Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 88 : 21-22, 25 and 27
I have found David my servant, and with My holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him and My arm will sustain him.
My faithfulness and love will be with him, and by My help he will be strong. He will call on Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.’
Liturgical Colour : White
Isaiah 61 : 1-3a, 6a, 8b-9
The Spirit of the Lord YHVH is upon Me, because YHVH has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to the captives, freedom to those languishing in prison; to announce the year of YHVH’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God; to give comfort to all who grieve; (to comfort those who mourn in Zion) and give them a garland instead of ashes.
But you will be named priests of YHVH, you will be called ministers of our God. I will give them their due reward and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a race YHVH has blessed.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we enter into the most solemn celebration of the Holy Week, the holiest and most important week of the whole entire liturgical year when we mark the very important and crucial events that happened at the pinnacle of the Lord’s life and ministry in this world. We mark everything that happened when the Lord began the final part of His mission in gathering all of us together and bringing us all up close to the salvation and eternal life which He Himself has promised and reassured us. And we begin this solemn commemoration with this Sunday’s Palm Sunday celebration, when we remember the grand and triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey and welcomed by the people of the city like a great conquering King.
This event had been foretold and prophesied by the prophets, particularly the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied that the Lord Himself, as King, would come to His people riding on a donkey, which the Lord’s triumphal entry perfectly fulfilled and accomplished. However, this glorious moment would soon give way to the much more sombre and sorrowful moments of the Passion of the Lord, the Crucifixion and all the sufferings that the same Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, would have to suffer and go through as He took up His Cross, bearing all of our sins, wickedness, faults and mistakes upon Himself and His own shoulders. Therefore, while this Sunday’s liturgy begins with a triumphant commemoration of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem with the procession with the blessed palms, it soon changed into the more sombre reminder of the true nature of this Week’s events that revolved around the Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross.
Essentially, we are all reminded that first of all, God’s love for us all is so great, so enduring and powerful, that He has given us all His beloved Son, as the perfect manifestation of His Love, extending unto all of us His love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness that He has offered freely to all of us, that His love for us is no longer intangible, and His Presence became truly felt, approachable and accessible to each and every one of us, without exception. He showed all of us His desire to come to us, and while He is truly our Lord and King, but we are all His beloved people, and He came to us to save us all, through none other than His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and what He would do for our sake through His Passion on the Cross.
Certainly some if not many of us may have been wondering in our hearts and minds, why is it that the Lord could not have just done it all so easily by erasing from us our sins, if He could have done it all simply because He is so all-powerful, almighty and great. He could have saved Himself the trouble and the sufferings of having to go through all the challenges, trials, rejections and difficulties that He had to go through, the humiliations and pains that He had to endure as He went through the moments of His Passion, His suffering on the Cross and His death. And yet, God did all these because not only that His love for us is truly great and enduring, but He also wants to show us through His Son, how we all can approach Him and be forgiven from our many sins.
We must realise first of all that sin is borne out of our disobedience against God, from our conscious refusal to obey Him, His will and Law, and our conscious choice to do what was contrary to the guidance and rules that He has established with us. Sin came to us, corrupting and dominating us because we have chosen to follow the falsehoods and the temptations that the devil has placed in our path to make us stumble, when we have the choice to remain faithful to God. God Who created us all and gave us life has also given us the free will and the freedom to choose our path and course in life. Should we choose to disobey God and sin against Him, it is by our conscious choice that we have done so, and if we want to return to Him, then we will have to choose to embrace the love and mercy, the compassion and forgiveness that He has freely offered to us.
And through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, God has shown us the perfect example of obedience and faith, of what is needed for all of us to do in our own lives so that we may truly be able to follow God in each and every moments of our lives. The Lord, as the Son, faithfully obeyed His Father’s will, just as highlighted in our second reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians. He faithfully embraced His mission, taking up His Cross and putting upon Himself all the punishments, sufferings and pains that are due to us, that we should have endured and suffered instead, all because He loved each and every one of us, and He wanted to show us all that love and the perfect obedience through which He can be the ultimate example and inspiration for us all to follow in our own paths in life.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we begin this most solemn commemoration of everything that we remember in this Holy Week, let us all become ever more aware and attuned to our actions, words, deeds and every parts of our whole lives and existence. Have we been truly ready to commemorate this most important week in the whole liturgical year, marking the crucial events in the history of our salvation? Have we realised that it was our many sins, faults, stubbornness and wicked deeds that Our Lord Himself has taken up, as He carried His Cross onto Calvary? Otherwise, then this Holy Week will just end up becoming another regular week and event when we just go through the motion, going and attending the Masses and services, year after year, repeating the events but without true spiritual growth and without growing in relationship and closeness with God.
Therefore, let us all remember the great and ever enduring love which the Lord Himself has shown us, manifested perfectly through His Son, in His Passion on the Cross, in all the sufferings, pains, humiliations and everything that He had to endure for our sake, but which He willingly took upon Himself out of His ever generous and enduring love for us. We must never take this generous love for granted, and we must keep in mind that if we continue to remain in the state of sin, in disobeying God and His commandments, then there will be no path for us to come close to God and His salvation simply because it is by our own decision and conscious choice that we have decided to reject Him and refuse everything, all the love, compassion and mercy which He has shown us all these while. It was after all the same people who welcomed the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem as we commemorate this Sunday, who would also cry out on Good Friday, ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be aware of our many sins, wickedness, our unworthiness, and all the things in our lives which have kept us away from God. Let us all realise that every time we commit sin against Him, we have brought about hurt and pain for Him, all the wounds that have been inflicted upon Him and all the sufferings He bore, all these were due to our sins. He still bore all those sins, sufferings and pains because of His ever enduring and great love for us, but we must not take for granted all that He had done for us. That is because as long as we continue to walk in the path of sin, we will continue to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness, and in the end, if we continue to do this, we may end up being lost forever from God, because we ourselves have chosen to reject Him and decided to put our lot in the darkness and wickedness of the world, with Satan and all those forces of evil.
Let us hence make good use of this time we have been given, especially during this time of Holy Week, to renew our commitments to God, and to be ever more thoroughly committed to His cause. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord, our most loving and merciful God, and let us all be the good role models and examples, inspirations and encouragement for one another, for our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith, and help us in our journey of faith and life, especially as we embark on this most solemn journey this Holy Week, this time of intense commemoration of Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death on His Cross. May God be with us all, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Mark 14 : 1 – Mark 15 : 47
It was now two days before the Feast of the Passover and Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were looking for a way to arrest Jesus on a false charge, and put Him to death; but they said, “Not during the Festival, for there might be trouble among the people.”
Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. As He was reclining at dinner, a woman entered carrying an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfumed oil on Jesus’ head. Then some of them became angry and said, “What a useless waste of perfume. It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor.” And they criticised her.
But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why are you troubling her? What she has just done for Me is a very charitable work. At any time you can help the poor, for you always have them with you; but you will not have Me forever. This woman did what she had to do : she anointed My Body for burial, before I die. Truly, I say to you, wherever the Good News is proclaimed, and this will be throughout the world, what she has done will be told in praise of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Jesus to them. On hearing him, they were excited and promised to give him money. So Judas started planning the best way to hand Jesus over to them.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the day when the Passover Lamb was killed, disciples asked Him, “Where would you have us to go to prepare the Passover meal for You?” So Jesus sent two of His disciples with these instructions, “Go into the city, and there, a man will come to you carrying a jar of water.”
“Follow him to the house he enters and say to the owner, ‘The Master says, Where is the room where I may eat the Passover meal with My disciples?’ Then He will show you a large room upstairs, already arranged and furnished. There, you will prepare for us.”
The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were at table eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me, one who shares My meal.”
They were deeply distressed at hearing this and asked Him, one after the other, “You do not mean me, do You?” And Jesus answered, “It is one of you Twelve, one who dips his bread in the dish with Me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say He will. But alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed; better for him if he had never been born.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. And He said, “Take this. It is My Body.” Then He took a cup, and after He had given thanks, He passed it to them and they all drank from it. And He said, “This is My Blood, the Blood of the Covenant, poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not taste the fruit of the vine again, until that day when I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.”
After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “All of you will be dismayed and fall away; for the Scripture says : I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”
Then Peter said to Him, “Even though all the others fall away, I will not.” And Jesus replied, “Truly I say to you, today, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” But Peter insisted, “Though I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all of them said the same.
They came to a place which is called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” But He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and, becoming filled with fear and distress, He said to them, “My soul is full of sorrow, even to death. Remain here and stay awake.”
Then He went a little further on and fell on the ground, praying that, if possible, this hour might pass Him by. Jesus said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Yet, not what I want, but what You want.” Then He came and found them asleep; and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not stay awake for one hour? Stay awake and pray, all of you, so that you may not slip into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the body is weak.”
And, going away, He prayed, saying the same words. When He came back to the disciples, He found them asleep again. They could not keep their eyes open; and they did not know what to say to Him. When He came back the third time, He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is all over, the time has come : the Son of Man is now given into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go! Look : the one who betrays Me is approaching.”
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the elders. The traitor had arranged a signal for them, “The One I kiss, He is the Man. Arrest Him, and take Him away under guard.”
So, when He came, He went directly to Jesus, and said, “Master! Master!” and kissed Him. Then they seized Jesus and arrested Him. One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck out at the High Priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Jesus turned to them and said, “So, you have set out against a robber! Did you need swords and clubs to arrest Me? Day after day, I was among you, teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest Me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.”
Then they all deserted Him and fled. A young man, covered by nothing but a linen cloth, followed Jesus. When they took hold of him, he left the cloth in their hands and fled away naked. They led Jesus to the High Priest; and all the chief priests assembled, with the elders and the teachers of the Law. Peter had followed Him at a distance; and went right into the courtyard of the High Priest, where he sat with the guards, warming himself at the fire.
Now the chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some evidence against Jesus so that they might put Him to death; but they were unable to find anything. Even though many came up to speak falsely against Him, their evidence did not agree. At last, some stood up and gave this false witness : “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made by human hands, and, in three days, I will build another, not made by human hands.” But even so, their evidence did not agree.
The High Priest then stood up in the midst of them and asked Jesus, “Have You no answer at all? What about this evidence against You?” But Jesus was silent and made no reply. The High Priest put a second question to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Then Jesus answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Most Powerful, and coming with the clouds of heaven around Him.”
Then the High Priest, tearing his garments to show his horror, said, “What more evidence do we need? You have just heard His blasphemous words. What is your decision?” They all condemned Jesus, saying, “He must die.” Some of them began to spit on Jesus; and, blindfolding Him, they struck Him and said, “Play the prophet!” And the guards set upon Him with blows.
While Peter was below, in the courtyard, a servant girl of the High Priest came by. Noticing Peter beside the fire, she looked straight at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the Nazarene.” But he denied it, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out through the gateway, and a cock crowed.
The servant girl saw him there and told the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But Peter denied it again. After a little while, those standing nearby said to Peter, “Of course you are one of them; you are a Galilean, are you not?” And Peter began to justify himself with curses and oaths, “I do not know the Man you are talking about.”
Just then a cock crowed a second time, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Early in the morning, the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law (that is, the whole Council or Sanhedrin) had their plan ready. They put Jesus in chains, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate. Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.” As the chief priests accused Jesus of many things, Pilate asked Him again, “Have You no answer at all? See how many charges they bring against You.”
But Jesus gave no further answers, much to Pilate’s surprise. At every Passover festival, Pilate used to free any prisoner the people asked for. Now there was a man called Barabbas, jailed with the rioters who had committed murder in the uprising. When the crowd went up to ask Pilate the usual favour, he said to them, “Do you want me to set free the King of the Jews?” for he realised that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him out of envy.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask, instead, for the release of Barabbas. Pilate replied, “And what shall I do with the Man you call King of the Jews?” The crowd shouted back, “Crucify Him!” Pilate asked, “What evil has He done?” But they shouted the louder, “Crucify Him!”
As Pilate wanted to please the people, He freed Barabbas, and, having had Jesus flogged, Pilate handed Him over to be crucified. The soldiers took Him inside the courtyard, known as the Praetorium, and called the rest of their companions. They clothed Him in a purple cloak, and twisting a crown of thorns, they forced it onto His head. Then they began saluting Him, “Long life to the King of the Jews!” With a stick they gave Him blows on the head and spat on Him; then they knelt down, pretending to worship Him.
When they had finished mocking Him, they pulled off the purple cloak and put His own clothes on Him. The soldiers led Him out of the city to crucify Him. On the way, they met Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country; and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. When they had led Him to the place called Golgotha, which means the Skull, they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He would not take it.
Then they nailed Him to the cross, and divided His clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what every man should take. It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified Him. The statements of His offence was displayed above His head, and it read, “The King of the Jews.” They also crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says : ‘And with lawless ones He was numbered.’
People passing by laughed at Him, shook their heads and jeered, “Aha! So, You are able to tear down the Temple and build it up in three days? Save Yourself now, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law mocked Him, saying to one another, “The Man Who saved others cannot save Himself. Let us see the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from His cross, and then we will believe in Him.” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus insulted Him.
When noon came, darkness fell over the whole land and lasted until three o’clock; and at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You deserted Me?” As soon as they heard these words, some of the bystanders said, “Listen! He is calling for Elijah.” And one of them went quickly to fill a sponge with bitter wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Now let us see whether Elijah comes to take Him down.”
But Jesus uttered a loud cry and gave up His Spirit. And immediately, the curtain that enclosed the Temple Sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom. The captain, who was standing in front of Him, saw how Jesus died and heard the cry He gave; and he said, “Truly, this Man was the Son of God.”
There were also some women watching from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, who had followed Jesus when He was in Galilee and saw to His needs. There were also others who had come up with Him to Jerusalem.
It was now evening, and, as it was Preparation Day, that is the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea boldly went to Pilate and asked for the Body of Jesus. Joseph was a respected member of the Council, who was, himself, waiting for the kingdom of God. Pilate was surprised that Jesus should have died so soon; so he summoned the captain and inquired if Jesus was already dead. After hearing the captain, he let Joseph have the Body.
Joseph took it down and wrapped it in the linen sheet he had brought. He laid the Body in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone across the entrance to the tomb. Now Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joses took note of where the Body had been laid.
Alternative reading (shorter version)
Mark 15 : 1-39
Early in the morning, the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law (that is, the whole Council or Sanhedrin) had their plan ready. They put Jesus in chains, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate. Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.” As the chief priests accused Jesus of many things, Pilate asked Him again, “Have You no answer at all? See how many charges they bring against You.”
But Jesus gave no further answers, much to Pilate’s surprise. At every Passover festival, Pilate used to free any prisoner the people asked for. Now there was a man called Barabbas, jailed with the rioters who had committed murder in the uprising. When the crowd went up to ask Pilate the usual favour, he said to them, “Do you want me to set free the King of the Jews?” for he realised that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him out of envy.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask, instead, for the release of Barabbas. Pilate replied, “And what shall I do with the Man you call King of the Jews?” The crowd shouted back, “Crucify Him!” Pilate asked, “What evil has He done?” But they shouted the louder, “Crucify Him!”
As Pilate wanted to please the people, He freed Barabbas, and, having had Jesus flogged, Pilate handed Him over to be crucified. The soldiers took Him inside the courtyard, known as the Praetorium, and called the rest of their companions. They clothed Him in a purple cloak, and twisting a crown of thorns, they forced it onto His head. Then they began saluting Him, “Long life to the King of the Jews!” With a stick they gave Him blows on the head and spat on Him; then they knelt down, pretending to worship Him.
When they had finished mocking Him, they pulled off the purple cloak and put His own clothes on Him. The soldiers led Him out of the city to crucify Him. On the way, they met Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country; and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. When they had led Him to the place called Golgotha, which means the Skull, they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He would not take it.
Then they nailed Him to the cross, and divided His clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what every man should take. It was about nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified Him. The statements of His offence was displayed above His head, and it read, “The King of the Jews.” They also crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says : ‘And with lawless ones He was numbered.’
People passing by laughed at Him, shook their heads and jeered, “Aha! So, You are able to tear down the Temple and build it up in three days? Save Yourself now, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law mocked Him, saying to one another, “The Man Who saved others cannot save Himself. Let us see the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from His cross, and then we will believe in Him.” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus insulted Him.
When noon came, darkness fell over the whole land and lasted until three o’clock; and at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You deserted Me?” As soon as they heard these words, some of the bystanders said, “Listen! He is calling for Elijah.” And one of them went quickly to fill a sponge with bitter wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Now let us see whether Elijah comes to take Him down.”
But Jesus uttered a loud cry and gave up His Spirit. And immediately, the curtain that enclosed the Temple Sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom. The captain, who was standing in front of Him, saw how Jesus died and heard the cry He gave; and he said, “Truly, this Man was the Son of God.”
Liturgical Colour : Red
Philippians 2 : 6-11
Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.
He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 21 : 8-9, 17-18a, 19-20, 23-24
All who see Me make a jest of Me; they sneer and shake their heads. “He put His trust in the Lord, let the Lord rescue Him! If the Lord is His friend, let Him help Him!”
Round about Me are vicious dogs, villainous rogues encircling Me. They have tied up My hands and feet. They can count all My bones.
Dividing My garments among them and casting lots for My raiment. O Lord, be not far from Me! O My strength, come quickly to My help.
I will proclaim Your Name to My brothers. I will praise You in the assembly. “All you who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him! All you sons of Israel, revere Him!
Liturgical Colour : Red
Isaiah 50 : 4-7
The Lord YHVH has taught Me so I speak as His disciple and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning He wakes Me up to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord YHVH has opened My ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn.
I offered My back to those who strike Me, My cheeks to those who pulled My beard; neither did I shield My face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord YHVH comes to My help. So, like a flint I set My face, knowing that I will not be disgraced.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Mark 11 : 1-10
At that time, when Jesus and His disciples drew near to Jerusalem and arrived at Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples with these instructions, “Go to the village ahead of you and, as you enter it, you will find there a colt tied up that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘What are you doing?’ give this answer, ‘The Lord needs it, but He will send it back immediately.”
They went off and found the colt, out in the street, tied at the door. As they were untying it, some of the bystander asked, “Why are you untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them, and the people allowed them to continue. They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on its back, and Jesus sat upon it. Many people also spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread leafy branches from the fields.
Then the people who walked ahead, and those who followed behind Jesus, began to shout, “Hosannah! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David, which comes! Hosannah in the highest!”
Alternative reading
John 12 : 12-16
At that time, the next day, many people who had come for the festival heard that Jesus was to enter Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And they cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!”
Jesus found a donkey and sat upon it, as Scripture says : ‘Do not fear, city of Zion! See, your King is coming, sitting on the colt of a donkey!’ The disciples were not aware of this at first, but after Jesus was glorified, they realised that this had been written about Him, and that this was what had happened to Him.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before we enter into the Holy Week when we shall celebrate and commemorate the most important week in the events of our salvation history. On this Sunday, we heard from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures the reassurances and promises that God has kept on giving us, that He will always be with us, guiding and protecting us in our journey of life, and as long as we keep our faith in Him, He shall always be faithful to the Covenant that He has made and repeatedly renewed with each and every one of us. We are all reminded that God has always been ever gracious and generous with His love towards us, calling each and every one of us to return to Him and to embrace once again the fullness of His love and compassionate mercy.
In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke of the Lord’s words directed to His people, that despite their many sins and rebellions against Him, His love for all of them endured, and He has always been willing to reach out to them so that they all may receive pardon and forgiveness for their many faults and mistakes against Him, and that they may return to His loving embrace, receiving once again the fullness of His grace and love as He has always intended for them. Contextually, this happened at the time when the Israelites living in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had long disobeyed the Lord, disobeyed His commandments and Law, refusing to listen to His messengers and prophets, choosing to walk their own path of rebellion and disobedience, turning away from the Covenant that He has made with His people.
That was why God sent His prophets and messengers to them, with the message warning them that if they continued to walk in such a rebellious path, then they would suffer consequences for their disobedience and wicked deeds, which would come true with the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the deportation of many of its inhabitants to the distant lands of Assyria and beyond, scattering God’s people from their homeland, where they were forced to wander off in those distant places. They disregarded His commandments, rules and reminders for so long, and they persecuted those whom He had sent to help them, and hence, it was no wonder that they themselves then had to suffer for their lack of faith and trust in God, for their stubbornness and wickedness.
Those in the kingdom of Judah fared somewhat better as some of their kings still obeyed the Lord and still kept the commandments and Law of God to a certain extent. Nonetheless, by the time of the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom and its people had also slipped further and deeper into the path of disobedience and evil, their constant rebellion against God and His path, and their trust in worldly powers and means rather than in their Lord and Master, eventually which would lead them to suffer the same fate as their northern neighbour, when they would also be defeated and conquered by the Babylonians, who would also deport many of them to the distant lands of Babylonia and elsewhere, where they would wander off for many decades.
Jeremiah was the one who was entrusted with this bad premonition and warning, but amidst all the doom and terrible things which he proclaimed as what would happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, he also spoke of God’s love and mercy as we heard it in our first reading passage today. This is therefore a very important reminder for each and every one of us that while sin is a very dangerous and serious threat to us, as it can lead us to be separated eternally from the Lord, but the Lord’s love for us, His forgiveness and mercy can lead us all into the sure and direct path to return to Him, to reconcile ourselves once again with Him, so that, by our redemption and reconciliation with God, we may once again enjoy the fullness of His grace and love, as God has always intended for us.
In our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was written and addressed to the Jewish population, particularly for the Jewish converts to the Christian faith, which made up a large proportion of the early Christian communities then. In that particular passage, the author wanted to highlight to the Jewish people that essentially, Jesus Christ, the One Whom some of the Jews considered as merely just a great Prophet and Messiah, was in fact not just Messiah in the manner that they thought He would be, like a great King Who would liberate them from the foreign rulers and oppressors. That was the common perception of who the Messiah would be at that time. The author therefore presented Christ as the One Who is the manifestation of God’s love and the Incarnate Son of God, the Divine Word that had taken up our human existence to be with us.
And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also highlighted how Jesus as the Son of God, obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, and showing unto us the perfect example of obedience and faith, such that we may also be inspired to follow His examples. Through His obedience, the Lord embraced His Cross and took it up willingly, enduring the worst and most bitter of sufferings and trials, difficulties and challenges so that by His obedience, by His most selfless and perfect sacrifice, His offering of Himself, His Most Precious Body and Blood for our sake, so that through this perfect offering we may be redeemed, forgiven and made whole again, reconciled fully and perfectly with God, our loving Father and Creator. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also often presented the Lord Jesus as the High Priest of all, offering on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering of His own Body and Blood for our salvation.
In the Gospel passage this Sunday then, this is further elaborated with the passage about the interactions between the Lord Jesus and His disciples, at the moment when some of the Greeks came to Jerusalem and wanted to know more about Jesus, His teachings and works. It was there that the Lord proclaimed Himself symbolically to those Gentiles who were looking for Him, as He engaged in a conversation with His Heavenly Father about everything that would happen to Him. He was speaking about His moment of Passion, His suffering and death that would come soon, referring to the same actions highlighted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is a reminder that Christ’s mission is ultimately to become the bridge between us and our Lord and God, leading us back to God our Father and Creator, Who wants us all to be reconciled to Him.
And these words and actions were conveyed to those Greeks through a miraculous voice from Heaven, and through this simple yet symbolic act, it represented how God’s salvation was offered freely to everyone, regardless whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The word ‘Gentile’ referred to those who did not belong to the Jewish people or nation, and was kind of synonymous as pagans or unbelievers in the sense the word was often used at that time. Many among the Jewish people at the time, especially those who belonged to the group of the Pharisees believed that they alone were worthy of God’s grace and salvation, and looked down on the Gentiles and the pagans because of this, thinking that they were unworthy of God, unclean and condemned by their status as being not counted among the Jews.
This was dispelled by the Lord Himself, Who repeatedly showed that His love was directed at everyone, at every descendants of Adam and Eve. He did not discriminate by their status, descent, or by any other earthly and worldly parameters that we often used to distinguish ourselves from others around us. He loved every one of us regardless of our conditions and differences, and all of us are truly dear and beloved to Him, and He wants to bring us all back to Himself, and hence, that was why He gave us all His Son. He did everything that He could so that each and every one of us have the chance to enter into His loving Presence once more, purified from our corruptions and sins. All of us should therefore be reminded of this fact, as we are about to enter into the most Holy and Solemn Week in the week ahead, so that we can truly celebrate and commemorate those important moments and events with great appreciation, understanding and faith.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves of God’s great love, which He has always shown to us, and His great mercy and love, by which He has given us all His beloved and only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that while we are truly unworthy because of our many sins, due to our disobedience, rebellions and stubborn attitudes, but He has opened for us the sure and certain path towards Him and His grace. In this remaining time we have before the beginning of the Holy Week, let us all look back at our Lenten journey so far, and ask ourselves whether we have made good use of the time and opportunities given to us. Have we truly grown better and stronger in our relationship with God? Have we grown to know Him better and live our lives more in accordance with His will?
Let us all use the remaining time we have, in each and every moments to reflect well and discern on how we are going to continue carrying on living our lives. Let us all continue to do what we can so that by our lives, our every words, actions and deeds, and by our every good commitments, our Lenten observances and actions, we will be good role models and inspirations for everyone all around us. May God be with us always and may He bless us all in everything that we do, in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
John 12 : 20-33
At that time, there were some Greeks who had come up to Jerusalem to worship during the feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went to Andrew, and the two of them told Jesus.
Then Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world save it even to everlasting life.”
“Whoever wants to serve Me, let him follow Me; and wherever I am, there shall My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him. Now, My soul is in distress. Shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ But, to face all this, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” People standing there heard something and said it was thunder; but others said, “An Angel was speaking to Him.” Then Jesus declared, “This voice did not come for My sake, but for yours. Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the prince of this world is to be cast down. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to Myself.”
With these words Jesus referred to the kind of death He was to die.
Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)
John 11 : 1-45
At that time, there was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This is the same Mary, who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick.
So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”
It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” They replied, “Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone You. Are You going there again?”
Jesus said to them, “Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, for there is no light in them.” After that Jesus said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him.”
The disciples replied, “Lord, a sick person who sleeps will recover.” But Jesus had referred to Lazarus’ death, while they thought that He had meant the repose of sleep. So Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there, for now you may believe. But let us go there, where he is.” Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, after the death of their brother, to comfort them. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”
After that Martha went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The Master is here and is calling for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she rose and went to Him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. The Jews, who were with her in the house consoling her, also came. When they saw her get up and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep.
As for Mary, when she came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, who had come with her, He was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.
The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.
Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.
Alternative reading (shorter version of Reading from Year A)
John 11 : 3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”
It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”
When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”
Jesus was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.
The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.
Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.
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