Dear friends in Christ
We are at the start of the Great Week once again! All of the feasts and mysteries in the life of Our Lord have led us to the events of the Paschal Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter. We have to view these as a single celebration inasmuch as the Last Supper, Jesus’ death on the Cross and His rising from the dead are the three facets of our redemption in Christ. I suggest that we commit to being present at each of these liturgies so that we may gain a sense of what Jesus has done, and continues to do for us in His Mysteries. We have been preparing throughout Lent for these next days and if we can accompany Jesus in his Passion, we will meet Him in His glory on Sunday. It might be helpful, in our prayer, to see ourselves as one of those who were present during the events of Holy Week. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen preaching in the fourth century, gives us some helpful advice on how we might do this: Let us take our part in the Passover prescribed by the law, not in a literal way, but according to the teaching of the Gospel; not in an imperfect way, but perfectly; not only for a time, but eternally...We must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do, accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating his passion by our sufferings, and honouring his blood by shedding our own. We must be ready to be crucified. If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are crucified beside him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief, acknowledge your God. For your sake, and because of your sin, Christ himself was regarded as a sinner; for his sake, therefore, you must cease to sin. Worship him who was hung on the cross because of you, even if you are hanging there yourself. Derive some benefit from the very shame; purchase salvation with your death. Enter paradise with Jesus, and discover how far you have fallen. Contemplate the glories there, and leave the other scoffing thief to die outside in his blasphemy. If you are a Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion, and ask for Christ’s body. Make your own the expiation for the sins of the whole world. If you are a Nicodemus, like the man who worshipped God by night, bring spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or Salome, or Joanna, weep in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone rolled back, and even the angels perhaps, and Jesus himself. (From a Sermon on the Passion)
Msgr Kevin Hale