Holy week

 

HOLY WEEK 2021, 29 – 31 MARCH

 

1. As we have already stepped into the holy week, we are in the dense moments where the scene is preparing for the climax moments of Jesus' life and mission on earth.

 

2. On all the three days of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the Holy Week, the first reading from Isaiah focuses on the suffering servant of Yahweh, alluding to Jesus. He is the prophet, chosen by God and sent on His mission, anointed and enthused and empowered by the Spirit, pleasing to Him, harmless, benevolent and just, a light to the nations, one who does not dominate or manipulate, one who is humble and surrendered, one who is totally committed to living the holy covenant of God with His people and accomplish God's will and mission of liberation and re-integration.

 

3. Each day the gospel passage presents different personages, who respond to Jesus' person and mission, either positively or negatively.

 

HOLY WEEK, MONDAY, 29 MARCH 2021: ISAIAH 42.1-7; JOHN 12.1-11

 

Focus: Both the categories, that is, persons of God and faith, and persons away from God and faith encounter the same grace in the same situations and opportunities. But the difference is how they respond and react to them. The first category responds positively and the latter, negatively

 

We have the first positive figures in the intimate family of Bethany - Lazarus, Martha and Mary.

They are always so open and welcoming. They give immense value to the person and the presence of Jesus. They nurture a profound bonding with him, in intimacy and loyalty. They relish his company and his teachings. Jesus too feels totally at home with them. He feels a sense of belonging and warmth with them.

How intimate are our families with Jesus? How freely and frequently Jesus is invited to be a welcome guest and family friend? How much does Jesus feel at home with us in our families?

 

We have the figure of Mary. She spends so much on the perfume for Jesus. True love counts at no cost. Person and love are more important than money and material concerns. She anoints his feet with the perfume and wipes his feet with her hair. These are truly signs and expressions of intense love for Jesus.

How personal, deep and intense is our love for Jesus? What and how much do I spend on him – my time, my talent, my energies, my money and resources, my goodness? Am I generous toward Jesus or do I become very calculative and stingy when it is a matter of giving to the Lord?

We have Martha who does serving to the Lord. She is so hospitable and treats the Lord in the best way possible with the best dishes. How do I serve the Lord? Do I offer him the best, prepare the best dish for him? Do I feel happy to wait on the Lord promptly and eagerly?

We have Lazarus, an intimate friend of Jesus. He sits with Jesus at the table. He receives new life from Jesus. Do I share company with Jesus? Do I sit together with him and experience his companionship? Do I carry within me the new life that I have received from Jesus?

We also have some Jews on the positive side. They believe in Jesus, experiencing the power and impact of Jesus' presence, words and actions.

 

Then, we have the negative figures: First, Judas Iscariot, the traitor finds fault with Mary's gesture of love. He is so much dominated by monetary interests and fails to appreciate the love that goes far beyond. He also pretends a false concern for the poor, a hypocritical show of goodness. What about our love and loyalty for the Lord? Three years in the intimate vicinity of the Lord as a disciple does not guarantee honesty and fidelity. Are we also the same as Judas, so self-interested and unstable, unfaithful and betraying?

The Pharisees and scribes get hardened and become evil-intentioned and criminal. They plot to terminate Jesus, out of jealousy and malice. What is our attitude and approach toward the good persons and the good of others?

 

Direction: Let our hearts and families be welcome homes for Jesus. Let us nurture a deep personal love for him, in passionate Intimacy with him and fidelity to him

 

HOLY WEEK, TUESDAY, 30 MARCH 2021: ISAIAH 49. 1-6;  JOHN 13. 21-33, 36-38

 

Focus: God knows our human fragility and instability. He knows our wavering and fluctuating loyalty. He knows our tendencies for forsaking him and betraying him. Truly God is anguished. Yet, he never ceases to love us and keep us close to him

 

What a noble and undiscriminating heart of Jesus! He knew the mindset and hearts of his disciples, he knew about the impending denial and betrayal but he accepted all of them. He shares his love and closeness with them. He is deeply agonized and disturbed. But God never rejects us in spite of our unworthiness. He always offers us ample opportunities to be converted.

 

What a heart-rending experience that there is treason from among the very close circle of Jesus itself! Judas Iscariot stayed with the Lord for 3 years. But, still, he could betray him. Being with Jesus, the true Light of the world did not lighten the life of Judas Iscariot. He continued to live in the "night" and "darkness". It is very interesting to note the detail that “after Judas shared the bread and wine with the Lord, Satan entered into him.” Therefore, it becomes very clear for us that mere external acts of moving together around Jesus, or celebrating some spiritual or social moments with Jesus are no guarantee of closeness with Jesus. Let us not be presumptuous that our external allegiances to Jesus vouchsafe our fidelity.

 

Then, like Peter, we too may be overconfident and over-complacent about the stability and fidelity of our discipleship. His denial clearly reminds us of our own fluctuating loyalties and unsteady faith. Mere feelings and sentiments, mere great desires, mere tall promises will not make us strong or prove us as faithful disciples. Let us humbly admit our human fragility. Let us feel and experience personally the anguish and inner trouble of Jesus on our behalf, due to our instability and infidelity. Let us surrender ourselves to the Lord and depend on him to strengthen our weak faith.

 

Direction: Let us lay aside all our pretensions and presumptions in following the Lord. Let us be humble and honest to realize and admit our fragilities and fluctuations. Let us seek the Lord to solidify us.

 

HOLY WEEK WEDNESDAY, 31 MARCH 2021, ISAIAH 50. 4-9A; MATTHEW 26. 14-25

 

Focus: Adversities and afflictions will certainly assail us, especially when we stand with and for Jesus. But blessed is he who does not falter and defect from the path of the Lord!

 

We have a vivid picture of the suffering servant of Yahweh in the first reading from Isaiah. He faces enormous suffering and persecution. But he does not retaliate. He does not lose heart. He does not give up. Because he is deeply convinced that he is chosen and consecrated by God. He knows that it is God’s mission he is entrusted with. He knows that he will be guided and fortified by God’s own light and power. He is firmly rooted in God and is totally surrendered to Him. When God does assist him, nobody can resist him.

 

Like the suffering servant, Jesus too is firmly rooted in God and committed to his mission. When God is his help, no opposition or affliction can deter him or shatter him. Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees gets intensified and aggravated. While Jesus' conviction to walk the way of his mission gets stronger, the evil intention of the Jewish authorities to persecute and kill him also gets more and more confirmed.

 

Jesus very clearly analyzes the grounds and reasons for his pathetic fate. The greatest reason is the contrast between them and him: they are from below, he is from above; they belong to the world, he belongs to God; they do not listen to God, do not please Him, while he listens to the Father and does what is pleasing to Him; they are enslaved to sin and die in sin, while he is the truth that sets us free and he gives the life of grace. Those who are focused on Jesus, raised on the cross, will live for eternity, while those who are caught up with the world, will remain bound and unliberated. Unless we live contrast lives like Jesus, we cannot be liberated and receive salvation.

 

Direction: Suffering in itself is not meritorious. We suffer not because we are miserable people. But our suffering on behalf of God and good is meritorious and praiseworthy because it is salvific and relieving the burden of sin