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Greetings, SBT Readers:
And so the hosannas are sung, the table is set, candles are lit, and the feast is about to begin. We -- the onlookers, bystanders, and chorus-- know exactly where the action is going to take us. There is no need for Cliff notes or some other literary guide to reveal future events or analyze the various characters' motives, words, and actions. There are no surprises here, for we know the details well-- preparations for Passover, the setting of the upper room, Jesus' prediction that he is about to be betrayed and that Peter will deny him, the institution of the Eucharist, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sleeping disciples, the arrest of Jesus...
And yet, despite the story being so familiar, it is a story we need to re-visit often, not as an audience but as active participants who accompany Jesus through his Passion to the glory of his rising. We tell the story not just to remember but to be "re-membered," -- that is, to be made whole again, to find our true identity in Jesus, to be healed of all that separates us from him or from ourselves or from each other... His story is our story, a story reflecting both our humanity and our capacity to transcend all that is death-dealing, through his grace. We not only imitate Jesus on this journey but also allow his consciousness to become our consciousness. Picking up our individual crosses, we follow him, transformed by his obedience, humility, and surrender, by his forgiveness of enemies, and the giving up of his spirit... Then, at Easter, his rising is our rising, and his victory over Death becomes our victory as well...
Holy Week Blessings!
Elizabeth
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to the Sunday Readings
The Lord God has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know
how to comfort the weary
with words that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
God opens my ears 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 hide
from insults and spitting.
The Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing I shall not be put to shame.
Is 50:4-7
The story that stretches from Palm Sunday to Easter morning is our most sacred narrative, the foundation of our faith; it demands that we open ourselves up to the experience of all that Jesus endures and also to the fullness of his triumph. This involves more than an intellectual exercise, more than a recitation of facts, but the willingness to be present on the journey from the streets of Jerusalem to the upper room, from Gethsemane to Golgotha, from the Cross to the open tomb. Each stage of the journey is essential; nothing can be subtracted: We wave our palms in adoration; we carry unleavened bread, aromatized wine, bitter herbs, dates, olives, and roast lamb to the upper room; reclining at the table, we listen to the scriptures, sing and pray; we ponder over the meaning of Jesus' words, trying to grasp the full import of what he means when he says, "Take and eat; this is my body. Take and drink, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins."
If we can get out of our heads, leave behind all preoccupations and distractions, and move beyond skepticism and doubt, then we are ready to enter the Paschal Mystery. Witnessing the sufferings of Jesus, we see beyond the historical context of his times and understand the cosmic dimensions of all that unfolds. Romans, scribes, Pharisees, and the hostile crowd are "types" who manifest with regularity in the world in which we live. Viewing them as representatives of a particular religion or nationality perpetuates stereotypes, generating further violence and intolerance. Rather, they can be found anywhere and everywhere, in every age; they are the hypocrites, the liars, the deniers of Truth, the cruel aggressors, the mindless followers, the warmongers, and the evil "influencers" who sabotage all that is good, beautiful, and holy. Not only that, but they represent those shadow dimensions of ourselves that do "harm" rather than do good, just as Judas the Betrayer and Peter the Denier are also parts of ourselves. Trudging along the Via Dolorosa, we become aware that far from being innocent, we are pilgrims in need of redemption. Our tears, then, are for ourselves as well as for the One who goes ahead of us. We weep for him, for ourselves, and for the world...
But tears are not the end of the story. We who believe know that we go into the dark to be transformed. We enter the tomb along with our crucified Lord so we may emerge as a new creation. For now, we mourn, but the last laugh has already resounded throughout the universe; Death has already lost its sting...
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
* With which character or characters do you most identify in the Passion Narratives and why?
* What words or images from the Passion Narratives are resonating with you the most strongly this Holy Week?
* How can your celebration of the Triduum be more meaningful this year than in years past?
* What new life is waiting to be born in you this Easter?
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PRAY
that sanity will prevail and that all those
suffering on account of the terrible conflict in Ukraine
will find the comfort and resources they need.
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