Year A

Jan 14 2025

Jesus’ Last Journeys

Today’s Gospel before the blessing of the palms presents an exuberant scene. Imagine the large crowd just outside Jerusalem spreading their cloaks on the road, breaking off palm fronds, strewing them about and waving them as Jesus passes by. Hear the people shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” As Jesus enters the city, the people there are asking, “Who is this?” The crowd accompany

ing him answers: “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee. This is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” A journey of joy.

But a few days later Jesus took his last journey: a winding walk from the upper room on Thursday night out to the garden to Gethsemane, then to the house of Caiaphas, on to Pilate’s house and courtyard, and, finally, to the hill of Calvary. During this time, he was spat on and struck, stripped, scourged, and crowned with thorns; he was denounced, mocked, and ridiculed. Most likely some of the same crowd that cried out “Hosanna” cried out, “Crucify him!” It ended with his being nailed to a cross, and after three torturous hours, he died. At this journey’s end, there was one final cry from a small group, a centurion and the men with him: “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

Allow some time to relive these two journeys. You might hear some things you haven’t noticed before. Perhaps the words of one of the secondary characters or Jesus’ response to a particular situation or his silence before another will speak to you this time.

Consider/Discuss

What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David, the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the prophet from Galilee, the Son of God?
As this Lent comes to its end, where have these days taken you? What have you learned? What do you have to say to God?

Responding to the Word

We pray that we will follow Jesus faithfully all the days of our life, recognizing him as the one who continues to come in the name of the Father bringing life. We ask that we may trust in God as Jesus did until we see God face to face.

Jan 14 2025

Scritpture Study for

The dynamics of hearing and speaking are featured prominently in the first reading’s passage from Isaiah. God has appointed the speaker to a particular ministry and has provided him ears to hear God’s word and a well-trained tongue to speak that word to others. This word is alive and fresh each day, for God opens the speaker’s ears morning after morning. This means that the speaker must be always attentive to hear the word that comes from God. A heavy price is exacted of the speaker. He suffers both physical attack and personal insult. Despite this, he does not recoil from his call.

The reading from Paul is one of the New Testament’s most important Christological statements. The first verse sets the tone for the actions of Christ Jesus. He did not cling to the dignity that was rightfully his, but he emptied himself of all privilege. Though in the form of God, he chose the form of a servant or slave. Without losing his Godlike being, he took on the likeness of human beings. Having taken on the form of a slave, he became obedient like a slave. The exaltation of Christ is as glorious as his humiliation was debasing. All will praise Christ, whose exaltation gives glory to God.

The Passion account from Matthew’s Gospel is a collection of episodes that tell the story of Jesus’ last days. Though in several episodes Jesus appears to be the passive object of the brutality of others, it is quite clear that he is really in charge of his destiny. He makes many of the major decisions. Then he hands himself over to others, allowing them to decide his fate in those cases. Jesus declares that the time of his death and resurrection is the kairós time, that decisive moment when the promises of God are brought to fulfillment. The reading closes at the sealed tomb. Neither Pilate nor the Jewish leaders realize that everything is now in place for the eschatological event of the Resurrection.

Jan 14 2025

The Journey from Death to Life

Caravaggio painted an image of Lazarus coming forth from the tomb. Eugene O’Neil wrote a play called Lazarus Laughed. Sylvia Plath wrote a poem called “Lady Lazarus.” Poets, playwrights, and artists have been attracted to this story from John’s Gospel through the centuries. For some two millennia Lazarus has been the symbol of someone brought back from the dead, revealing the power of God at work in Jesus of Nazareth.

Over the centuries Lazarus has been a figure of hope for countless generations, especially at the time of a loved one’s death. Are there any more comforting words than those that Jesus says to Martha? “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25–26).

Death comes not only at the end of life, but sometimes within life. This is true both for individuals and whole nations. Israel in exile was like a field of dry bones, sealed up in tombs, cut off from life completely, lacking all hope. But God promised to bring Israel back to life and return the people to their home. God promised the spirit that would bring them back home and restore life.

Paul’s words to the community at Rome serve to remind us that death will not have the last word. For all the death that we see in our world from war and earthquakes, sickness and human violence and cruelty, there is a power stronger than death: the Spirit of God.

Consider/Discuss

How do you think of death, as the end or as a transition?
Are you being called to die to something in your life, so that you can live more fully in the power of the Spirit?

Responding to the Word

We pray to the Lord of the living and the dead that we might not lose hope even now in the face of so much sadness in our world. We pray for a strengthening of trust in God that removes any fear of death threatening us or those we love.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

Ezekiel uses bodily resurrection as a metaphor for the reestablishment of the nation after its exile. The scene is a graveyard, the ultimate place of death and decay. Three statements of reversal are made: the sealed graves will be opened, the dead will be raised, and the exiled will return home. Both original creation and this restoration, considered a new creation, are unconditional gifts from a magnanimous God. It is clear that God controls the powers of life and death, destruction and restoration. Since the people believed that exile was punishment for sin, they viewed their restoration as yet another pure gift from God. Paul contrasts two ways of living: life in the flesh and life in the spirit. Flesh and spirit both signify the whole person, but from particular points of view. For Paul, flesh refers to human nature in all its limitations; spirit refers to that nature attuned to God. Paul insists that life in the flesh cannot please God, while life in the spirit is a form of union with God. The real point of this passage is the resurrection of those who are in union with God. Just as Christ conquered death and lives anew, so those joined to Christ share in his victory and enjoy new life.

The resurrection of Lazarus points to the future death of Jesus. The parable about day and night can be understood in at least three ways. First is the literal meaning. The second metaphorically points to an inner light that guides the person. Finally, light can refer to Jesus. All of this cryptic speech prepares for Jesus’ instruction on resurrection. With a self-revelatory exclamation, Jesus proclaims that he is the resurrection and the life, and faith in him guarantees life for others. The resurrection of Lazarus cannot be denied, but it can be misunderstood. Jesus is not merely a wonder-worker; he himself has the power of resurrection and he is the source of eternal life.

Jan 14 2025

Lent as a Journey from Darkness to Light

Most of us can recognize times when we are “in the dark” and occasions when we carry darkness in our hearts, just as there are moments when we feel enlightened and find that our vision is clear. It is quite another thing to become identified with darkness or with light. The first words of today’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians stand out for their boldness: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).

We get a glimpse of what it means to be light in the Lord both from Samuel, who finally sees as God sees, and in the courageous behavior of the man born blind after Jesus has healed him. Samuel anoints Israel’s greatest king, David, and the man born blind comes to faith in Jesus as Lord.

The man born blind is one of those strong figures found in John’s Gospel. Like the woman at the well, we never learn his name but we come to know his heart. His speech is straightforward, whether speaking to his neighbors, the Pharisees, or Jesus. You can hear the gradual dawning of faith as he responds to those around him, from the simple “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see” to “He is a prophet,” to his answer to Jesus’ question about having faith in the Son of man standing before him, “I do believe, Lord” (John 9:15, 17, 38).

In the beginning, God spoke. Those first words have never stopped bringing about what they said: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

Consider/Discuss

What does it mean to be darkness? To be light?
Are you open to the light as Samuel and the man born blind were, willing to submit to it when it speaks to or touches you?
Are you part of a community that strives to live in the light?

Responding to the Word

We pray to God as the ineffable light shining forth in the darkness, ever creating anew, calling forth from the darkness of fear and prejudice and hatred a community of men and women who choose to live in the light of Christ. We pray God to remove our attraction to the darkness, replacing it with a love for the Light.