REFLECTIONS FOR THE HOLY WEEK by Rev. Fr. Nonso Onyemeh, OVM
MONDAY
Is 42, 1-7
Jn 12, 1-11
The reading from the prophet Isaiah speaks to us about the anointed servant of God chosen, called and sent to bring justice to the face of the earth and to be light to the nations, sight to the blind and to bring freedom to captives. This righteous servant of which the prophet speaks is today fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. He is the fulfilment of the prophecy in Is 61, 1-2: the anointed one to bring the good news to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to prisoners and a year of favour to all. The ultimate fulfilment of this salvific mission will lead him through the path of suffering and death which in the gospel is made evident by his visit to Bethany six days before the Passover. We note three significant things in the course of this visit: the presence of Lazarus whom he raised from the dead; the proximity of the Passover and his awareness of soon becoming the Passover Lamb; and the great love of Mary demonstrated by her anointing of his head with a very expensive perfume.
Of these three our attention is significantly drawn to the actions of Mary which are principally defined by love. Mary is the supreme believer who loves the Lord with her entire being, sacrificing all that she is and has. Here is a pure, profound, repentant, and proper believer’s love who is ready to lose himself or herself for the Lord. Through her love and actions she explicitly accepts Christ as her saviour, messiah, the anointed one of God, and unmistakeably, her loving desire to encourage Jesus as he prepares himself to face the agony of the cross.
So we ask ourselves, in what ways can we demonstrate our love and faith in Jesus? How profound is my love for Jesus? How can I deepen my actions of love towards Christ and neighbour during this Holy Week and beyond? Am I ready to lose myself in order to gain Christ; to distance myself from being attached to worldly desires, attitudes and habits and be more dedicated to his ways and style of life? As Mary publicly acknowledged Jesus as the anointed one, the messiah and lord, so too we are called to witness to our faith in Christ Jesus before men and women, and most especially by the way we live our lives since it is by our actions that we show the world most evidently that we belong to Jesus.
TUESDAY
Is 49, 1-6
Ps 71, 1-2; 3-4
Jn 13, 21-33; 36-38
The gospel opens us to the scene of the Passover and to Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s denial. The dominant emotion here is one of sadness, the kind that displays itself when a loved one is about to depart from this life. The apostles are at table with Jesus and the Lord declares that one of them is about to betray him. Immediately the scene is transformed to one of surprise and suspicion: How can this be? Who could this betrayer among us be? The gospel tells us that this declaration was the very reason for Jesus’ troubled spirit. In other words Jesus was saddened by the fact that one of his friends, an apostle of his was about to betray him. Jesus’ troubled spirit may also not be primarily caused by the thought of the betrayer, but could be as a result of the nearness of his death since this is the third time John mentions it after Jn 11, 33, 38 beside the grave of Lazarus and on Palm Sunday after the saying about the dying grain of wheat (Jn 12, 24-27).
That being said, the consequent reaction caused by this declaration of an impending betrayal roused some kind of nervousness in the apostles that they began asking Jesus who this deserter might be. Following the plea of Simon Peter, John reclined to the breast of our Lord and asked him clearly “Lord, who is it?” On the one hand it seems clear that Christ explicitly pointed to Judas: “it is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” On the other hand, we understand almost immediately that as Judas departed, there seem to be the persistent confusion as to who it was. This confusion however is cleared when we assume, in the words of the Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI, that “John retrospectively attributed a clarity to the lord’s answer that it lacked at the time for those present.” Thus we could say that the betrayer is clearly Judas (Jn 13, 18 – “but it is to fulfil the scripture, ‘the one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.”) and the act of betrayal itself is included “within the logic of salvation history.”
We are to understand then that the sufferings of Jesus included his carrying upon himself the betrayal of the world, of every era, to the very end. That Judas’ betrayal happened within the context of the Eucharistic meal significantly points to the betrayal that takes place in the Church community, in our parishes, where believers who though receive communion and participate in the sacramental life of the Church, still betray the Lord through various sinful actions; and this may also include the lack of intellectual will to defend the teachings of the Church with regard faith and morals.
There is also much to learn from Jesus’ act of giving a piece of bread to Judas. It is a unique gesture that speaks of Jesus’ love for Judas. Through such a loving gesture, Jesus, once again appealed to Judas to rethink what he was about to do. It was the last chance given to the betrayer to desist from his actions. It happens even today that before we commit sin especially those of a mortal kind, the Spirit of the Lord always persuades us to the contrary through different ways that may include the advice of a friend, or one’s parents, sacred scripture, the homily at Mass, situations and events that tend to distract us from that sinful intention and most evidently through that silent but audible voice of the Holy Spirit which we hear within our hearts.
We are called today to be particularly attentive to our Christian lives; discerning right from wrong at each moment and choosing firmly to do that which is pleasing to our Lord.
WEDNESDAY
Is 50, 4-9
Ps 69, 8-10
Mt 26, 14-25
The reading from the prophet Isaiah opens to us a window through which we may understand the task or mission, suffering and comportment of the suffering servant, the anointed one whom Christian tradition interprets to be Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God. The verses (4-7) proceed in such a way that our attention is drawn to the action of the servant: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher.” That is, the servant is gifted with speech and does speak well when needed. Hence he knows how “to sustain the weary with a word.” The weary indicates the poor and neglected; those who live at the margins of society, those who are burdened with life’s negatives and seek a word of consolation that could conquer their weakness with strength, breathing into them a lively hope. The servant is one who listens in continuity (“morning by morning he wakens my ear”) to the words of Yahweh. In effect, to him is entrusted the role of listening and speaking as instructed. And against this role he must not rebel nor must he “turn backwards” even when he is struck by suffering and opposition, when his back is “struck” and beards “pulled out” by those who intend to obstruct his mission and hinder him from fulfilling his role. Against these odds he must press forward with his role as listener and teacher, and as one who encourages by the word. He must go ahead with the task assigned him and refuse to be discouraged by acts intended to defeat his course and put him to shame.
And this is exactly what the servant does: “I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.” In other words he demonstrates an attitude of perseverance, of strong-will aimed at fulfilling his mission. And behind this will lies an inner force that propels him and encourages him onward. This inner force is grace; God’s grace, God’s presence. And for this very reason the servant does not feel abandoned, disgraced, left to himself, weak, discouraged, defeated and dismayed. Instead he is convinced of victory because God is his “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble and therefore he will not fear though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea…” (Ps 46, 1-2).
These actions, this comportment of the Anointed One in the face of suffering stands as a powerful lesson to us all. Jesus, in a short while faces arrest, great suffering, shame and humiliation, scourging and death. Yet he is not deterred because standing close to him is his Father: “and I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone” (Jn 8, 28-29).
Moments of trials and sufferings will come our way. Moments when peace eludes our families and division sets in; when we are betrayed by friends, when one losses a job, and cannot find one either; when we are persecuted for bearing the name of Christ, for standing by the teachings of the Church, for saying the truth and doing what is right. Christ, the Anointed One tells us today to stand firm, to take courage and follow his steps. He tells us to be of lively hope and that things will get better. So we are encouraged for we believe that in our daily suffering we complete, in the footsteps of Paul, what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. Thus with the Psalmist we pray: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved” (Ps 121, 1-3).
HOLY THURSDAY (Chrism Mass)
Is 61, 1-3, 6. 8-9
Rev. 1, 5-8
Luke 4, 16-21
Today, the Church celebrates two great events: the institution of the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. The former which is celebrated during the day is marked by the communal celebration of the Bishop together with his priests, while the latter celebration takes place in the evening and includes the rite of the washing of the feet. We can say that at the heart of these liturgical celebrations lie the key terms of ministry, mission service and communion.
Turning our attention to the institution of the priesthood, Jesus explicitly presents himself, in the gospel of Luke, as the One whom the Father has anointed, the One upon whom rests the Spirit of the Lord and the One sent on a mission by the Father to announce the good news of the gospel to the poor, proclaim release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, give freedom to the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour to all. In verse 21, we understand from Jesus that this mission is today “fulfilled in your hearing”; in other words, the good news of deliverance and salvation as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah (61, 1-2) is fulfilled in the person and mission of Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God, the Anointed One of the Father.
The word “anointed” points to Christ as King, Priest and Prophet. As priest, he is the unique fulfilment of the priesthood of the old covenant. He is the supreme high priest in the order of Melchizedek who by his self offering through the sacrifice of the cross, has perfected for all time the forgiveness of sins and the sanctification of men and women, opening up once for all access to the Father. Hence, and as the redemptive sacrifice endures in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church so is the one priesthood of Christ made present in the ministerial priesthood of the Church. This ministerial priesthood is ordered toward the service of the one body of Christ, the Church; and this service definitely flows from Christ’s mission as made evident in the gospel. Therefore, in the person of Christ from whom flows the grace and power of the sacred priesthood, the priest is anointed and sent on mission to bring the good news to the poor, and through its proclamation, give sight to the blind, set prisoners free, proclaim the love and salvation of God to all peoples, and offer, in the service of the people of God, prayers to God on behalf of the Church most especially in the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice wherein they exercise in a supreme degree, their sacred office.
This mission and service is accomplished in communion with the bishop, successor of the apostles and in whom lies the fullness of the sacrament of Orders. In the celebration of the Chrism mass, the priests in union with the bishop testify then not only to ecclesial communion but offer thanksgiving to God for the grace of the ministry of the priesthood and the service they render to the Church in the name of Jesus Christ.
Being partakers of the common priesthood of Christ, we all, both clergy and lay faithful, are invited to reflect on what it means to be sent and to serve. As Christians, we all have been chosen and sent by Christ to proclaim the good news of salvation; and in doing this we are called to be at the service of the same good news by our way of life. Service, in the footsteps of our Lord is done in humility, in great faith, with a lively hope and in obedience to the word of Christ being proclaimed. Service is instrumental to the building up of the Church of Christ, and to sustaining its unity. More than ever, our world, our country are in great need for witnesses to the gospel of Christ who are eager to bring at the service of the world the gospel values of peace, love, forgiveness, unity and solidarity most especially with those at the margins of society. Fulfilling this mission will certainly please our Lord and we do not need to fear the dangers we encounter, for he will certainly be with us. “And remember” says Jesus, “I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matt 28, 20).
HOLY THURSDAY (The Lord’s Supper)
Ex 12, 1-8; 11-14
1Cor 11, 23-26
Jn 13, 1-15
From the Catechism we understand explicitly that the Eucharist is the crown of the sacraments. It is the source and summit of Christian life and in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church which is Christ Himself. Celebrating the institution of the Holy Eucharist, which is what the liturgy is about today, is celebrating Christ among us. It is celebrating that salvific sacrifice; that new Passover, accomplished once for all through the death and resurrection of Christ. It is celebrating Christ present in the species of bread and wine, which by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become the body and blood Jesus Christ himself; it is celebrating that singular sacrament of unity upon which the entire Church is built.
The act of celebrating the Eucharistic sacrifice daily follows upon a command given by Christ to “do this in memory of me”; a command which is directed at the apostles and their successors to celebrate the Lord’s Supper until his return. It is right then to say that through such a command, Christ constitutes them as priests of the New Covenant in order that they may perpetuate under his guidance and in his name, the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Our response then is of praise. Praise to God for the gift of Jesus Christ his Son in whom we are made sons and daughters. Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ who in giving himself to us in the Holy Eucharist binds us more closely to him, preserves us in grace, separates us from sin, unites us to each other and helps us to be more like in him.
Being more like him then demands that we be humble as he was; it demands that we love our brothers and sisters in humble service and it demands that we open ourselves always to the transforming power of our Lord both in Sacred Scripture and in the Eucharist.
Jesus’ washing of the feet of the apostles presents to us that path to follow; that path of royal service and of humility which should define our relationship with him and with our neighbour: “but you are not to be like that” says Jesus to his apostles, “instead the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Lk 22, 26-27).
Following this humble path also means allowing Christ to wash our feet, to cleanse us, and make us fit for God. We pray for this cleansing and the grace to remain ever a part of Christ, Amen!