learn to help involve our children.

Four Questions

In light of the Hebrew Mishna tradition (Pesachim 10.4) we should have our youngest child ask four questions to reflect upon the events of Holy Thursday.
1) Why is this week different from all the rest?
2) Why does Jesus wash the feet of the Apostles?
3) What happens to the bread and wine?
4) Why is Jesus arrested on this night?

We are taken from the height of praise, singing "Hosanna in the highest!" to the lowest of lows when our Lord is betrayed by one He Himself selected. He is beaten, scourged, forced to carry His Cross, crucified, died and was buried. Oh the grief! Oh the pain! Oh the suffering! Oh that the week would end here!  But while that week ends with Jesus in the grave - the next week brings the Resurrection!

On Holy or Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the First Mass as Jesus Christ celebrated it nearly 2000 years ago on this day. Traditionally, after the sermon the priest in alter christos, washes the feet of twelve men, representing the Twelve Apostles. Then comes the Lord's Supper - the first celebration of the Eucharist. It is that SAME Sacrifice we celebrate today and at EVERY Mass. It is not a repeat of the first - it is that SAME Sacrifice - re-presented for us, just as Christ presented to the Apostles on the same night in which He was betrayed.

Holy Saturday

His Cross stands empty in a world grown silent
Through hours of anguish and dread;
In stillness, earth awaits the Resurrection
While Christ goes down to wake the dead.
(Holy Saturday Divine Office Hymn)

Yesterday, as the evening of Sabbath grew near, our Lord was taken from the Cross and hastily placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.  It's Sabbath now, no one is permitted to do work until it ends, which is at sunset.  The women will wait until Sunday morning now to go back to finish preparing the body properly for burial.

Holy Saturday is time for us to meditate on what transpired the week before.  A week which began in joy and triumph is shattered by betrayal, torture and agonizing death.  It all happened so quickly!  How many of us, today, took time out to pray with our Lord on Holy Thursday?  Did we pause, even for a moment Friday morning as our Lord was being beaten, whipped and dehumanized?  In the hours between noon and 3pm, did we think about Jesus hanging on the Cross?  At 3pm, did we stop and remember the moment He died for our sins?  Were we too busy and distracted to do anything for Holy Week?

Today we sit in silence.  It is our time to reflect upon His Passion.  There has been no consecration of the Eucharist since Thursday.  Last night at a Mass of preconsecrated Host, we escorted any remaining Host out of the sanctuary and off to perhaps a side chapel which for this day, Holy Saturday, will represent His tomb.  Last night all the lights in the church were turned off.  Our churches sit in silent darkness awaiting the Lumen Christi from the "new fire" which is lit from flint at the start of the Easter Vigil - this begins traditionally at about 10:30pm.  Why so late?  Because at the stroke of midnight begins the First Mass of Easter!  All the statues and sacred images which were shrouded in purple on Passion Sunday (two weeks ago) are uncovered as the choir sings out the Alleluia!  Lent will have ended and the great Feast of Easter will have begun.

For now, however, we sit in silence and in prayerful meditation.  Meditating on the week which just passed, the week which literally rocked the whole world nearly 2000 years ago - and continues to rock it to this day.  We have an eager anticipation for Easter Sunday - while remaining mindful of what just happened in the last couple days.

A blessed Holy Saturday to you, and a great and Holy Easter tomorrow (or tonight!) to you as well.

Here we sit in silent mourning, 

Eagerly awaiting for the morning. 
The dawning of our victory,
The greatest Sonrise of history.

S. Windsor 2015

Holy Thursday

What is the Triduum?  It is the culmination of the Passion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It begins with Holy Thursday with the foot washing of the Apostles as they prepare for the celebration of Passover - which will become the Christian Pascha, the Eucharist - the first celebration of the Catholic Mass/Divine Liturgy.  Both Eastern and Latin traditions trace the roots of their Eucharist to THIS night nearly 2000 years ago. The Triduum is the three days of the Passion, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

How is tonight different from other nights?

This is the question the Jews have asked in celebrating Passover for nearly four thousand years!  Whereas Abraham is the Father of the Jews - Moses is the Father of Judaism.  Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, specifically - the Tenth Plague which Pharoah brought upon the Egyptians because of his hardened heart - but this Tenth Plague took the first born from everyone in Egypt who did not paint their door sills with the blood of a sacrificed lamb.  On this night God sent the Angel of Death over the land and for those whose doorposts were marked with the blood, the angel "passed over" but to every household which did not have their doorposts so identified, the angel went in and took the life breath from the firstborn of each household - including Pharoah's own son.  Pharoah was so grieved, he finally relented and told Moses to take his people and whatever spoils they could carry with them and get out of Egypt.

So, tonight they eat quickly and pack everything they can, and all the spoils of Egypt they can, and make a hasty exit.  They don't sit for a "normal meal" for "tonight we are like royalty and we recline to the left in the manner of kings and queens."  Though they reclined like kings and queens, they were also dressed for a trip, for they were leaving Egypt in the morning - for the rest of their lives. This is why they use unleavened bread, for there was no time to let the bread rise.  It had to be prepared and eaten quickly.

"You shall tell your child on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:8)

The Footwashing

This is not part of the Jewish practice - but is an important part of the Catholic tradition.  Jesus, the Leader and Chief Shepherd, humbles Himself and takes a basin of water and a towel and washes the feet of the Apostles who have reclined for the Passover celebration.  Peter at first refuses, but after Jesus explains this is necessary - he over-responds and asks that Jesus not only wash his feet, but bathe him completely.  The feet are enough, Peter!

The Four Cups

It is not certain when the use of the Four Cups began, but certainly it was before Jesus was celebrating the Passover on this Holy Thursday night.  The use of the Four Cups is taught in the ancient writings of Judaism, (Pesahim 10:1).  The Cup being taken on Holy Thursday is the Third Cup - the Cup of Redemption or the Cup of Blessing.  The irony of the Catholic tradition began by Christ here - He gets up and goes off into the night before the Fourth Cup!  The Fourth Cup, the "Cup of Hope," therefore, in the Catholic tradition is that cup which Jesus prayed about at Gethsemane - and pray that this cup be removed from Him, unless it be the Will of the Father that He endures this cup.  This cup therefore is our Hope for salvation - it is the Sacrifice of Calvary.

Holy Thursday

It begins with Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles and ends in the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Jesus is arrested and by this time tomorrow - He will be dead and buried.  As we go into Good Friday, let us be mindful of what Jesus was enduring in these last hours of His natural human life.

(Passover this year actually begins at sundown on Holy Saturday, 15 Nissan).

A Jewish explanation of the Passover Seder:  http://www.jewfaq.org/seder.htm

Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder

The Fourth Cup, transcript of Dr. Scott Hahn's talk on the Passover of Holy Thursday: http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~vgg/rc/aplgtc/hahn/m4/4cp.html

Just in time for Holy Week

Magnificat has posted their Holy Week missal online.  Anyone can access it for FREE!  So "favorite" it now for use during Holy Week.

Rogier van der Weyden "Angels Carrying the Instruments of Passion"
from the altarpiece "The Last Judgement" (1449)

This is the image used on the cover (this is not the cover image).  Go here to access the Holy Week Magnificat free.

Remember we start Holy Week on Palm/Passion Sunday on March 24th. 

It's HOLY WEEK!

Palm Sunday is upon us and thus begins Holy Week, the highest season of the liturgical year!  Now EVERY Sunday is like a "Little Easter" just as EVERY Friday is like a "Little Good Friday," but it is THIS WEEK wherein all the other weeks are done in remembrance of.  Remember your lenten penance, this week more than any other.  If you messed up earlier, that's no excuse to just give up on your penance!  THIS WEEK while you're offering up what ever it was you gave up for Lent, bring close to your heart and mind the Passion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  THAT is what the penance is all about.  It's not so much that we persevered all the way through Lent, but that certainly is a meritorious goal - but moreso that we place our focus on Christ's Passion and death - afterall, it is for OUR SINS that He was hung on that Cross!

For a meditation suggestion, think about which station in the Stations of the Cross you are at in your life.  Are you like the Blessed Mother, meeting Jesus on the path?  Are you like Veronica, wiping His face with your cloth in an attempt to comfort Him through His Passion?  Are you like Simon the Cyrene, taking upon yourself the Cross to share the burden, even if only for a short time?  Or, are you like those gathered at the foot of the Cross, observing as He is giving up His last breaths?  

Now consider this...  when the Jews stood before Pilate and exclaimed, "His blood be upon us and upon our children!"  This is not something you can pass off in anti-Semitism!  No!  If you have EVER sinned, and we ALL HAVE, then it is upon US whom His blood is upon!  It is our sinfulness which stood there yelling, "Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!"  It was US who swung that cat-of-nine-tails 39 times, ripping the flesh from His back!  It was US through OUR SINS who mocked Him, struck Him and placed that crown of thorns upon His head.  His blood is UPON US!   So while we beg His forgiveness, keep in mind what He did for you so that YOUR sins may be forgiven!

Why did Jesus go through this?  Because He loves us!  He didn't HAVE to endure the pain, suffering and humiliation of the crucifixion - no, at ANY GIVEN MOMENT He could have summoned legions of angels to put aside the Roman guards and free Him, and with just a single command!  However, had He done that, the Scriptures concerning Him would not have been fulfilled and our salvation would not have been realized.  Only the PERFECT SACRIFICE of this SPOTLESS LAMB would appease the wrath of Almighty God, which is rightfully OURS TO RECEIVE!  But again, He loves us SO MUCH that He willingly and freely gave Himself up so that we might be counted righteous in the eye of the Father.

So, as Lent draws to a close I urge you to meditate upon Christ's Passion and Death - again, for it was not only FOR YOU - but it was BECAUSE OF YOU!  Go that Way of the Cross with Him; visualize yourself on that path and figure out where, in your life, you are and which station you can relate to the most.  Then after that realization - THEN visit the empty tomb on Easter morning!  

PALM SUNDAY

Today we welcome the King of Kings into the Jerusalem of our hearts!  We sing hosannas to the Lord God Almighty, who makes His entrance in humility (much like His birth) riding on the back of a donkey.  Yet we all come out for Him!  We gather our palm branches and spread them before Him - singing praises to His Holy Name!  We love and adore Him - but in just a few days the meditation on our hosannas will turn to heckles and abuse - and again, it is WE, OURSELVES who put Him through this week of Passion.

Godspeed to all who read this, and feel free to add comments.

HOSANNA TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

Scott<<<