April 2 Holy Thursday: Jn 13: 1-15: Holy Thursday evening Mass
Introduction: We celebrate three anniversaries on Holy Thursday: 1) the anniversary of the first Holy Mass; 2) the anniversary of the institution of ministerial priesthood in order to perpetuate the Holy Mass, to convey God’s forgiveness to repentant sinners, and to preach the Good News of salvation; 3) the anniversary of Jesus’ promulgation of his new commandment of love: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). First, we remember how Jesus transformed the Jewish Passover into the New Testament Passover. The Jewish Passover was, in fact, a joint celebration of two ancient thanksgiving celebrations. The descendants of Abel, who were shepherds, used to lead their sheep from the winter pastures to the summer pastures after the sacrificial offering of a lamb to God. They called this celebration the “Pass over." The descendants of Cain, who were farmers, held a harvest festival called the Massoth in which they offered unleavened bread to God as an act of thanksgiving. The Passover feast of the Israelites (Ex 12:26-37) harmoniously combined these two feasts, in a ritual meal instituted by God, to be celebrated yearly, thanking Him for His miraculous liberation of their ancestors from Egyptian slavery, their exodus from Egypt, and their final arrival in the Promised Land. (A homily starter anecdote may be given)
Scripture lessons summarized: In the first reading, God gives the Hebrews two instructions: prepare for the moment of liberation by a ritual meal and make a symbolic mark on your homes to exempt yourselves from the coming slaughter. In the second reading, Paul teaches that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was an unbroken tradition from the very beginning of the Church, by which Christians reminded themselves of the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus transformed the Jewish Passover into the Eucharistic celebration. After washing the feet of his apostles and commanding them to do humble service for each other, Jesus concluded the Seder meal with its roasted Paschal lamb by giving his apostles his own body and blood (under the appearances of bread and wine), as spiritual food and drink. Jesus comes to us in four ways when we gather here for our Eucharistic celebration: in the word of God, in the Eucharist, in the congregation and in the priest.
Life Messages: 1) A challenge for humble service. Our celebration of the Eucharist requires that we wash one another’s feet, i.e., serve one another, and revere Christ’s presence in other persons. In practical terms, that means we are to consider others’ needs to be as important as (and some times more important than), our own, and to serve their needs, without expecting any reward.
2) A loving invitation for sacrificial sharing and self-giving love. Let us imitate the self-giving model of Jesus who shares with us his own Body and Blood and who enriches us with his Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. It is by sharing our blessings – our talents, time, health, and wealth – with others, that we become true disciples of Christ and obey his new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
3) An invitation to become Christ-bearers and Christ-conveyers: "Go forth, the Mass is ended," really means, “Go in peace to love and serve one another.’’ We are to carry Jesus to our homes and places of work, conveying to others around us the love, mercy, forgiveness, and spirit of humble service of Christ whom we carry with us.
April 3 GOOD FRIDAY: Jn 18: 1- 19: 42: CHALLENGE TO CARRY OUR CROSSES:
(A) The cross and the crucifix are meaningful symbols, as the dove symbolizes peace and the heart symbolizes love. The crucifix and the cross are the symbols of the loving and sacrificial offering of self for others. 1) It is only in the cross that we see the face of God’s love. 2) the cross is the symbol of the remission of our sins: “But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (Is 53:5). 3) The cross is the symbol of humble self-emptying for others. 4) the cross is the symbol of the risen Christ who promises us a crown of glory as a reward for our patient bearing of our daily crosses. Anecdote #2 The Soviet premier’s cross:
(B) The Cross always means pain. But my pain is Christ’s cross 1) when I offer my suffering with His on the cross for the salvation of all of us. 2) when we share our blessings sacrificially with others. 3) when we suffer pain in controlling our evil tendencies 4) when we suffer pain and humiliation by standing with Jesus, his ideas and ideals.
(C) Our crosses come to us mainly from four sources. Some of our crosses, like diseases, natural disasters and death, arise from natural causes. We face other crosses when we do our duties faithfully. Our friends and enemies supply a few of our crosses. Finally, we ourselves cause many of our crosses as natural consequences of careless living and evil habits and addictions.
(D) Why should we carry our crosses willingly? First, cross-bearing is a condition for Christian discipleship. Jesus said: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mt 16:24). Second, it is by carrying our crosses that we make reparation for our sins and for the sins of others related to us. That is why St. Paul said that he was suffering in his body what is “lacking” in Christ’s suffering. Third, it is by carrying our crosses that we become imitators of Christ in his suffering for us. St. Paul explains it thus: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2: 19-20).
Life messages for Good Friday: (1) We should carry our crosses with the right motives:Not like a lazy donkey, cursing its fate or angry oxen protesting its load or hired worker working only for his wage. We should carry our crosses like a loving wife who nurses her paralyzed husband or sick child, with sacrificial love and dedicated commitment. (2) The carrying of our crosses becomes easier when we compare our light crosses with the heavy crosses of terminally ill patients or patients in emergency wards. We need to draw strength and inspiration from Jesus Who walks ahead of us carrying his heavier cross, while supporting us in carrying our crosses. (3) We should plant the cross of Christ in our daily lives: We need to begin every day with a sign of the cross, asking the blessing and protection of the crucified Lord in our lives that day. A loving, prayerful touch on the cross we wear on our body will encourage us to serve others selflessly.
April 4: HOLY SATURDAY: Mt 28:1-10:
I. A Day to remember the burial of Jesus. (The early Church commemorated the death of Jesus on Good Friday, the burial of Jesus on Holy Saturday and the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday)
II- Good Friday and Holy Saturday were days of full fasting in the early Church.
III- A day for baptism. After A.D. 313 when the Church got freedom of religious practice from Emperor Constantine, Holy Saturday was the day to receive the catechumens to the Church, after three years of preparation. It was considered as a ceremony reminding them that they become dead to their former pagan, Gentile life by immersing themselves in water and that they emerge in to a new life in Jesus Christ by rising up from the water.
IV- A day for blessing baptismal water. The catechumens return the Book of Creed (catechism book) to the bishop in a morning ceremony. In the evening the bishop blesses the Baptismal water.
V- A day of lighting the Easter candle. The bishop re-ignites the fire extinguished on Holy Thursday and lights the Easter candle to represent Jesus as the “Light of the world.” Imitating the Jewish custom of the ceremonial lighting of Sabbath lamps on Friday evenings, the early Christians lighted and displayed lamps on Saturday evenings to honor Jesus as the “Light of the world”.
VI- A day to read I Peter 2:9 reminding the people of their worth and dignity – as “the “chosen people of God”, sanctified, appropriated by God, and honored with the royal priesthood.
VII- A day of renewing the baptismal promises. The people were asked to repeat their Baptismal promises by rejecting Satan and his empty promises, by accepting Jesus as the Lord and savior and revesting with the “new man” after removing the vestments of the “old man.”
Messages:
1) Message of expectation, change of heart and new life.
2) Lead a new life with the Risen Lord by dying to sinful life.
3) Live a new life recognizing the nobility of Christians as children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus and members of the mystical body of Jesus.
