Weekend of March 24, 2024

Lectio Divina

Weekend of March 24th, 2024

Opening Prayer

Lord God, We are nearing the finish line of Lent. The end is in sight, Your resurrection but days away. Lord I know that while Lent is almost finished, Your holy work in me continues. Thank you for the steps we have taken together this Lent. Thank you for the moments where You have lifted me up when I fell. The end is indeed in sight but first we must walk through your passion and agony to get there. Help me to set my face like flint. Help me to approach your cross in the same humility with which you accepted it. Help me to run to you this Easter week crying Hosanna, help me to hold onto you, to not turn my back on you, to not betray the beautiful work we have done this Lent. Amen.

1st Reading

Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear 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 shield from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

Reflection

Isaiah prophesied to Jesus in this first reading, the suffering servant. What do you do when you are afraid, suffering, or have been hurt in some way? I know that I seek to share my cross with someone I trust, someone who helps me carry whatever it is I am carrying and in doing so makes it a little easier. I recently listened to a powerful sermon by Bishop Barron. He points to Jesus' passion as Jesus taking on every fear that we as humans suffer and endure: cruelty, deep institutional injustice, denial of friends, betrayal by someone you trust, violence, physical suffering, psychological pain, being abandoned and alone, humiliation, false accusation, public humiliation, deep spiritual suffering. Friends this Holy Week we have a beautiful opportunity, the opportunity to sit with Jesus on His cross and bring Him the crosses we are bearing. Think about this, whatever is causing us to suffer, Jesus experienced that on the cross not just for Himself, but standing independent of time and space, He suffered our crosses as well. Jesus is the best friend we can ever hope to have. He is always available, He knows us better than anybody else, AND He has already suffered what we are suffering. Jesus can sit with us and love us and share our cross. What cross have you been carrying that you can bring to the Lord this week? Just as with a friend a phone call is good but in person is always better. Bring your cross to Him this week and answer His cry from the cross, "I thirst."

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22

R. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: “He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. But you, O LORD, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you: “You who fear the LORD, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”

Reflection

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Jesus echoes this psalm back from the throne of His cross. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? This side of heaven this is the cry of virtually every human soul that has ever walked this earth. It is our greatest fear isn't it? That God is no longer or never really was there. If He was, why would we be going through this suffering. "For God so loved the world He gave His only son." (John 3:16) God sent Jesus, His only begotten son, to model, to teach, and to take our sins upon Himself. But God so loved you and me that He sent Jesus to show us His truth: there is hope on the other side of suering, there is life after death, and even in our darkest hour... WE ARE NEVER ABANDONED, ever. This week spend time with the Father. Share with Him where you might be feeling abandoned, where you are desiring His consolation.

2nd Reading

Phil 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Reflection

Lent isn't over yet, almost, but not quite yet. God has been working on each of us this past 5 weeks. We may not feel it, or see it, but He has. God did not throw Jesus to the wolves (so to speak). Jesus' passion was approached after His lifetime of listening to His Father, of emptying Himself, of becoming obedient. These are words that are difficult for us. The hope of the resurrection comes through the gradual process of giving ourselves over to the Father. Jesus understood that God was working toward a greater good in everything He was called to. Jesus is giving us hope this side of the resurrection to trust that God is seeking the same for each of us. Where in your life is God calling you to step back from control so that He may accomplish His far greater and perfect will? Where is He asking you to empty yourself so that He can fill you? Where is God asking you to recognize that you need Him and that you can't do this without Him so that He may be gloried through your life?

Gospel

Jn 12:12-16

When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,

the king of Israel.”
Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:

Fear no more, O daughter Zion;

see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.
His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been gloried they remembered that these things were written

Reection

What do you think Hosanna means? Remember when I have said, 'Words matter'? Holy Spirit prompted me to look this one up. I always thought it meant praise in some way. Kind of like the biblical version of 'You rock!' It was in looking up the Hebrew meaning of that single word that changed this reading for me. The word hosanna (Latin osanna, Greek ὡσαννά, hōsanná) is from Hebrew, hôšîʿâ-nā and related to Aramaic ܵ ܐ ܿܘ (ʾōshaʿnā) meaning 'save, rescue, savior' (courtesy of Google). The people raced to Jesus not to say, 'You rock!' The people went out to meet Jesus because of what they expected Him to do: to save and to rescue. Jesus wants to be a savior and a rescuer to each of us, everyone. Can you go out to meet Him this Holy Week waving your palm branch and proclaiming with greater truth 'Hosana!'?