Palm
Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C - April 13, 2025
Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke
22:14 – 23:56
Theme: Following Jesus until the End of our Lives
A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 22:14–23:56
1.
Historical and Literary Contexts
Our Gospel passage takes
up all the Passion Narrative sections except vv. 1-13, which the lectionary has
omitted. The passage that immediately precedes this section is the last
ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem (21;37-38), and after this section immediately
comes a new section, the Resurrection of Jesus (24:1-53). So, Jesus' teaching
in Jerusalem in 21:37-38 marks the conclusion of his public ministry. He is
ready to go through his Passion and Death to fulfill his Father’s will. Luke
emphasizes Jesus’ mercy, compassion, and healing power. He shows Jesus not
going to death lonely and deserted but accompanied by people who follow him on
the way to the cross.
2.
Form, Structure, and Movement
The Gospel text is the
Passion narrative account. It can structured into five sections: (1) The Last Supper and farewell discourse
(22:14-38), (2) The events on Mount of Olives (22:39-53), (3) Jesus brought to
the high priest’s house (22:54-71; (4) Jesus’ trials before Pilate (twice) and
Herod (23:1-25); (5) Jesus on his way to the place of Skull, his death, and his
burial (23:26-56).
The first section
(22:14-38) recounts the Last Supper and farewell discourse. Luke shows clearly
that this supper of Jesus with his Twelve is the Jewish Passover meal. Although
there is no exact description of the Jewish Passover celebration at this early
date, the mention of the two cups (v. 17, 20) is a little detail attesting that
this is the Jewish Passover.[1]
It is called “Last Supper” because it is the last time Jesus eats this Jewish
Passover meal before he dies. Jesus reinterprets the significance of this
Jewish Passover by connecting it directly to the kingdom of God and
transforming it into the Eucharistic celebration (vv. 17-20). The Sinai
covenant expressed in Ex 24:4-8 and reiterated in Jr 31:31; 32:40 and Zech 9:1
became an “old covenant” because Jesus here inaugurates the New Covenant
through his blood (v.20). He recommends his disciples to continue celebrating
this new covenant Eucharistic liturgy in his remembrance (22:19).
The Passover represents
for the Jews their deliverance from slavery and death in Egypt to freedom and
new life in the promised land. Because Jesus’ final days occur at this Jewish
Passover, Luke wants to mean that Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection are
the Passover from slavery of sin and death to new, eternal, and eschatological
life.[2]
(vv. 14-20).
Jesus denounces his
betrayer. “And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me
on the table.” (22:21, NABRE). These words recall Ps 41:10, “Even my trusted
friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.” (NABRE). The
disciples argue among themselves about who among them is the traitor.
Unlike all other gospels, Luke does not include the detail in which Jesus gives
Judah a morsel of the bread dipped in the dish as a sign that he is the
betrayal. Jesus acknowledges that he goes to the cross as it has been
determined by God. While Jesus discusses his cross, his disciples argue among
themselves about who among them is the greatest. They first debated about this
topic after Jesus announced his Passion for the second time (Lk 9:46-48). At
this first time, Jesus exhorted them to follow the example of unpretentious
children. Here, the lesson is more expanded. Jesus flips social expectations.
His disciples, to whom he confers the leadership positions, must assume the
open humility of children by being the youngest and servants like him. Benefactors
(v. 25) is one of the tiles of Greek rulers. (22:21-30).
Jesus reveals that Satan,
who already possessed Judah, tries to bring the rest of the disciples to his
camp. He tells Peter that he has prayed for his faith to stay strong so that
he, Peter, recomforts his brothers. Peter promises to support Jesus even if it
takes him to go to prison and die. In response to him, Jesus predicts that
Peter will deny him three times before the cock crows. Realizing that his
disciples do not fully understand what they are about to undergo, he tells
them directly now. He reminds them of the two missionary journeys he had
previously commissioned, to the twelve alone (Lk 9:1-6) and to the seventy (Lk
10:1-12). He limited what they could take on those journeys, calling them to
depend on the hospitality of the people they ministered. Here, however, he
allows them to take what is necessary because they may not encounter
hospitality like before but hostility. Jesus alludes to the future period of
his Church during which his apostles and their successors must be prepared for
the opposition and hostility they will face in their ministries. Luke abruptly
ends Jesus’ farewell discourse with Jesus’ words: “It is enough!” (v. 38b).
This is Jesus’s reply to the disciples’ misunderstanding of his message
regarding the hostility they will face in the future. The disciples present two
swords, suggesting they are ready to fight to prevent the hostility Jesus
speaks of from happening. (22:31-38).
The second section
(22:39-53) unfolds the events on the Mount of Olives. The Last Supper of
Passover and its farewell discourse is concluded. Jesus leaves the Upper Room
and goes to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples follow him. In biblical
language, the “Mount” is the place of prayer and encounter with God. Luke
comments that going to the Mount of Olives was Jesus’ custom. This means Jesus
often goes to the Mount of Olive to encounter his Father in prayer, as is the
case on this occasion. He recommends his friends to pray. The object of their
prayer is that this circumstance of Jesus’ Passion may not lead them into the
time of trial. This means the disciples must pray to stay spiritually strong
and not flee and abandon Jesus. He himself prays because he knows that this
temptation is greater than what he already faced, including that in the desert
at the beginning of his ministry (see Lk 4:1-6). He prays that he does not fall
into Satan’s temptation to run away from his cross but to follow his Father’s
will. Most scholars agreed that vv. 43-44 were not part of Luke’s text but
were added later. These two verses say that because of his fervent prayer,
Jesus’ sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground, and an angel
came from heaven to strengthen him.
For Matthew and Mark,
Jesus prayed three times, and each time, he returned to his disciples, who were
asleep because of their human weakness. So, they showed that Jesus felt
abandoned by his disciples. This is not the case in Luke. The Lukan Jesus prays
just once, and he finds his disciples asleep, not because of their
cluelessness, but because of great sorrow. Matthew and Mark also tell us that
Jesus was “sorrowful even to death” as he went to pray. (See Matthew 26: 38;
Mark 14: 34). However, here in Luke, from the beginning of his journey, Jesus
“steadfastly set his face” toward Jerusalem (See Luke 9: 51), and he remains
steadfast until the end of this tragedy. (22:39-46).
The crowd arrives to
arrest Jesus. This crowd includes the temple officials, guards, soldiers, chief
priests, and elders. Judas, one of the Twelve, is with them. He betrays Jesus
with a kiss, a total reversal of Ps 85:11, which says, “Love and truth will
meet; justice and peace will kiss.” (NABRE). The disciples’ question about
using the sword and the action of striking the high priest’s servant and
cutting his right ear in 22:49-50 connects with their suggestion to fight in
22:38. Luke does not reveal the name of this high priest’s servant either the
name of the disciples who cuts his ear. From John, the readers know that Peter
is the one who cut the ear of Marcus (see John 18:10). Jesus firmly stops any
further violence here as he did in 22:38. He heals the ear of the high priest’s
servant without saying a word to him, and the healed man also did not say a
word to Jesus. Jesus’ act of healing attests to Jesus’ mercifulness.
Jesus’ question to his captors in vv. 52-53, on why they did not arrest him
while he was teaching in the temple area, shows that Jesus has total control of
the situation. Jesus told them that this hour is their hour with Satan as they
become Satan’s agents (vv. 47-53).
The third section
(22:54-71) covers the scenes when Jesus is brought to the high priest’s house.
Peter denied Jesus three times. Previously, Jesus warned all disciples to pray
so they would not fall into Satan’s temptation (see 22:40, 46). Satan’s goal is
that all the disciples abandon Jesus, and then Jesus will have no support,
which will weaken him, and consequently, he also will run away from the cross.
Here, Peter falls into Satan’s trap.
Luke is the only evangelist who recounts that Jesus turns and looks at
Peter. With this look of the Lord, Peter remembers Jesus’ words foretelling his
denial (see 22:34). This memory of culpability makes Peter cry bitterly (vv.
54-65). Peter’s cry can be interpreted as his act of contrition seeking
forgiveness. Jesus is ridiculed and beaten by the “men who held [him] in
custody. These “men” are the chief priests, temple guards, and elders (see
22:52, 54). (3) Jesus is before the
Sanhedrin. This is a council comprised of the same men (chief priests,
scribes, and elders) who arrested Jesus. Though they do not conduct a trial,
they have a hearing from which they can determine infractions against Jewish
law and constitute a case they will present to Pontius Pilate. They consider
the fact that Jesus declares he is the Son of God (22:70-71) and twist it into
a treasonous threat against Roman power (see 23:2).[3]
The fourth section
recounts Jesus’ trials before Pilate (twice) and Herod (23:1-25). Luke
constructs this trial in three phases: before Pilate, then before Herod, and
finally before Pilate again. (1) The
Sanhedrin present their accusation against Jesus to Pilate, Pilate interrogates
Jesus and declares him innocent, and the Sanhedrin disagree with Pilate
(23:1-5).
(2) Pilate sends Jesus to
Herod. While Pilate and Herod initially do not get along, they become friends
just for the condemnation of an innocent Jesus. In 23:8, Luke mentions that
Herod was very glad to see Jesus performing some sign and had been waiting for
this occasion for a long time. This curiosity goes unrewarded. It is faith in
Jesus, not curiosity, that is rewarded (see Lk 7:50; 8:48, 50; 17:19).[4]
Herod questions Jesus at length, but Jesus gives him no answer. This can be
because Jesus is aware that for a long time, Herod longed to kill him (see Lk
13:31-32). Herod and his soldiers, including all the accusers, treated Jesus
contemptuously before they sent him back to Pilate.
Only Luke recounts Jesus’
appearance before Herod, and he does it for a couple of theological
purposes. First, in its infancy narratives, Luke draws strong parallels between
the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. This parallel continues in the stories
of their deaths: It is this Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist (see Lk
9:9), and it is he here who is involved in Jesus’ death. Second, Jesus’ trial
before Herod forms a theological inclusion, in which Jesus faces the
same ruler at his death as he does at his baptism and Galilean ministry. It
serves to bind the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. Third, Luke adds
Jesus’ trial before Herod to respect the legislation that requires a crime to
have the testimony of two witnesses, in this case, Pilate and Herod (see Dt
19:15), although here Pilate and Herod are both witnesses and judges. Fourth,
Luke continues this juxtaposition between Roman and Jewish interrogations in
the second volume of his book (Acts of the Apostles), where he recounts Paul
standing before both the Roman governor Porcius Festus and the Jewish Herod
Agrippa (see Acts 25:13–26:32).[5]
(3) Jesus reappears
before Pilate for the second time. Pilate again declares him innocent. He uses
the fact that Herod sent Jesus back to him as a good reason to mean that even
Herod did not find Jesus guilty. V. 17, which talks about Pilate’s custom of releasing
one prisoner for the festival for the Jews, is omitted here because it is not
part of the original text of Luke. It is an explanatory gloss from Mk
15:6 and Mt 27:15.[6]
The crowd shouts out, forcing Pilate to crucify Jesus and release for them the
rebel and murderer man called Barabbas. Again here, Pilate declares
that Jesus is innocent for the third time. However, the crowd’s voices
calling for Jesus’ crucifixion prevailed, and finally, he handed Jesus over to
them, allowing them to do with him as they wished.
The fifth section (23:26-46) recounts Jesus on
his way to the place of a Skull, his death, and his burial. The Romains notice
that Jesus becomes weak, fearing that he may not reach the place of a skull;
they force Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross behind him. Jesus ministers to
the women of Jerusalem who mourn and lament him. Jesus’ short conversation with
them is an eschatological discourse echoing what he said in Lk 21:6-28. Luke is
the only one who uses the Greek term skull in lieu of the Aramaic term Golgota.
This is because he addresses his Gospel to a Greek-speaking audience. Also,
Luke refers to the two men who are crucified with Jesus not as leistes, meaning
the “revolutionaries,” as Matthew (27:38) and Mark (15:27) do, but as kakourgos,
the “criminals,” because he avoids his audience to misunderstand that the Roman
authorities crucify Jesus for the same reason as these two crucified. Luke
intends to underscore Jesus’ innocence.
Jesus is crucified
between the two criminals. On the cross, he prays to his Father to forgive his
persecutors (23:34) and promises the repented criminal that he, the repented
criminal, will be with Jesus in Paradise. Luke uses the conversation between the
two criminals to demonstrate that Jesus is innocent and righteous. After saying
his last prayer to his Father, commending his spirit into his Father’s hands,
Jesus dies. It was three in the afternoon. In Luke, Jesus’ final prayer
paraphrases Ps 31:6, while in Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ final words come from Ps
22:2, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Luke does not use this
prayer because he avoids his Greek audience to misinterpret it as Jesus’
failure. Using Jesus’ final words from Ps 31:6, “Into your hands, I commend my
spirit,” Luke demonstrates that Satan, who used all opportunities to force
Jesus to despair and abandon his mission, has failed. Unlike Matthew (27:54)
and Mark (15:39), who say that the Roman centurion (Matthew adds “those with
him who were guarding Jesus) exclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God, for Luke,
the Roman pagan centurion rather testifies that Jesus is innocent (23:47). This
is another example showing how Luke strives to demonstrate Jesus’ innocence.
Jesus’ body is buried on
the day of preparation for the Sabbath (see 23:54). In the Jewish tradition,
the new day begins at sunset. So, in this case, Jesus died about three in the
afternoon, and the beginning of a new day, the Sabbath day, is at six in the
afternoon. Joseph of Arimathea assures the proper burial of Jesus, and the
women from Galilee who accompanied Jesus during these events saw the tomb where
Jesus’ body was laid down. All evangelists mention Joseph of Arimathea just
once and just here at the burial. Each evangelist describes him differently.
Mark and Luke say that he was a member of the Sanhedrin or council. There is no
such detail in Matthew and John. Luke 23:51 and Mark 15:43 state that Joseph
was awaiting the kingdom of God. This nuances Matthew’s claim, which says that
Joseph was a disciple (see Mt 27:57). Luke describes Joseph as a good and
righteous man (Lk 23:50), Mark calls him “distinguished” (Mk 15:43), and
Matthew says he was a rich (Mt 27:57). Certainly, Joseph of Arimathea possessed
all these qualities, especially that of being wealthy, because a poor could
never afford a rock-cut tomb. Luke’s description of Joseph of Arimathea proves
that certainly not all the Jewish leaders were involved in Jesus’ death.[7]
4. Synthesis
Jesus celebrated the
Jewish Passover feast for the last time with his disciples. He transformed this
celebration into the Eucharistic celebration and recommended that his disciples
continue celebrating it in his remembrance. At the table, he shared with them
words of farewell, preparing them for their mission after his death. When they
finished the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives.
There, he invited his friends to pray to avoid Satan’s temptation to abandon
their discipleship.
The Roman soldiers and
Jewish leaders arrested Jesus on the Mount of Olives and led him first to the
high priest’s house, then to Pilate, Herod, and again to Pilate. On their way
to the high priest’s house, Peter denied Jesus three times as Jesus predicted.
When Peter realized his sin, he cried bitterly, meaning that he regretted his
sins and begged for Jesus’ forgiveness. Pilate declared that Jesus was innocent
three times. However, the shout of the crowd prevailed, and Pilate finally
released the murderer, Barrabas, and handed Jesus to the crowd to be crucified
as they wished.
On his way to the place
of the Skull, Jesus ministered to the woman of Jerusalem, who mourned and
lamented for him. On the cross, he promised the repented criminal (one of the
two criminals who were crucified along with Jesus) that this repented criminal
would be with him in Paradise. Also, on the cross, Jesus prayed to God to
forgive his persecutors. The last prayer of Jesus to his Father was the words
from Ps. 31:6, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” Then, he died.
Joseph of Arimathea took care of the burial of Jesus’ body.
B. Pastoral
Implication
1.
Liturgical Context
The Lenten Season has concluded;
we are now ready for the Holy Week. It is called “Holy Week” because this week,
we commemorate the significant events of the Paschal Mystery (the Passion,
Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ). It is Holy Week also because
we ourselves are Holy. We spent forty days of Lent in Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving;
we confessed our sins and repented. Now, we are spiritually prepared for the Pascal
Mystery that we commemorate this week, through which we entered a New Covenant
with God. Today is the first day of the “Holy Week.” In this Palm Sunday of the
Passion of the Lord, we commemorate the triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus into
Jerusalem and the beginning of his passion. Then, we will celebrate the Easter
Triduum, the summit of the Liturgical Year. Note that the Easter Triduum is a
single liturgical celebration that starts from the evening of Holy Thursday to
the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Though it is chronologically three days,
Holy Thursday, Holy Friday (Good Friday), and Holy Saturday are liturgically
one day during which we celebrate the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. On
Holy Thursday, we will celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper of the Lord. In
this Mass, Jesus will institute the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and
Priestly Order and inaugurate the Church’s ministry of service. On Holy Friday
(Good Friday), we will commemorate the Passion and Death of our Lord on the
cross. On Holy Saturday, we will celebrate the mystery of the “Empty Tomb,” leading
us to the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday.
The liturgy of this Palm
Sunday Mass has two commemorations and two Gospels. The first Gospel, which we
read at the procession with palms, is connected to the commemoration of Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem before he endures his passion. The second Gospel, which we
read during Mass, is for the commemoration of the Passion of the Lord Jesus. In
our first reading, the prophet Isaiah tells us that he did not hide his face
from those who insulted and tortured him because he believed his Lord was his
help and would not be put to shame. Jesus is the fulfillment of Isiah’s
prophecy. In his account of the Passion of the Lord (Gospel,) Luke tells us
that Jesus did not run away from the cross. He willingly accepted his Passion
and Death on the cross to accomplish God’s plan. Saint Paul exalts this
obedience of Jesus in our second reading. In commemorating Jesus’ entry into
Jerusalem and his Passion, the Church calls us to follow Jesus until the end of
our lives, regardless of the sufferings we face daily.
2.
What the Church Teaches Us Today
Gospel
at the Procession with Palms
The Gospel at the
possession with palms (Lk 19:28-40) is typically part of the procession that
precedes the celebration of the Eucharist. All four Gospels have a version of
this story. This year, we read the version of Saint Luke. Luke commences the
account by mentioning that Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. In Luke, this
journey started ten chapters earlier with a similar mention stating that Jesus
resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem when the days for his being taken
up (meaning, his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension) were fulfilled
(Lk 9:51). During this journey, Jesus taught his disciples about different
topics such as missionary activities, prayer, and the dangers of riches.
Through various parable stories (like the Good Samaritan, the Rich Fool, the
Fig Tree, the Mustad Seed, and the Yeast, the Wedding Feast and the Great
Banquet, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son), Jesus prepared his
disciples including us to understand what to follow him to death means.
Jesus now enters
Jerusalem, riding on a traditional animal, as King David and all kings in his
culture did. The people sing and proclaim praising words for him: “Peace in
heaven and glory in the highest” (Lk 19:38). These words of praise echo the
words proclaimed on the night of his birth by the multitude of the heavenly
host. Luke does not mention the palm branches, but he emphasizes the cloaks
that the crowds put down to cover the path of Jesus. In Jesus’ time, one’s cloak
was precious, especially for the poor, since it was used as a coat to keep out
the cold and as a sleeping bag. It was very painful for the poor people when
the lenders took their clothes as security for a loan (see Exodus 22:26; Dt
24:13). By mentioning the cloaks here, Luke wants us to know how these crowds
who accompanied Jesus were willing to give what was precious for them to support
Jesus and his mission. We are gathered here to do the same thing. Let us show
Jesus that we are willing to do all it takes to support him and his mission. Like the crowds of our Gospel, we process to
the Church with the songs of praise. Remember, if we do not want to cry out in
singing for Jesus, the stones will do it (Lk 19:40). So, we cannot let the rocks
sing on our behalf, can we? Let us join our
choir and sing the words of pilgrimage in Ps 118: 26, “Blessed is the King who
comes in the name of the Lord…” as we process to the Church.
Scripture Readings at Mass
The first section
(22:14-38) recounts the Last Supper and farewell discourse. Luke shows clearly
that this supper of Jesus with his Twelve is the Jewish Passover meal. It is
called “Last Supper” because it is the last time Jesus eats this Jewish
Passover meal before he dies. Jesus reinterprets the significance of this
Jewish Passover by connecting it directly to the kingdom of God and
transforming it into the Eucharistic celebration (vv. 17-20). Then, he
recommends his disciples and us today to continue celebrating this new covenant
Eucharistic liturgy in his remembrance (22:19). So, all Masses we celebrate daily
are the same Mass Jesus celebrated in the Upper room. This means that when we
attend each Mass, like now, we participate actively in this Eucharistic
celebration of the Last Supper. The Passover represents for the Jews their
deliverance from slavery and death in Egypt to freedom and new life in the
promised land. Because Jesus’ final days occur at this Jewish Passover, Luke wants
to mean that Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection are our Passover from the slavery
of sin and spiritual death to new and eternal life. So, when we attend Mass, we
pass from the slavery of sin and spiritual death to new and eternal life (vv.
14-20). Also, in this section, Jesus reveals that Satan, who already possessed
Judah, tries to bring the rest of the disciples and us to his camp. He tells Peter
and us that he has prayed for our faith to stay strong so that, in turn, we can
comfort our brothers and sisters in our daily trials.
The second section
(22:39-53) unfolds the events on the Mount of Olives. Jesus is in an intensive
prayer moment because he knows this temptation is greater than all temptations he
already faced, including that in the desert at the beginning of his ministry
(see Lk 4:1-6). He prays that he does
not fall into Satan’s temptation to run away from his cross but to follow his Father’s
will. Our Holy Mother Church reminds us that Satan continues to tempt us today.
His goal is to make us abandon our Christian faith and separate us from God. The
only way to resist him and his temptations is to be in an intensive prayer life
like Jesus. That is why Jesus asks his disciples and us to pray. Let us be the
men and women of prayer. Jesus showed us an example. He often went to the
mountains to meet his Father in prayer. Our mountain is everywhere we meet God
in prayer, especially our Churches. It must be our custom to come here in this
Church often to meet our God during Masses, confessions, and other spiritual
activities. When we do so, God sends his heavenly angels to strengthen us as he
did with Jesus here.
Matthew and Mark tell us
that Jesus was “sorrowful even to death” as he went to pray (see Mt 26:38; Mk
14:34). However, here in Luke, from the beginning of his journey, Jesus
“steadfastly set his face” toward Jerusalem (Lk 9:51). He remains steadfast
until the end of this tragedy (22:39-46). This echoes the courage of the prophet
Isaiah in our first reading. He gave his back to those who beat him, his cheeks
to those who plucked his beard, and he did not shield his face from insults and
spitting. Prophet Isaiah remained steadfast because he believed that God was
his help and that he would not be put to shame (Is 50:4-7). Jesus and Isaiah
set examples for us to imitate. When we face our own sufferings, we must not be
afraid and abandon our faith. Instead, we must remain steadfast and obedient to
God, believing that God is our help and we “shall not be put to shame.” In our
second reading, Saint Paul reminds us that God greatly exalted Christ because
of his obedience (Christ’s obedience) to the point of death, even death on a
cross. No matter what we go through, let us remain steadfast and obedient to
God until the end of our lives, and God will exalt us as he did with his Son
Jesus.
When Jesus is arrested, one
of the disciples strikes and cuts the right ear of the higher priest’s servant.
Jesus heals the ear of this servant and stops his disciples from responding
with violence. The lesson we learn here is that when we are treated with
violence, we should never respond with violence because violence is Satan’s
method, not God’s. Employing violence makes us become Satan’s agents.
The third section (22:54-71) covers the scenes
when Jesus is brought to the high priest’s house. Peter denies Jesus three
times, and then he cries bitterly, expressing his act of contrition and a need
for forgiveness. Like Peter, many of us continue to deny Jesus today,
especially when we are ashamed and afraid to live our Christian faith
“exteriorly” in public. Many religious and ordained ministers avoid people discovering
their religious identities while they have vowed that they would represent him even
amid trials. Many Christian couples do not love their spouses and are no longer
the sacramental sign of love for the people around them as they vowed in their
wedding ceremonies. Many of us have broken our baptismal promises. Let us “cry
bitterly,” like Peter, expressing our contrition and imploring God for forgiveness
in the sacrament of Confession.
The fourth section
recounts Jesus’ trials before Pilate (twice) and Herod (23:1-25). Pilate declares that Jesus is innocent three
times, but because of the crowd’s pressure, calling for Jesus’ crucifixion, he finally
hands Jesus over to them to crucify him. Many of us continue to act like
Pilate. We make the wrong decisions out of fear or to please the people.
The fifth section
(23:26-46) recounts Jesus on his way to the place of a Skull, his death, and
his burial. Jesus is crucified between the two criminals. On the cross, he
prays to his Father to forgive his persecutors (23:34) and promises the
repented criminal that he, the repented criminal, will be with Jesus in
Paradise. Jesus continues ministering to the people and praying for them,
including his persecutors, until the last moment of his life. He sets an
example for us to follow. Our daily difficulties (illnesses, unemployment,
etc.) cannot stop us from being good Christians. Let us continue to serve and pray
for our brothers and sisters, especially those we consider our enemies and
oppressors.
May this Eucharistic
celebration enable us to follow Jesus until the end of our lives. Amen.
Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS
&
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator
[1]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1351.
[2]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1350.
[3]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1354.
[4]
NABRE, note to Luke 23:6-12.
[5]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1355-1356.
[6]
NABRE, note to Luke 23:17.
[7]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1355-1359.
[1]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First
Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1351.
[2]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1350.
[3]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1354.
[4]
NABRE, note to Luke 23:6-12.
[5]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1355-1356.
[6]
NABRE, note to Luke 23:17.
[7]
Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the
Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1355-1359.
Thank you, Fr. Leon. The way you explain and compare the different gospels is very helpful. May God continue to bless you. Pam J., Holy Family Church in Jackson.
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