Palm Sunday
The signs and readings that are proclaimed on this day are very eloquent: intertwined palms to symbolize the excitement and enthusiasm with which the Jewish people received Jesus at his entrance to Jerusalem and, at the same time, we read the gestures of the same people who express betrayal, slander and death.
The first reading of the Mass is taken from chapter 50 in Isaiah and it narrates the prophecy about the Servant of the Lord who describes the luck of the martyr and who announces the fate of the Messiah.
The second reading is a very beautiful Christological hymn of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians in which the humility of Jesus, who lowers himself to become one of us, is highlighted in his dying on the cross. We read the Passion according to Mark, who reminds us that our Lord became one of us and suffered injustice and persecution. Mark is aware that the Christian community will suffer the same way throughout history.
These symbolic elements together with the readings could be a good mirror to reflect our life. Take a pause on Palm Sunday and ask yourself:
What could I do to put into practice the virtue of humility?
What attitudes of pride, prepotency, haughtiness, are frequent in my life?
Holy Thursday
We celebrate the institution of the Eucharist; the altar will be richly adorned with the symbols of a family meal, highlighting the bread and the wine. The altar is also adorned for the Eucharistic reserve, the institution of the priestly ministry is celebrated and, of course, we remember the moment in which Jesus took the towel to wash the feet of his disciples.
The readings give us the historical context of these symbols. The first reading reminds us of the night of the Jewish Easter, when the people are liberated from slavery by the hand of God. The text narrates that last night of slavery, having supper to prepare to live in freedom. It is important to pay attention to the details of that meal: the lamb, the bread without yeast, standing, in a hurry.
The second reading narrates for us the dinner of Jesus’ farewell and how this celebration became the sign of identity of the nascent Christian community. The reading of the Gospel reviews that very special night in which Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. He teaches us that to serve is the most eloquent expression of faith. We cannot speak about faith without putting on the towel and washing the feet of those who need it. On Holy Thursday of 2013 Pope Francis memorably washed the feet of incarcerated youth (male and female). That liturgical gesture was among the first of his pontificate.
As you celebrate all of these signs and hear these beautiful readings on Holy Thursday I invite you to answer these questions:
What gives meaning to my life?
Do I find joy and peace when I help other people?
Does the Eucharistic table remind me that I must fight against hunger?
How do I collaborate with the priest(s) in my parish?
Good Friday
The liturgical ambiance is of mourning, the rituals are very solemn, and the center is the reminder of an injustice committed against an innocent man, against the only one who had not committed sin. No musical instruments, the saints covered in purple cloths, and the center of attention is Christ in his passion and his cross.
The first Reading of the Celebration of the Passion is taken from the book of Isaiah 52. It is astounding that this text written several centuries before the martyrdom of Jesus occurred describes in a very detailed manner the facts of the Passion.
The second reading, taken from Hebrews 4, expresses the congruence of Jesus. He agreed to do the project of God and he did it even when this implied a painful death. Jesus accepts all of the consequences of his incarnation, of being a true man. Divinity did not suppress his humanity.
In addition, on this day we read the Passion according to John that is centered on the triumph of love. For John the Evangelist the passion and death of Jesus are the expression of triumph of God over sin and death. Jesus on the cross triumphs because his death is a source of life for those who believe in him. It was not a useless death, there are no barriers now, in Christ we know who and how God is, because He is God.
Take a moment on Good Friday; I invite you to meditate alone or as a family with the following questions:
What have I learned from my experiences of suffering and pain?
In the difficult situations of my life have I been able to pronounce the prayer of Jesus: Into your hands I commend my spirit?
Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday
The liturgical ambiance of these days is very festive and is accompanied by many symbols of joy and life; flowers, water, fire, the colors white and gold in the priests’ vestments, the songs, and other elements. It all highlights that our vocation is to be happy and that there are reasons to express joy and peace. Pope Francis famously said that there are Christians who “always live in Lent as if Easter had never occurred.” Let us not be like that.
The readings are also very festive. In antiquity the entire night was a vigil listening to the Word of God and sharing the personal stories with narrations of the actions of God in the life of the believers, all of this in the midst of songs and praise: To celebrate at daybreak the new life of Christ whom the Father resurrected from among the dead.
On Easter Sunday the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles and it narrates the discourse of Peter giving his testimony of what Jesus did in his life and of how God resurrected him from among the dead. It calls my attention to the striking change in the personality of Peter. This is the same man who denied Jesus; this is the same one who together with the other disciples hides to avoid the same fate as the Master. And now, only three days after those facts, he appears publicly, without fear, affirming “We are witnesses of all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem. He was killed, hanged from a cross. But God resurrected him on the third day and he made us see it.”
The second reading explains to us in a very simple manner that to be faithful is not just to accept a few facts we do not understand, it is, above all, to live an honest life. Or as Paul says to the Colossians: aspire to the highest values, because in this manner Christ will take possession of your life. Do not live a superficial life.
The texts of the Gospel for the Masses of Holy Saturday and of Resurrection Sunday are various; they all narrate different experiences of the encounter of the Risen Jesus. Maybe the point we can take from this article is the mystery that is enclosed in these encounters. The manner of relating these encounters of Christ before the Resurrection is not the same. There is something new that the evangelists don’t know how to describe, because now Christ has risen. And the description is not of a cadaver that comes back to life, but the confession of faith that now Christ is the Lord of the heavens and earth.
On Resurrection Sunday you could ask yourself:
How has my encounter with the Risen Christ been?
How has my life changed?
Why do I allow my life to be filled with bitterness, rancor or negative attitudes?
Happy Resurrection Feast and May God fill your life with joy and peace.
Dr. Jose Antonio Medina is the Director of the Office of Continuing Formation of Priests for the Diocese of San Bernardino.