The following is the reflection I submitted for my Lay Carmelite Chapter's newsletter:
Coming up next week is Holy Week, the holiest week on the Church calendar. During the week we hear of the final week in the earthly ministry of the Life of Christ: The Last Supper on Holy Thursday; his Crucifixion on Good Friday and his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday Morning.
The scribes and pharisees were anxious to get rid of Jesus because they viewed him as a threat to their authority. During this week we hear of Judas, who had become disillusioned with Jesus, betray the Lord for 30 silver pieces. Then on Holy Thursday night, following the Last Supper, Judas betrays Jesus with the betrayal kiss. Jesus is then condemned to death and turned over for crucifixion to the Romans on Good Friday.
After the horrible death of Jesus on the Cross, all the disciples are dispersed and thought their dreams for a Messiah has come to an end. Then gloriously, on Easter Sunday morning, our Lord rises from the dead.
During this week I encourage you to take time to read the scripture readings for Mass in order to get a better understanding of who we are. Central to our Christian faith is the fact that Jesus not only suffered death on the Cross for our sins but rose again on Easter Sunday. The life, death and resurrection of the Lord gives meaning to our lives as Christians. We can be called an “Easter people” because of the glorious resurrection of the Lord.
During this week, as we meditate on the final hours of the Lord’s life, place all your cares and concerns at the foot of the Cross. Further, I encourage you to take time each day to read the scripture readings assigned for each day of Holy Week. Make it a quiet time in the presence of the Lord’s sufferings and his resurrection. By doing so you will be reminded that the Lord died and rose from the dead for each one of us.
Happy Easter.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteA FACEBOOK friend who administers a prayer request FACEBOOK page & sometimes posts questions about our faith posed the question: "Which is more important: Our LORD's suffering & death on the Cross? Or His Resurrection?" Some responded with the first, some with the second, but several people responded in a similar fashion to my answer: His suffering & death on the Cross & His Resurrection cannot be separated. Both are equally important & necessary & together form the one PASCHAL MYSTERY. His suffering & death were the necessary sacrifice, His Resurrection is GOD'S answer that His sacrifice was acceptable, & His Resurrection is His victory that overcomes the powers of the evil one, sin & death.
The sad news is that, as much as we would like to "fast forward to the Resurrection", [I think a GREAT TITLE for a book would be "CAN WE PLEASE FAST FORWARD TO THE RESURRECTION?"], we cannot get to the Resurrection without going through the Cross. The joyful & glorious news is that somehow after the Cross & after whatever crosses we endure at different points of our lives there is resurrection. Eugene Kennedy In his book THE JOY OF BEING HUMAN wrote about how we experience the cycle of death & resurrection often in our own lives.
Often there are times in our lives we can relate to those 11 apostles who found themselves on that Holy Saturday, huddled in that Upper Room, disheartened and confused, grieving our loss, afraid & unsure about what would happen next & what to do now. Perhaps the only solace they found is that they came together to share their experience in community & to try to pray.
But unlike the apostles who never quite understood what Our LORD was trying to teach them, the solid historical truth of Our LORD'S Resurrection and our faith that JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED, we know better, and the JOY OF THE LORD deep within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of His Word, the grace of the sacraments and the love within our fraternal community help us live in joyful hope for the next time of our personal resurrection, & finally for the Second Coming of Our LORD.