„Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (IS 53: 4-5)

We are loved, not because we are perfect and deserve love, but because we are His children. He knows everything about „our infirmities” and „our sufferings” and about „our offenses” and „our sins.” The only way to bring us back to health was to „become obedient to the point of death.” „By His stripes we were healed.”

„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.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“’This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‚This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” (1 COR 11: 24-26)

In these days we celebrate paradoxes: „the death of the Lord until he comes,” „my body that is for you” or „the cup of His blood” to drink. Paradoxes of faith. Paradoxes of God’s love who died for us to keep us alive and Who dies during every Mass and is forever the Everlasting God. Love given became a new commandment: „love one another as I have loved you.”

„I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

„On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, ‚Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‚Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‚The teacher says, <<My appointed time draws near;  in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.>>’’ The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.” (MT 26: 17-19)

From this moment this is one of the most precious places for us: the house where the Last Supper took place. We can imagine the honor for „a certain man” to be a host of this. We can also think how to prepare our houses to be ready to receive Our Lord to celebrate with Him the Passover.

„Hail to you, our King; You alone are compassionate with our errors.” (Gospel Acclamation)

„My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.” (JN 13: 33)

We are witnessing the last days of Our Lord. Every day the readings remind us of how close we are to the moment when He will die for us and our salvation, timing every moment of His life: „six days before Passover,” „On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,” „Before the feast of Passover” and so on. We are invited to stay with Him, to participate in His very last moments, knowing that He „will be with us only a little while longer.” We can answer to His appeal just by being with Him.

„Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

„Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.” (IS 42: 1-4)

„Justice to the nations” and „justice on the earth” will come not by force, „not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street,” but with gentleness. With Our Lord everyone is safe and protected: „a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench.” He alone is „compassionate with our faults.”

„Hail to you, our King; you alone are compassionate with our faults.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

„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.” (IS 50: 4-5)

Everything in our lives, directed by God, is focused on serving Him in our brothers and sisters. We need „a well-trained tongue” to know „how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them”; we need open ears „that we may hear.” And He personally takes care of us „morning after morning he opens our ears that we may hear.”

„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 name.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

„When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” (MT 1: 24) 

Saint Joseph was one of the first disciples of Our Lord (just behind Our Lady), who had a very special relationship with God’s word. He always listened to the word, was always obedient, and was always a man of silent action—„he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him.” For thirty years his home was the most amazing place in the world—the first dwelling of Our Lord—„blessed are those who dwell in your home.”

„Blessed are those who dwell in your home, O Lord; they never cease to praise you.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

„But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.” (JER 20: 11)

Our Lord, who loves us so much, looks for any occasion and looks for any title—like „a mighty champion”—to assure us not only that we are protected and secured in this life, but also that He has „the words of everlasting life.”

„Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” (JN 8: 51)

We can „keep His word” in so many ways. The first—when we meditate on the daily readings and choose one specific sentence to ponder. The second—when we recall that sentence several times during the day. The third—when we, at the end of the day, reflect on our actions based on that sentence. It is like the steps from our Love and Life Programs—each day, based on one particular step (like gentleness for example), we stay on track for a good marriage.

„If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” (DN 3: 95)

They risked everything—their lives. It was more important for them to follow God’s law, and „they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” God responded and „sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him.” We also are His believers; we also put our trust in Him; we are also those „who keep the word with a generous heart,” and we are more–we are His beloved children.

„Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)