Gospel: John 12:20-33 (The coming of Jesus' Hour)
Mass Readings Audio
Girardian Lectionary
Fr. James Alison Homily
'Sunday Connection' Scripture Commentary
RCL/Benziger Gospel Reflections
Hymn, 'Unless a Grain of Wheat' by Bernadette Farrell
Street Psalms
Bishop Robert Barron Sermon
Question of the Week (Adults): When and in what way have you seen life come from death?
Question of the Week (Children): When have you felt stronger because you have sacrificed something for a friend or a member of your family?
Catechism Connection
434 - The Name of Jesus
542 - Jesus draws all people to himself
607 - Jesus' 'hour'
662 - When Jesus is 'lifted up'
786 - Jesus becomes King through his Death and Resurrection
2853 - The "Ruler of This World' is driven out
Saints This Week
March 17 Saint Patrick patron of Irelend, Nigeria, Engineers
March 18 Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
March 19 Saint Joseph husband of Mary, patron of Belgium, Canada, Carpenters, China, Families, Fathers
March 20 Saint Salvador of Horta
March 21 Blessed John of Parma
March 22 Saint Nicholas Owen martyr
March 23 Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo
The Scriptures this Sunday are very rich. The first reading from Jeremiah is one of the classic prophecies of the coming of the New Covenant, and Christians have always understood this to mean the gift of the Holy Spirit, which writes God’s Law upon our hearts.
The reading from Hebrews is a preamble to the Passion, and indicates the depth of obedience Jesus has to God’s will.
In the Gospel, Jesus prophecies his coming death, and indicates that his mission can bear fruit only if he passes through death. The voice of God speaks from heaven to vindicate Jesus and the action he is about to undertake. The beautiful hymn, “Unless a Grain of Wheat” by Bernadette Farrell, is based on this text, and is a perfect meditation for it.
Lesson Theme Suggestion - Jesus’ love for us is shown in the courage with which he goes to the cross. Emphasize not so much the pain of suffering, but the greatness of love and courage that Jesus has. Jesus did this so that we can all receive the Holy Spirit, which writes God’s Law and God’s Love in our hearts.
The Scrutinies are Rites celebrated on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, by those people who are preparing to be baptized at Easter, known as "The Elect". They are important and specuial rites of the Church. Whenever the Scrutinies are celebrated the Scripture readings of Year A of the liturgical cycle are used
The Scrutinies are described by the Church as
“rites for self-searching and repentance, which are meant to uncover, then heal, all ttat is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong and good. The Scrutinies are celebrated in order to deliver the elect from the power of sin and Satan, to protect them against temptation, and to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. These rites, therefore, should complete the conversion of the elect and deepen their resolve to hold fast to Christ and to carry out their decision to love God above all.”
The Gospels on the three Sundays on which the Scrutinies are celebrated teach the elect about the mystery of sin, and fill them with the Spirit of Christ.
Jesus decribed the purpose of his mission as “To give life in abundance” (John 10:10) Each of the Gospels proclaimed in the three Scrutinies illustrates this "life in abundance" under different aspects.
The Third Scrutiny emphasizes Jesus as “the Resurrection and the Life” as we hear the Gospel of the raising to life of Lazarus. Jesus in his obedience to his Father has the authority to give life to whom he will. The raising of Lazarus is an anticipation of what is to take place on the last day. It means that the believer has eternal life; and has passed from death to life. It is also – again – an anticipation of what is celebrated at Easter and in Baptism, resurrection and eternal life.
The meaning for John is: Jesus in his obedience to and dependence upon the Father has the authority to give life to whom he will. The incident is a dramatic demonstration of the truth already declared in John 5.21 (“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.”) which is itself the best commentary on the incident. The raising of Lazarus is not a piece of magic, nor even the supreme achievement of a Saint; it is an anticipation of what is to take place in the fullness of God's Kingdom (an expression of what theologians call "Eschatology"). It means that the believer has eternal life; that he or she has passed from death to life.
Jesus prays, emphasizing his dependence upon the Father. Jesus can do nothing of himself but does what he sees the Father doing. The last enemy - death - is overthrown.
Note that the name Lazarus means “God helps”. The presence of Jesus effects to anticipate ‘eschatological’ events (i.e. to do with the end of the world), especially to judge and to give life. Also, the movement from death to life is the pattern experienced by all Christians, who have died already to sin and risen again in Christ, but all to be fulfilled on the last day.
With Lazarus, the ‘last day’ is being anticipated for the purpose of the sign, which demonstrates who Jesus really is, “the resurrection and the life”.
This Scrutiny celebrated on this day is primarily for the benefit of the Elect, but it reminds all the baptized of the promises God has made through Jesus of eternal life.
Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47 (The Passion of Jesus)
Mass Readings Audio
Girardian Lectionary
Fr. James Alison Homily
'Sunday Connection' Scripture Commentary
RCL/Benziger Gospel Reflections
Street Psalms
Bishop Robert Barron Sermon
Question of the Week (Adults): When have you found it hardest to accept God's will? What enabled you to accept it?
Question of the Week (Children): When is it hardest for you to obey?
Catechism Connection
444 - Jesus the only Son of God
473 - Jesus' human and divine knowledge
585 - Jesus prophecies the destruction of the Temple
603 - Jesus takes human sin upon himself
1009 - Death is transformed by Christ
1328 - The Eucharist, the Lord's Supper
1335 - Signs pointing towards the Eucharist
1339 - Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Passover
2605 - Jesus' last words on the Cross
Saints This Week
March 30 Saint Peter Regalado
April 1 Saint Hugh of Grenoble
April 2 Blessed Elisabetta Vendramini
April 3 Saint Benedict the African patron of African Americans
April 4 Saint Isidore of Seville patron of computers, the internet
Passion Sunday is unique in the Catholic lectionary, because it is the only time we hear two separate Gospel readings. The first is Mark 11:1-10, narrating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and the second is Mark 14:1-15:47, the entire passion narrative.
The Psalm for this day is number 22. This is a remarkable psalm, and Jesus prays its first verse while he is on the cross. If the firsrt verse alone is heard, it sounds like a cry of despair. However, in quoting the first line of the psalm, the evangelist Mark implies the text of the entire Psalm, which has a more hopeful and indeed triumphant tone.
Please read through the whole of Psalm 22, with these questions in mind:
• What does this psalm reveal to us about how Jesus is feeling?
• What does this psalm reveal to us about what God is hoping and expecting?
• How is the story of Jesus’ crucifixion foreshadowed in this psalm?
• What relation do we see in the psalm between suffering, lamentation, despair, hope, trust, vindication, and glory?
In the Passion Narrative we hear today from the Gospel of Mark, I want to draw attention to how Mark tells the story in relation to divisions of time. Throughout most of Mark’s Gospel, time proceeds at a hectic pace. The word “suddenly” is used often. Everything moves at a breathless pace.
However, the passage of time slows, and is carefully defined during Jesus’ last week on earth. Mark delineates the beginning and end of each day of Jesus’ last week, and on the day he dies he delineates time, in three hour blocks, according to the Roman army’s division of the day into three-hour “watches”. Mark’s device serves to focus on the significance and intensity of Jesus actions, preaching, suffering and death, in his last days and hours upon earth. This feature of Mark’s Gospel we may not notice unless it is pointed out.
So please note this division of days.
Sunday begins at Mark 11:1, with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and to the Temple area. This section ends with verse 11, which is missed out from the lectionary on this day.
Monday begins at Mark 11:12, with the brief story of Jesus cursing a fig tree. Then follows the story of the cleansing of the temple, and this day ends at verse 19.
Tuesday begins at Mark 11:20, with the withering of the fig tree. Note that the two brief stories of the fig tree function as “frame”, a literary device often used by Mark, pointing to the barrenness of the Temple. Then there is a discussion of the authority of Jesus, and Chapter 12 begins with the Parable of the unfaithful Tenants. Then follows the dispute about paying taxes to the Emperor, and question about the resurrection, and a discussion of the Greatest Commandment.
This discussion (12:28-34) we will hear again on the 31st Sunday of Cycle B, followed by the story of the poor widow (12:38-44) which we hear on the 32nd Sunday of Cycle B.
Then follows Mark chapter 13, sometimes called Mark’s “little apocalypse”. The last part of this discourse (v.33-37) we heard on the First Sunday of Advent of Year B. This ends a very long Tuesday.
The events of Wednesday begin at Mark 14:1, and this is where the Palm Sunday reading begins. There are three incidents here: the Conspiracy against Jesus, Jesus anointing Bethany by an unnamed (but greatly honored) woman, and the betrayal by Judas. Because of this last incident, in the liturgy this day is called “Spy Wednesday”.
Thursday begins at Mark 14:12, with the preparations for the Passover. Then there is a discussion over who will betray Jesus, and a brief account of the Last Supper. Then we hear of Jesus agony in the garden, his betrayal and arrest and trial. Then there is the sad and dramatic moment of Peter’s denial of Jesus. This ends Thursday, at Mark 14:72.
Friday begins at Mark 15:1 with Jesus on trial before Pilate. This is when Mark’s telling of the story really slows down. Mark tells us in verse 1 that “as soon as morning came” Jesus was put on trial. We are later told, in verse 25 that “it was 9 o’clock in the morning” when Jesus was crucified. Then in verse 33 we are told “that darkness came over the land at noon, until three in the afternoon”, when Jesus breathed his last. Friday ends at Verse 41.
Saturday begins at Mark 15:42, remembering that for Jews, the new day begins at sunset. Verses 42 to 47 record the burial of Jesus, which we would describe as happening on Friday night, but in the Jewish calendar it would be the early hours of Saturday.
The gospel for Good Friday ends at this point, but Mark’s narrative continues to the Sunday, beginning at Mark 16:1, when we are told that “the sabbath was over”, and it was very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week. This very brief chapter recounts the resurrection, which we will ponder next week.
The Triduum Liturgies Invite us into the Mystery of Our Salvation - Michael Sean Winters
Teaching the Triduum in the Domestic Church - Word on Fire
Reflections on the Triduum - Friar Timothy Kulbicki, OFM Conv.
Holy Saturday People - Kody W. Cooper
Seven Jesus Movies to Watch This Year - Fr. James Martin
Pope Benedict XVI's Holy Saturday Reflections
Holy Saturday and the Apocalypse of Hell - Hannah Bowman
Please contact Jim Hynes