31. Great Saturday

1    Great Saturday

Mt. 28: 1-20:The risen Christ cannot be seen unless he allows himself to be seen. The soldiers didn’t see him raising from the tomb while they never looked him but the women saw him because they looked for him. Though Mathew differs from Luke and John in narrating about the risen Christ, the fact is that:

a.       Jesus appeared several times in different places after his death on the cross.

b.      Jesus appeared  often  to the community ( 1 Cor. 15: 1-8)

c.       God communicates with whosoever he wishes giving prophetic messages to simple people women and me alike.

d.      The resurrection of Christ is the pivotal point of the Gospels

e.       The resurrection of Jesus energized the people to be great missionaries. Christian communities proclaimed the power of the resurrection to the world around.

30. Passion Friday

1    Lk. 22: 63 – 23: 12 + Mt. 27: 19 + Lk. 23: 13-23 + Mt. 27: 24-25 + Lk. 23: 24-45 + Mt. 27: 51-54 + Jn. 19: 23-30: Passion Friday

This day means:

a.       For our sake and loving us Jesus suffered and died on the cross  Jn. 10:18

b.      There is no greater love than this that one gives one’s life for one’s friends Jn. 15: 13

c.       To have life for us Jn. 10:10 Jesus died 2 Cor. 5:15

d.      To make us rich, he accepted poverty 2 Cor. 8:9

e.       To lift us to the divinity he came down to humanity Phil. 2: 6-7

f.       To lighten the weight on our shoulder, he took all our weights Isaiah 53: 4 and Mt. 11: 28

g.      To give us salvation, he accepted the punishment that is given to the sinners Is. 53:5; 2 cor.5:21

h.      He emptied himself taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness Phil. 2:7.

i.        All these he suffered for the sake of his love for us Jn. 15: 12-13

j.        Suffering is the measuring rod of love.

29. Jn. 13: 1-14 + Mt. 26: 26-30: Pesaha Thursday

1     Jn. 13: 1-14 + Mt. 26: 26-30: Pesaha Thursday

If Jesus is allowed to wash the feet of the disciples, the disciples especially St. Peter thought the he too would be doing so in their life…….. So he thought a plan … to discourage their master doing it…. But Jesus said if you don’t allow me to wash, then we will have no relationship… so by serving others or being servant to others that relationships are established with Jesus and with our fellow beings (phil. 2: 3-4)

Today we commemorate the day as Jesus establishing the Eucharist in the form of bread and wine. Those who do the Eucharist he proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus till the end of age (1 cor. 11: 23-26) “Do this in memory of me” It gives us the following messages:

a.       Eucharist is for ‘doing’. Just as Jesus ’broke’ the ‘bread’ and ‘gave to his disciples’, we are asked to do the same. Our time, energy, resources, talents are our bread. It is to be used for others and shared with others, just as Jesus shared his energy and time in washing the feet of the disciples, his life given up on the cross.

b.      Just as we are reminded of the Passover of the Israelites, so also it must remind ourselves that Jesus pass over by his suffering and death upon the cross (Ex. 12:12). It must be enlivened in our thoughts, responses, thankfulness, and character in worship, prayers and our spiritual life.

c.       It also remind us the ‘Paschal Lamb’ in Christ Jesus (Jn. 19:36; Ex. 12: 46). The Brocken Body of Christ is changed into spiritual food and drink for our salvation in place of the paschal lamb of Old Testament.

28. Jn. 12: 27-33

Jn. 12: 27-33: What God did for Jesus, He does for every man. He sends us with direction and guidance with a task to be accomplished and that too with the help of God. But the Prince of Love on the Cross is a king who has his throne forever in the hearts of man. The only secure foundation for the kingdom is Sacrificial Love.

27. Jn 12: 20-26

1    Jn 12: 20-26: Jesus will die and the universal church will be born. Jesus allows his lifeless body to be laid in the earth; on rising from the tomb, his same body, now glorified, will also embrace the believers united to him. The life that is now his will be communicated to all the children of God.

26. Jn. 11: 47-57

Jn. 11: 47-57: Caiaphas prophesies that Jesus would die for the salvation of all and that Jesus’ death would mean to gather together into one body, his church and Jesus would attract everyone from all corners into his church (v. 12:32) and this church would be universal and catholic uniting all races and cultures. However this visible church is only the beginning and sign of that which is atoned at the end times.

25. Mt. 21: 1-17

Mt. 21: 1-17:    Palm Sunday

a.     Jesus is the king of peace: custom of the time to travel on a donkey, on a colt (Zechariah 9:9) on peace times.

b.    Jesus is recognized as the one who saves: the people request Jesus to save them and to give them success.

c.     Jesus is the one who sanctifies: he succeeds in cleansing the temple again as was done in 2 Maccabees 10: 7.

d.    Jesus physically cleanse the temple (v.12 -13) from the market atmosphere and other defilements.

e.     Jesus exhorts the people to be like children:  to the request of the priests to stop the children from shouting “hosanna to the Son of David” jesus’ reply was by quoting Psalm 21: 16.

24. Jn. 12: 1-8

Jn. 12: 1-8: The anointing of Mary at Bethany is a prophetic action symbolizing the death and burial of Jesus. Mary loves Jesus wholeheartedly with self-effacing love. This love transforms her to accept Jesus as Savior and God. Only those who have true devotion to God and his Christ will have genuine and respectful love towards the poor. 

23. Jn. 11: 38-45

Jn. 11: 38-45: By giving physical life to Lazarus, Jesus manifests his glory through his seventh and last sign of God’s power of giving spiritual life. It also anticipates the glorious resurrection of Jesus the Lord and the bystanders are made to believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and Life. 

22. Lk. 3: 8-11

Lk. 3: 8-11: John the Baptist demands a personal commitment to justice from every one. He exhorts them to share and care; and not to swindle or bully others. His call for personal conversion is also a call for the renewal of society such community and society will be known by their fruit – a change of heart and the action taken will speak louder for a social change.

21. Mt. 18: 15-20

Mt. 18: 15-20: V.15 to 18 put together gives the message that coming together in prayer is an assurance of the presence of Jesus, which both guarantees the efficacy of our prayers and strengthens the bonds which bind us together. The family, the community, or the church which prays together, stays together. Christ is encountered in the community. Division brings crisis and problems. 

20. Lk. 13: 31-35

Lk. 13: 31-35: Jesus, knowing the political power of Galilee,  is not afraid of his mission. His mission compels him to go to Jerusalem as planned by his Father in heaven. The metaphor of the mother-hen gathering her chicks brings out the loving concern of God for his people. The political power is against it and all these were foreseen by Jesus.   

19. Mt. 1: 18-25

1    Mt. 1: 18-25: Jesus is both Son of God by conception and Son of David by adoption by St. Joseph, who being a descendant of King David. He is commanded to name the son ‘Jesus’ which in Greek means ‘Yahweh saves’. So St. Joseph plays an important role in the salvation history.

18. Jn. 10: 11-18

Jn. 10: 11-18: Jesus is the model shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep as seen in Psalm 23. Having such a shepherd one should live confidently with trusting faith.  Jews being failed in recognizing Jesus as the savior, their place is being taken by the new followers i.e. the gentiles.

17. Mk. 10: 1-12

Mk. 10: 1-12: Love and fidelity are the norms in matrimony for husband and wife V.2:24 and 10:8. The conjugal union binds them in an indestructible bond. Though Jesus does not directly condemn the divorced but he denies authority to those who placates the conscience of the divorcees as if God does not demand anything more of them.

16. Jn. 8: 49-59

Jn. 8: 49-59: Jesus establishes his eternal existence. His existence is eternal than Abraham by saying “before Abraham was I AM”. Jesus exhorts his people to believe in him so that they have the eternal life. Because only by faith in the eternal Jesus that one has the life eternal. 

15. Lk. 18: 31-34

Lk. 18: 31-34: Jesus foretells the passion before starting to go to Jerusalem. He said so twice before (Lk. 9:22; 9: 43-45) Jesus’ disciples never understood all these prophesies. Jesus prepares the disciple to face the reality – the reality that Jerusalem is the place of his suffering, death and resurrection.

14. Jn. 8: 1-11

Jn. 8: 1-11: Jesus reveals himself as a merciful judge and savior. Jesus criticizes the pharisaic hypocrisy of observing the law to its letter, but not fulfilling its spirit. It invites us to be aware of our own sins before we accuse others of theirs. 

13. Lk. 10: 33-37

Lk. 10: 33-37: The one who stopped to help another human being is a Samaritan. Jesus describes what it means to be a neighbor to another. Instead of dividing the world into neighbours and non-neighbours we should make sure that we always act as a neighbor to others as best we can.  It is a relationship rather than a category. Ezra and Nehemiah were examples of passionate devotion to the God of Israel. Jesus reminds us that we should love our neighbor with the same passionate intensity.

12. Lk. 18: 18-25

Lk. 18: 18-25: Loving God and neighbour gives eternal life. Giving one’s own wealth to the poor and following Jesus afterwards also gives this eternal life. So Jesus can save one from the bondage of wealth and can give salvation and life eternal.   

10. Jn. 7: 45-53

Jn. 7: 45-53: Halfhearted defense of Christ by us in the world bring us uncomfortable and ashamed silence. In our defense of Christ it is better to be reckless with our hearts than prudent with our heads. To stand up for him may bring mockery and unpopularity but Jesus promises us that ‘he will defend us before his Father in heaven’. Loyalty to Christ may bring a cross on earth but it brings crown in eternity.

9. Jn. 7: 25-31

Jn. 7: 25-31: Jews have their claim to know Jesus and from where he came.  But their pride made them to remain in the darkness interpreting everything according to their human views and closing their hearts to the truth. Only a humble seeker of God can discover who Jesus is.

8. Jn. 7: 1-13

Jn. 7: 1-13:  Jesus’ own people failed to grasp his true identity. So he does not succumb to the temptation of seeking self-glory but he chooses the way of humiliation and suffering to give glory to God-it is his ‘time’. Going to Jerusalem is to manifest himself through his suffering, death and resurrection. 

7. Jn. 6: 60-69

Jn. 6: 60-69: Jews refuses to accept Jesus’ doctrine on the Eucharist. Jesus then appeals to them pointing to his resurrection (v.62). Thus Eucharist is the body of the risen Lord transformed by the spirit (ccc 1116) It is this spiritual and glorified body of Christ that acts in us, spiritually unites us with God and thereby endows us with divine life.

6. Jn. 5: 19-23

Jn. 5: 19-23:  Unlike the faith of Jews as God is one, Jesus shows a new face of God. The Father sends his Son into this world to complete his work of giving life and salvation. It is by resurrection. Jews could not grasp Jesus’ claim of being equal to the Father, that the Jews want to kill him (5:18)

5. Jn. 5: 1-18

Jn. 5: 1-18: “I have no one to put me into the pool” v.7. If the above verse is the tragic fate of the poor even today v.17 is the hope for them all “My Father goes on working, and so do I”. Creation is a dynamic process which continues by the preservatory action of God. As the Father, so is Jesus perfecting creation bringing salvation (3:16).

4. Mt. 21: 33-44

Mt. 21: 33-44: Priests and Pharisees- the leaders of Jews killed the prophets of Israel and the Son of God who corrected and guided them time to time. Now the owner will entrust the vineyard (the people of God) to the care of the apostles under Peter. We are the ‘tenants’ and the ‘vineyard,’ if we are to produce the fruits of Gospel and Holy Spirit.  We are to be controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit.

3. Mt. 21: 28-32

Mt. 21: 28-32: Many people receive the message of Jesus in their life and are ahead of the priests, who were indifferent to and felt neither the desire nor the need to change. So also do many uncommitted Christians, who neither work as missionaries nor receive them, believing they do not need conversion.

2. Mk. 12: 18-27

Mk. 12: 18-27: The Sadducees are silenced by Jesus by proposing to have faith in the power of God by highlighting their shallow understanding of their scripture. God is powerful to overcome death and give life – the resurrected life will enjoy uninterrupted communion with God. Our hope in resurrected life is based on the character of the ever-living God (v. 26 & 27).

1. Mk. 12: 35-40

Mk. 12: 35-40: Jesus comes out of the selfish title which the Jews had given to the Messiah (the son of David in Mt. 1:1 restrict his mission only to the Jews like King David) by quoting Psalm 110:1. He says Jesus’ sonship is more than a matter of human descent and will sit in his kingdom at the right hand of his heavenly Father by his passion and resurrection.