Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year C

Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year C

Theme: The Painful Betrayal of a Friend

William Shakespeare in his play “Julius Caesar” narrated the betrayal of Julius Caesar by his best friend Marcus Junius Brutus. Brutus conspired with some senators to attack Caesar who made every effort to resist his attackers. But when Caesar noticed the involvement of Brutus in the attack, he knew he had been betrayed by a friend and was disposed to be defeated. Stabbed with a dagger, Caesar died with the words “Et tu Brute” (even you Brutus) on his lips.

Today’s narrative of the passion and death of Christ presents some similarities between the murder of Caesar and that of Christ. Both were murdered by a group of conspirators and their murder were facilitated with the betrayal of their closest friends who ate and dinned with them. In the betrayal of Jesus, we see the greatest manifestation of the personality of Judas, the friend who betrayed Jesus and that is why today, we want to reflect on his treachery with a view not to condemn him the more but to find traces of him in our lives.

Unlike Brutus who wanted Caesar killed, Judas never wanted Jesus killed. Instead, he was interested in the money he would get if he assisted the Chief priests to arrest Jesus. Probably, seeing Jesus escape several times from the wrath of the Pharisees, he thought Jesus would have miraculously saved himself from death. The whole drama became clear to him only when Jesus was condemned to death. For the love of this same money, today, innocent people are harassed and killed, the truth is hidden, expired and substandard goods are sold in the market and our friendship with God is compromised. Each time we engage in things like these, we betray Christ as Judas did.

Today is a Friday in Lent: Short Stations of the Cross

Today is a Friday in Lent: Short Stations of the Cross 

 

My dear today is a Friday in Lent. Let us join in meditating over the mysteries of the Stations of the Cross. Can we briefly talk to God about each station?

1^st Station: Jesus is condemned to death – My condemned Jesus, when people condemn me and rain all sorts of abuses on me just because of you, help me to stand firm.

2^nd Station: Jesus carries his cross – My dying Jesus, I understand the weight of the cross to be the weight of my sins, help me to carry my own cross patiently following your example.

3^rd Station: Jesus falls the first time – My most beloved Jesus, by virtue of your first fall help me to overcome the sins of the flesh which make me fall away from your grace.

4^th Station: Jesus meets his afflicted mother – O my Jesus, help me to love your mother as you did and grant that I may know her maternal care especially when life’s journey seems difficult.

Reflection/Homily: First (1st) Sunday of Lent Year B (February 25 2012)

A covenant ordinarily speaking could mean an agreement between two or more people, equal or unequal. It could be an agreement for sale of one’s property or for a contract. It could be between two business men or between a master and his slave. In Biblical usage, the word covenant rendered in Hebrew (O.T) as b’rit and in Greek (N.T) as diatheke, refers to the agreement between God and His chosen people, the Israelites. Sometimes, we wonder why the All Powerful God had to go into an agreement with mortal men who solely depend on Him? Likening our relationship with God to our relationship with our possessions (like a pair of shoe), do we need to make an agreement with our pair of shoe not to discard it when it is no longer needed? Going into such an agreement means belittling ourselves. However, God had to make this agreement with man just to go extra miles to convince us of His love for us, so that being aware of His love for us, we might reciprocate this love by keeping his commandments.

In the first reading, we see one of such unmerited agreements God had with humanity through