Today is Palm Sunday which opens for us the great days of our salvation. Jesus enters
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - At the Procession with
Palms, Luke 19:28-40
After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem . As he drew near
to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the
Mount of Olives , he sent two of his disciples.
He said, “Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a
colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if
anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master
has need of it.’”
So those who had been sent went off and found everything
just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
“Why are you untying this colt?” They answered, “The Master has need of it.” So
they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to
mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of
Olives , the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God
aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and
glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep
silent, the stones will cry out!”
There is power in the familiarity of the cross. These are
the words of Fr. John Korapi in his talk about pain and suffering. He said that
there are no shortcuts although what he went through he wouldn't wish on
anybody. What he is doing right now he won't be able to do if he hadn't been
through what he went through. God permits evil for a greater good. He said that
on the day after the wake of the 9/11 tragedy there were no records of any
abortion in New York
at that time. The pain of the cross is essential and can't get away or escape
from it. When we look at the Son of God crucified on the cross we see evil and
cruelty but through it we were all saved. The gate of heaven was closed when
our 1st parents (Adam & Eve) fell into sin. In Gen 3:23-24 "The LORD
God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from
which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the
garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to
guard the way to the tree of life." The price of sin is death but through
the death of Jesus we were once again given access to heaven. The cross is the
way to power and victory. We have to fight a good fight all the way to the end.
There is an unbelievable power in the cross which is a conduit of grace.
Today's readings prepare for us the most sanctified and holiest week ever known
to mankind, the week that changed the world. We don’t call any other week all
throughout the year, holy only this coming week. It is a week like no other.
This is where our attention should be fixed, on Jesus giving up Himself for the
institution of Holy priesthood and servanthood by suffering, dying and rising
from the dead. It is written that on the day Jesus died, the veil in the temple
of the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. If this was done by a person
the tear could have been from bottom to top considering the thickness of the
veil but God was the one who rent that veil from top to bottom. This is to tell
us that He no longer dwell in the sanctuary but in the body of Jesus and became
the temple of God Jerusalem
as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel . He goes beyond to a New
Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. As Catholic
Christians we have a responsibility to spread the word of God and impart it to
as many people as possible.
We are encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about
our faith and not be complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to
not just accept things as they come but be able to handle and understand it
well. It can build up our confidence in God and love Him best. The word of God
never fails. It has always been a source of enlightenment, assurance and
encouragement especially at times when we needed it the most. It has been
consistently living up to what it stands for from Ephesians 6:17 as sword of
the Spirit. Also in Hebrews 4:12, "Indeed, the word of God is living and
effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and
spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the
heart." We can always prove this to be true if we will constantly consult
the word of God in the daily readings, we will find that it always perfectly
fits the situation that we are presently in for we have a God who knows
everything that is going on with us, is always around and never leaves us. We
may sometimes think that evangelization is just work for the priests and the
religious. It is not limited to them but anyone who is baptized should take on
this responsibility. Our speaker in a Lenten Retreat quoted JFK who said,
"Here on earth, God's work must truly be our own." Nothing should
ever stop us from being part of the work of God. God made man in His own image
and likeness. (Gen 1:26) In this context we need to define personhood well and
know the perils of limited definition. It could be classified into 2
definitions, nominal and real. Nominal definition of personhood is decided by
man. It is approaching something that we don't know but we already have the
answer. We make decisions and play God. The dangers of this definition of a
person are:
1. nominal- when we deny to identify a person as a real person. Example is
abortion, when doctors deny the fact that at the moment of conception a person
already exists. 2. real but limited - We do not deny but identify them as persons but with lesser worth like the sick and terminally ill. Just because they are old, weak and sick they deserve to die as in the case of euthanasia.
3. full and real but limited - Kills people as in the Holocaust.
The whole principle involved here is discovery and deciding. When our approach is discovery then we are being lead to the events in our life with a sense of total surrender, trust and faith in the Lord's
We should ascribe to the real definition of personhood. It
answers the question what, how and what is it meant to be. Our approach in life
to achieve faith and righteousness is by discovery and through an authentic
Christian life. Discovery in the sense that we are open to the intention and
purpose of God for us. With a seeking and expectant faith we should allow God
to lead us in discovering what is ahead of us and prepared by God. The approach
should be in a manner of discovering what God's intention is and respecting it.
Only to God should we rely for all our needs. If at the end
of it all, when we've exerted our efforts and placed our best foot forward,
still things do not work the way we expected and planned it to be then be at
peace knowing that God has no boundaries and the real best is yet to come. God
surpasses all bests and always have something great in store for us. The
ignorance of our faith is ignorance about Jesus. Today’s 1st reading
also tells us the prophecy of the passion as foretold 500 years or more before
the time of Jesus and give us an account of Judas’ betrayal. We are confronted
with the fact that there are very troubling aspects that go with sin. We can
see in Matthew 16:22 that the apostles were distressed. In John’s gospel
there’s an account of deep emotions that troubled Jesus whenever He encounters
death and betrayal. We’ve also experienced this in our own lives especially
when people intentionally deceive us. These could be very disturbing but the
Good News is that Jesus’ passion is about to conquer evil and death. We should
take note that in both accounts of Matthew and John’s gospel this betrayal when
satan entered the mind of Judas happened at the Feast of the Passover. This is
also the time when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and taught the apostles
of this Most Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is the heart of our faith and the
very foundation of Jesus’ work. It is the goal of satan to attack our
Eucharistic faith and take us away from it. Satan wanted to influence us and
make us abandon this great sacrament that Jesus Himself instituted at the Last
Supper. When we leave God we will succumb to another power. This is what satan
is watching out for in order to maneuver his entrance into our hearts by using
greed and lust. We must not lose sight of the cross because it is where the glory
of God is revealed. It is made manifest in the love of the Son. Death is
conquered by life eternal in the revelation of glory through obedience to the
Father’s will. Satan is conquered. In John’s gospel we can see the betrayal of
Judas in contrast with Peter’s denial. It is an interesting contrast because
Judas betrays him, deeply regrets and tries to repent but what’s lacking was
the return to our Lord. Peter turns back to Jesus while Judas despairs. He did
not accept God’s mercy. We’re all sinners but do we repent and turn back or do
we keep going along the path of sin. Often times in our confessions we have
repeated sins but the beauty of confession is that we keep on turning back to
the Lord. We keep the hope alive through the sacrament that gives us the grace
to keep coming back to our Lord. Though, we never want to commit sin, It’s a
terrible thing to sin because it is a betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray that we
continue to have faith in Him and accept His mercy. This reminds me of the
Catholicism lecture by Atty. Jess Moya in St. Martha's Church about the
principle of "Sola Fide" or faith alone. The title of the talk is
"Rebutting the principle of protestantism:"Faith alone" (Sola
Fide). The speaker said that as Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to
spread the word of God and impart it to as many people as possible. We are
encouraged as Catholic Christians to know more about our faith and not be
complacent. There is big responsibility in our hands to not just accept things
as they come but be able to handle and understand it well. It can build up our
confidence in God and love Him best. It has become my offering to the Lord that
I write my personal reflections of the daily bible readings. As I commit this
daily to the Lord I have always prayed that someday I can announce these same
words in today's 1st reading. Amen. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 50:4-7...Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; 5 and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. 6 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. 7 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.
An artist works his way through a piece of art like a clay
and marble by molding and shaping it into a masterpiece. It is a painful and
difficult process of change and transformation. Just like clay and marble being
molded and chipped away. When we go
through life and experience its different struggles we become one with Jesus in
His suffering. If we understand the reason for human existence, the older
people get the greater should be the respect they get. Each and every step is
imbued with the power of the Master. We need to walk the way that Jesus walked.
The easiest way is God's way. The pain of the cross is essential. There is no
other way since there is a pedagogical structure in suffering or the cross
wherein only greatness comes forth. Whenever we reach a point where we feel
like we can no longer hold on and about to give up then we must not forget that
our God is always with us ready to help us. If He was able to suffer His only
Son on the Cross for our sake then there is really nothing else He can not do
for us. Our security lies in the knowledge that God is always with us. We
should always have this hope in a God who loves us so much that He sacrificed
His only begotten Son to the point of a humiliating and gruesome death so that
we can start a new life with Him full of joy and prosperity. If we decide for
God in what we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the
joy and happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. If we are all
set and very sure where we are headed then nothing can stop us from being
there. Considering, too that we have a God who has secured a place and our
future for us. John 14:1-3, " Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let
your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my
Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have
told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I
am you also may be." Nothing or no one can prevent us unless we ourselves
decide not to go. The truth is, it's all up to us. If we decide for God in what
we say or do in all circumstances then we can surely experience the joy and
happiness that God has in store for His faithful people. Amen. Hallelujah!
What hold our attention and interest range from a variety of
people, places and things and we express them by engaging in various ways and
means. Some are hooked in business, sports, entertainment, romance, travel,
food, fashion, current events, issues with nature, outer space and all other
things we can think about that we can consider profitable, enjoyable, fun and
worthwhile to do. We had our moments and stages wherein we’ve been there and
done that. Coming from this point of view, we eventually realize whether now,
soon or later that ultimately we must acknowledge the fact that if there’s one
thing that should hold not just our
attention and interest but our constant admiration is the truth that is stated
in today’s 2nd reading because it has definitely got it all. It is reminding us
of the things God has to go through just to show His great love. It sounds
impossible when we hear about this kind of love that God is sharing to each one
of us. This should give us the confidence and courage to carry on. Jesus is
God, King of Heaven and earth and the Master of all creation but took the form
of a slave and obeyed to the point of death. If we are to look at ourselves and
try to figure out who we really are as compared to God's greatness then we
should not even think of boasting anything about ourselves but rather we should
always be compelled to follow His example in our own little way. No matter how
inadequate and insufficient we are as a people we still try our very best to
bridge our gaps in the best human way we can. This should make us realize how
much more can the Lord do for us in His Godly power, resources and love. Christ
divested Himself of His dazzling glory and majesty. He was lost in the crowd,
lived in obscurity for the majority of His life and was thought to be Mary’s
boy and Joseph’s son since it was only in the last 3 years of His life that He
went public. When we are on top of everything there is greater danger of
turning away from God knowing that we have lesser need for God. Humanity has
become so full of itself. There is a need to be empty and sometimes the only
way we can fill up ourselves with God's grace and breathe life into us is
through a painful and difficult process. We are asked to empty ourselves of all
that is false, ignoble, and unreal so that we may become filled with Christ.
Because nature abhors a vacuum and so does grace. We must be filled with
something. Tragically we are filled with all kinds of desire, we want to be
applauded, be promoted, be consulted, be loved and be preferred to others. John
the Baptist gave us our ideal, I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30)
. All the foolishness, unreality, intolerance, selfishness and the sin that is
in us must decrease so that we must fill the vacuum with our Lord who wants to
share our life. Whatever happens to us happens to Him and He wants us to let
Him share because only then will we find the rest that we pray for. A long time
ago St. Francis cried out loud, “He comes to His own today and receives Him
not.” And so we live lives that are restless, confused, frustrated and
unfulfilled because we do not share our lonely life with Him. So the prayer we
learn as children and the prayer that is said all over the world among
Christians should be our prayer now, Make our hearts like the meek and humble
heart of Jesus. The Holy Father, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI points out this
route through Jesus as the way to ascend to God. The orientation of the
believer changed when Jesus came. When Jesus offered Himself as the Lamb of
sacrifice, He forever reconciled man to God. Jesus goes out to Jerusalem
as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed in the eyes of Israel . He goes beyond to a New
Jerusalem which opened for us the frontier from earth to heaven. In view of all
these we can always have confidence in all our actions and decisions if we have
consulted every plan we have to God in prayer. We experience peace and serenity that no
amount of wealth, fame and power can offer. The joy in our heart comes from knowing
that every single step of the way God is guiding and directing us. Most of all,
we have to learn the lesson that goes with everything that we've been through
and realize that there is nothing else we can do best but to totally surrender our
will to Him by being obedient to God at all cost. For we are the dear children
of God and everything become beautiful in His time. Amen. Hallelujah!
Philippians 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters: 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 death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted
him and bestowed on him the name that 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.
The whole Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church is built around the foundation of the Holy Week. We are about to enter into this season when we celebrate this Week that changed the world. It is an invitation to all of us to be holier than we are. We all need to learn from the example of the life of Jesus. It is in our complete surrender to God's will in our lives that we can find the way to the resurrection despite the long and treacherous road of pain and suffering. How can God the Father not give in to whatever Jesus His Son asks of Him when He was obedient to the extent of stripping Himself of all dignity and shame by undergoing the most unimaginable cruelty and torture ever known to humankind. In all ages there has never been a person known to be subjected to the same barbaric and inhuman experience the way Jesus had. Though He knew what he was about to go through He bravely accepted and obeyed. Both in His capacity as man and God He was able to suffer everything. As God, He knew what is about to come and what position He holds as Son of God in His Majestic Kingdom which He totally disregarded when He embraced the passion of the cross. As man, he felt all the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual pain and torture of what He accepted to bear. It's all because of His great love for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
Luke 22:14-23:56
...“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” 43 And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. 44 He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground...
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