“The Lord is truly risen, alleluia. To him be glory and power, for all the ages of eternity, alleluia, alleluia.” (Entrance Antiphon)
The Church has only one news to spread. It was the subject of the first speech of Peter, it is the same subject of Pope Francis’ message: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power… They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible… everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10, 38. 39. 40. 43). We will celebrate this joy for the next 50 days. And we will enjoy this message “for all the ages of eternity.” We would like to bring this joy to every home and to every person. Your sins were forgiven, your wounded life can be healed, your relations – not only restored but beautifully improved, you yourself are God’s beloved child.
“Alleluia, alleluia. Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed; let us then feast with joy in the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.” (Verse before the Gospel)
“Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken, says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” (Is 54:10)
Today the Church has prepared for us nine readings: seven from the Old Testament, and two from the New Testament. Each reading stages a new version of the same story—“my love shall never leave you… says the Lord.” From Adam through Abraham to the Apostles; from Paradise through Egypt to the Holy Land—the same God’s love appears. Sometimes you are afraid that your sins are too big, your weakness so dramatic, your relations broken, your life wounded beyond repair. Not for Him: “Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you nor my covenant of peace be shaken”.
“May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds” (Lucenarium)
“So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” (Hbr 4:16)
Mercy and grace. This is God’s answer to our sins. The only condition is: “let us confidently approach the throne of grace.” He is always on His “throne of grace,” waiting for us.
“Christ became 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 other name.” (Verse before the Gospel)
“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you” (Verse before the Gospel)
“Love one another” is not a new commandment. “Love one another as I have loved you” – it is the new commandment. He and His love is always the point of reference. He and His love is what we focus on.
Today we celebrate the new commandment and the place where we can always find it – the Eucharist. The central point of every Mass is the very celebration of love as “I have loved you”. This gift comes to us through the priests. They could be old or young, with a nice voice or almost deaf, fantastic preachers or boring speakers, great team-builders or horrible leaders, almost perfect or far, far away from perfection, but for sure they are always His priests with the most beautiful gift – the ability to bring us closer to Him and Him – closer to us.
“This is the Body that will be given up to for you; this is the Chalice of the new covenant in my Blood, says the Lord; do this, whenever you receive it, in memory of me.” (1 Cor 11:24-25) – Communion Antiphon.
“Morning after morning He opens my ear that I may hear” (Is 50:4).
I have to hear my Lord first. Before I start to listen myself or the others. He knows how to open my ear for the right thoughts. Because He always says the truth. And He always has a message for me, the real “news of the day:” that I am His beloved daughter or son, I am important, I am His miracle, I have a mission in this world and my presence in this world is very important. Even when He shows me my sins, He does it with compassionate love and at the same moment He’s grace assists me to help me to convert. Because His truth is always based on love and never hurts. Brings healing and relief.
“Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our errors” (Verse before the Gospel).
“The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” (Is 49:1)
There is no such thing as coincidence when it comes to my conception. Even if my parents did not expect my appearance. We are “called from birth”. And He had a name for me from the very beginning. With my name came also all my talents, special place in God’s plan, the good that has come through me and all other beautiful things. I was named by God when no one even had an idea of my existence.
We are so infinitely important for Him, that He gave us His beloved Son for our eternal life.
“God did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for all of us” (Rom 8:32) – Communion Antiphon
“Six days before Passover” (Jn 12:1).
The final countdown. More important than the one before the first flight to the moon.
A lot of details: When – “six days before Passover”, where – “Jesus came to Bethany”, why – “for the day of my burial”.
My Lord’s last week doesn’t lead towards the death. It leads to the eternal life for me. To fulfill God’s love to mankind.
“Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our faults”. (Verse before the Gospel)
“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… The Lord GOD is my help” (Is 50:4.7).
The Lord God has given me, is my help… Everything for me and for my salvation. Today we are starting to accompany Him in the last week of His life. A gift completely for me. This week is an explosion of God’s love. From Thursday to Saturday we will go step by step through the whole mystery of the Passion, into which we we are introduced today.
We pray for God’s help so that we are able to “know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them” (Is 50:4). And we, by God’s grace, receive “a word that will rouse them”, a word of hope, a word about God who is always with us – and took flesh to be even closer to us. And He died for us so that we could have life forever.
“Father, if this chalice cannot pass without my drinking it, your will be done” (Mt 26:42) – Communion Antiphon
“They looked for Jesus” (Jn 11:56)
Today’s world is also looking for Jesus. There is a great hunger in the world for the answer to so many needs. People feel lonely, abandoned, in despair, broken, rejected, misunderstood. They look for the solution in so many places. But only Jesus has an answer to all our questions and needs. Only He knows us perfectly.
When we say: “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” – “Outside the Church there is no salvation” – it doesn’t mean that salvation is only in the Catholic Church; it means that wherever is salvation, there is Catholic Church: “all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body”(CCC 846-848). When we offer our ministry to the others, the best we can do for them is to help them meet Jesus and His Church.
“They looked for Jesus”. And Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. When we follow His ways – which is also our vocation, when we serve the Truth and proclaim Life – we bring Him to other people. And this is your service as a doctors, Creighton Model practitioners, parents, friends, and so on…
“O Lord, do not stay afar off; my strength, make haste to help me! For I am a worm and no man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people” (Ps 22, 20.7) – Entrance Antiphon
“But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion…” (Jer 20:11).
When it is about Him, He is like “a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers” (Is 53:7). But when it is about you, He is like a mighty champion. You are His beloved daughter, you are His beloved son, we are His children, and whoever is against us, trying to harm us or do anything evil to us – He is there to protect us like a mighty champion.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress. Deliver me from the hands of my enemies and those who pursue me. O Lord, let me never be put to shame, for I call on you.” (Ps 31:10.16.18) – Entrance Antiphon
