Texts for Votive Masses
969 Reading I from the Old Testament
1.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
"This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
"This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
"This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution."
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Commentary on Ex 12:1-8, 11-14
This passage from Exodus established the Feast of Passover for Jewish people. It is the feast Jesus was celebrating in the upper room, at the "Last Supper." We are told of the tenth and final plague to strike Egypt, as God struck down the firstborn and caused the pharaoh to release the people from bondage. The image of the “lamb” is reminiscent of the “Lamb of God,” who is also without blemish, whose blood consecrates those who believe in him. The passage concludes with the ritual invocation establishing the sacrifice and the pilgrimage (“…to the LORD” [a reference to the Temple in Jerusalem where, in the Ark of the Covenant, the Lord’s presence was established]).
CCC: Ex 12:3-14 608
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2.
The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward.
thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward.
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Commentary on Wis 2:1a, 12-22
In this passage from Wisdom we see scripture usually associated with the passion of the Lord. It draws heavily on imagery from the “suffering servant” in Isaiah (Isaiah 52-66 ff). The motives and feelings of those who oppose God are laid bare in clear language.
“This section describes the way the ungodly think and behave, and their error in so doing. Righteousness is immortal; but the ungodly think that life ends at death and therefore they try to strike a bargain with death (Wisdom 1:16-2:19). Moreover, they hound the righteous man because he thinks and acts differently from the way they do (Wisdom 2:10-20). They have no idea what life is all about (Wisdom 2:21-24).”[2a]
“This section describes the way the ungodly think and behave, and their error in so doing. Righteousness is immortal; but the ungodly think that life ends at death and therefore they try to strike a bargain with death (Wisdom 1:16-2:19). Moreover, they hound the righteous man because he thinks and acts differently from the way they do (Wisdom 2:10-20). They have no idea what life is all about (Wisdom 2:21-24).”[2a]
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3.
The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
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Commentary on Is 50:4-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the Messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those born down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors. In spite of the persecution he suffers, he is steadfast in his mission as his faith in God sustains him.
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4.
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
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.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
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Commentary on Is 52:13—53:12
The last of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles is used on Good Friday. A lament for the prophet’s own ill treatment and a prediction of the passion is seen here, beginning with the scourged servant and flowing into the salvific image (“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore”). We are reminded that what the servant bore, he took upon himself willingly (“Though he was harshly treated, he submitted”).
The later paragraphs describe how the servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “[H]e shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”
CCC: Is 52:13-53:12 713; Is 53:1 591; Is 53:4-6 1505; Is 53:4 517, 1505; Is 53:7-8 601; Is 53:7 608; Is 53:8 627; Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502; Is 53:12 536, 608
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5.
Thus says the LORD:
I will pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a Spirit of grace and petition;
and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through,
and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the plain of Megiddo.
And if anyone asks him,
"What are these wounds on your chest?" he shall answer,
"With these I was wounded in the house of my dear ones."
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,
says the LORD of hosts.
Strike the shepherd
that the sheep may be dispersed,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
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Commentary on Zec 12:10-11; 13:6-7
In this selection from the oracle of the Prophet Zechariah (referred to in some scholarly texts as part of deutero-Zechariah, added later but codified by 200 BC at the latest), we hear a prophetic vision of the Messiah who is to come. The author sees the coming of the Messiah as a blessing upon earth, emanating from the “house of David.” The prophet envisions the passion of the Messiah (recounted in John 19:37), and the mourning that follows his rejection. He is mourned as “an only son” (see John 1:18, John 3:13-19, and Colossians 1:15), the “firstborn.”
The reference to “Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo” probably refers to the storm god Hadad, whose death was mourned each year at the return of the dry season, which caused great hardship for the people. Jerome identified the term as a city very near Megiddo, later called Maximianopolis, and today Tell Mutesellim.[1]
The selection concludes, in Chapter 13, with the statement about wounds received. From the Christian perspective these wounds would be prophetic of the Messiah, wounded and crucified by those he loves. At the time it would have referred to self inflicted wounds of repentance (not to be confused with pagan practices of the day).
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970 Reading I from the New Testament
During the Season of Easter
First Option
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
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Commentary on Acts 10:34-43
In this selection from Acts, Peter is speaking in the house of Cornelius following the vision he was given showing him that nothing God created should be considered profane. This was pondered by Peter because it challenged the precepts of Jewish dietary laws and laws forbidding contact with Gentiles at certain times; saying that God is for every one not just the Israelites. He then launches into the Good News which he starts with a description of the Baptism of the Lord and how the Holy Spirit descended, following that with his mission to reveal God’s love in his healing ministry. Peter assumes the people know what has happened – namely that Jesus who was thought to be the Messiah, had proven that fact in the resurrection. Now he reminds them, before the creed was written, that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.
CCC: Acts 10:35 761; Acts 10:38 438, 453, 486, 1289; Acts 10:39 597; Acts 10:41 659, 995; Acts 10:42 679
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Second Option
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
"My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."
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Commentary on Acts 13:26-33
In this passage from Acts we find Paul on his first missionary journey to Asia. He is speaking to a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles, explaining that Jesus came to fulfill what was written in the Hebrew Scriptures. He concludes his discourse with a quote from Psalm 2:7: "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you." For the Jews this proclamation by the psalmist would have seemed a natural continuation of the understanding of the Hebrew people in salvation history, that the "chosen people" should enjoy God's promised salvation (in the resurrection). For the Gentiles the adoption by God, implicit in the quote, would be seen as an invitation.
CCC: Acts 13:27-28 597; Acts 13:29 601; Acts 13:31 647; Acts 13:32-33 638; Acts 13:32 653; Acts 13:33 445, 2606
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Third Option
Grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his Blood,
who has made us into a Kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,
“the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
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Commentary on Rv 1:5-8
This vision of St. John of the return of Jesus as King is very straight forward. One of the more significant verses is; "I am the Alpha and the Omega, “says the Lord God, " the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty." The Alpha and Omega are first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, these words are used again later in Revelation (Revelation 22:13) and were predicted by Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4), a clear reference to Christ’s Kingship.
CCC: Rev 1:6 1546, 2855; Rev 1:8 2854
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Fourth Option
I, John, saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll
from the right hand of the One who sat on the throne.
When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy Ones.
They sang a new hymn:
"Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and to break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth."
I looked again and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing."
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Commentary on Rev 5:6-12
John sees Christ appear as a lamb (this is the first of 28 times the Lord appears as a lamb in Revelation. CCC 608, 1137). His appearance "... seven horns and seven eyes" represent the totality of power (Psalm 89:17) and knowledge (Zechariah 4:1-10) possessed by Christ. "The Lamb receives the same worship given to the Lord God (4:11), indicating that he, too, is divine (19:10). The words of the song recall the Exodus, when Yahweh redeemed Israel (Exodus 15:13) by the shed blood of pascal lambs (Exodus 12:21-27) to be a kingly and priestly nation (Exodus 19:6). Here it celebrates the new Exodus accomplished by Christ, the new Passover Lamb, whose blood ransoms all nations from sin and consecrates them to serve him as a royal priesthood (Revelations 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9) (CCC 608, 1546)."[2]
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971 Responsorial Psalm
1.
R. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the Lord, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
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Commentary on Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
The personal lament in Psalm 22 echoes the abuse and ridicule heaped on God’s servants and the faithful. This selection goes further, prophetically describing the Passion of the Lord (“…They have pierced my hands and my feet” and “They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.”)
CCC: Ps 22 304
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2.
R. (Luke 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the hands of my enemies and persecutors.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
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Commentary on Ps 31:2 and 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17 and 25
The complete psalm is an individual lament. This selection is a song of thankfulness and praise for God whose mercy is boundless and his forgiveness complete. The song was most perfectly expressed by our Savior as he hung upon the cross, confident in his Father's love and mercy.
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3.
R. (23ab) Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart quakes within me;
the terror of death has fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
If an enemy had reviled me,
I could have borne it;
If he who hates me had vaunted himself against me,
I might have hidden from him.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But you, my other self,
my companion and my bosom friend!
You, whose comradeship I enjoyed;
at whose side I walked in procession in the house of God!
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
But I will call upon God,
and the LORD will save me.
In the evening, and at dawn, and at noon,
I will grieve and moan,
and he will hear my voice.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Cast your care upon the LORD,
and he will support you;
never will he permit the just man to be disturbed,
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 55:5-6, 13, 14-15, 17-18, 23
Taken in total, Psalm 55 is an individual lament. In these strophes, the singer is terrified that he has offended God himself. He can bear the attacks of the wicked, but fears the loss of friendship in the Lord. It has caused in him a desire to flee society, to rise above the strife (see also James 4:1-10). In the concluding strophes the psalmist expresses his faith, that God will support the just against all attacks.
CCC: Ps 55:23 322
4.
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. (see 21 cd) I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one
could I find.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink!
may I be rescued from my foes,
and from the watery depths.
Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me,
nor the abyss swallow me up,
nor the pit close its mouth over me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
Hide not your face from your servant;
in my distress make haste to answer me.
Come and ransom my life;
as an answer for my enemies, redeem me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
You know my reproach, my shame and my ignominy:
before you are all of my foes.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food;
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
For they kept after him whom you smote,
and added to the pain of him you wounded.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving;
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in the bonds he spurns not."
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
or:
R. I looked for sympathy, there was none; for consolers, not one could I find.
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Commentary on Ps 69:8-10, 15-16, 17-19, 20-21, 22 and 27, 31 and 33-34
Psalm 69 is an individual lament. The psalmist sings of great trials and perils, describing the singer’s dire situation. Faith and hope in the Lord, says the song, sustains those in need. It draws heavily on the image of the faithful servant who suffers but remains dedicated to God’s law and works. Even in the face of this intense social embarrassment, the psalmist must be faithful because “…zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.” The imagery in this song forces us to look forward to the passion, as Christ’s punishment is prophetically envisioned.
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5.
#971 Votive Mass (The Mystery of the Holy Cross, 5.)
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
In my straits 1 called upon the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I fear not;
what can man do against me?
The LORD is with me to help me,
and I shall look down upon my foes.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
All the nations encompassed me;
in the name of the LORD I crushed them.
They encompassed me on every side;
in the name of the LORD I crushed them.
They encompassed me like bees,
they flared up like fire among thorns;
in the name of the LORD I crushed them.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
"The right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
"The right hand of the LORD I exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
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Commentary on Ps 118:5-7, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19-21, 22-24
Psalm 118 is the great litany of thanksgiving. Attributed to King David, he sings a song of thanks to the Lord for his great mercy and salvation. All who love the Lord realize they fall short of perfect praise and endure what they think is chastisement as a result. But, for the Christian, Jesus overcame sin and death as he was sacrificed upon the Holy Cross.
The last part of the litany of thanksgiving features the cornerstone image that, in addition to Acts 4:1-12, was also used in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark 12:10) and the first epistle of St. Peter (1 Peter 2:7) as well as numerous other references. "The stone the builders rejected: a proverb: what is insignificant to human beings has become great through divine election. The “stone” may originally have meant the foundation stone or capstone of the Temple. The New Testament interpreted the verse as referring to the death and resurrection of Christ (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; cf. Isaiah 28:16 and Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:7)."[4]
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972 Reading II from the New Testament
1.
Brothers and sisters:
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:18-25
St. Paul begins this selection refuting those who point to Christ’s crucifixion as proof of Jesus’ fallibility by saying that faith, graciously given by God allows the Christian to see the victory in what appears to the scoffers to be a defeat (“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”) St. Paul supports his premise by quoting Isaiah 29:14 attacking the “wisdom of the wise”. He calls Jesus a stumbling block for the Jews (probably because they expected a Royal Messiah taking power like King David) and again foolishness for the rational gentiles (Greeks) who pride themselves in logic – the cross is not logical for a savior.
St. Paul concludes by telling the community “those who were called”, that it is God who acts in them giving them faith (see also Romans 9:16) and that in the face of God’s omnipotence all the wisdom and strength of humanity pales in comparison.
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2.
Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
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Commentary on Eph 2:13-18
In the first half of the second chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, the evangelist describes how the faithful are reconciled to God in Christ. Speaking to the Gentiles, the Apostle recognizes they have not had the benefits of the Hebrew tradition and covenants with God, but through Christ all of these disadvantages were overcome. All are united in Christ who fulfilled the Law and superseded the old covenants.
“The elaborate imagery here combines pictures of Christ as our peace (Isaiah 9:5), his crucifixion, the ending of the Mosaic law (cf Colossians 2:14), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), and the destruction of the dividing wall such as kept people from God in the temple or a barrier in the heavens.”[5]
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3.
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Commentary on Phil 2:6-11
This passage from Philippians is known as the Kenotic Hymn, the song of emptying. Christ empties himself of the complete divinity that is his essence and accepts the human condition. As true man he suffers the ultimate humiliation of death (on the cross). The second section of the hymn focuses on God’s resulting actions of exaltation. The Christian sings of God’s great glory in Christ, proclaiming him Lord and Savior. As part of St. Paul’s instructive letters, this is clearly to be used as a liturgical prayer or song. In the context of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, it provides a contrast to the elevated status of Jesus revealed as the Messiah – the Only Begotten Son of God. Christ's attitude is one of humility.
CCC: Phil 2:6-11 2641, 2667; Phil 2:6 449; Phil 2:7 472, 602, 705, 713, 876, 1224; Phil 2:8-9 908; Phil 2:8 411, 612, 623; Phil 2:9-11 449, 2812; Phil 2:9-10 434; Phil 2:10-11 201; Phil 2:10 633, 635
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4.
Brothers and sisters:
I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
It is not that i have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
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Commentary on Phil 3:8-14
In his own profession he states: all he has given up for the Lord counts for nothing as he holds Christ’s Lordship as the only thing of worth. He goes on to say that it is only through his faith in Christ that he receives salvation, that his former devotion to the Law of Moses did not accomplish salvation (as the Jews believe).
This discourse likely addresses some members of the community who feel they have achieved a high state of grace and have lost their humility. By his example, Paul, who in his status as founder would be considered to have been further along this course, demonstrates the humble attitude that should be present.
St. Paul speaks to the community at Philippi about the primacy of following Christ as the (his) most important possession. He inverts the phrase saying Christ has taken possession of him which should not be interpreted as meaning he believed he had attained perfect spiritual maturity but rather that he (Paul) had given himself totally to the service of Jesus. Paul again uses himself as example, telling the Philippians that (even) he has not achieved the end goal of “perfect maturity” (a final state of grace), rather he still pursues that goal.This selection guides the rule of St. Francis, first in their vows of poverty and second, as Franciscan Order of Minim Fiars, in their view as the least of God’s children.
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5.
In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
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Commentary on Heb 5:7-9
This is an important passage from the standpoint of understanding the call to ministry, especially the priesthood. In an extended form, it is frequently used at ordinations and provides an understanding of what it means to be called to a vocation. This selection continues with Christ’s own call. The author does an excellent job of capturing Christ’s humanity in this description.
"To emphasize the force of Christ's prayer, the writer adds, 'with loud cries and tears'. According to rabbinical teaching, there were three degrees of prayer, each stronger than the last--supplications, cries and tears. Christian tradition has always been touched by the humanity of the Redeemer as revealed in the way he prays. 'Everything that is being said here may be summed up in one word--humility: that stops the mouths of those who blaspheme against Christ's divinity saying that it is completely inappropriate for a God to act like this. For, on the contrary, the Godhead laid it down that [Christ's] human nature should suffer all this, in order to show us the extreme to which he truly became incarnate and assumed a human nature, and to show us that the mystery of salvation was accomplished in a real and not an apparent or fictitious manner' (Theodoret of Cyrus, 'lnterpretatio Ep. ad Haebreos, ad loc.')." [14]
"To emphasize the force of Christ's prayer, the writer adds, 'with loud cries and tears'. According to rabbinical teaching, there were three degrees of prayer, each stronger than the last--supplications, cries and tears. Christian tradition has always been touched by the humanity of the Redeemer as revealed in the way he prays. 'Everything that is being said here may be summed up in one word--humility: that stops the mouths of those who blaspheme against Christ's divinity saying that it is completely inappropriate for a God to act like this. For, on the contrary, the Godhead laid it down that [Christ's] human nature should suffer all this, in order to show us the extreme to which he truly became incarnate and assumed a human nature, and to show us that the mystery of salvation was accomplished in a real and not an apparent or fictitious manner' (Theodoret of Cyrus, 'lnterpretatio Ep. ad Haebreos, ad loc.')." [14]
CCC: Heb 5:1-10 1564; Heb 5:7-9 609, 2606; Heb 5:7-8 612, 1009; Heb 5:7 2741; Heb 5:8 2825; Heb 5:9 617
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974 Gospel
First Option
Jesus began to teach his disciples
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me."
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Commentary on Mk 8:31-34
After silencing the disciples (his closest friends), Jesus, using the title “Son of Man” (see Daniel 7:13-14) goes on to explain that “the son of man” (see note on Mark 8:31), using his true humanity as a title, must go through suffering and humiliation before his final victory.
This frightens the disciples and probably confuses many of the entourage (remember, there were more than just the 12 following Jesus around) and Peter confronts him asking him to take a different approach to what he tells his students. Seeing this request as an invitation or temptation to take a different path, Jesus rebukes Peter and lashes out; “Get behind me Satan.”
The Lord then calls all of those who are with him to authentic discipleship. He tells them that answering that call means placing Christian sacrifice first and if necessary denying even one’s life for the sake of the truth of the Son of God. “This utterance of Jesus challenges all believers to authentic discipleship and total commitment to himself through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it . . . will save it: an expression of the ambivalence of life and its contrasting destiny. Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life.”[7]
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Second Option
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?"
They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
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Commentary on Mk 12:1-12
In the first part of the Gospel we hear the Parable of the Vineyard. Since this story is directed to the Chief Priests and Scribes, we understand that the Vineyard represents the Kingdom of God and the tenants are the Sanhedrin. They should have been working on behalf of God, but instead they misused their power and disregarded the Prophets, killing some, beating others. And when the son of the owner comes and is killed, Jesus prophesies his own death.
The final section of the reading uses the image found in Psalm 118; 23-24, “the stone rejected.” Jesus uses this scripture quote to drive home his point, that the Sanhedrin had completely missed God’s intent, and that the one they rejected, Jesus himself, the Messiah, was to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, God’s Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
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Third Option
The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."
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Commentary on Lk 24:35-48
This is the first appearance of the Risen Christ to the disciples immediately following his appearance on the road to Emmaus, the account of which is referenced at the beginning of this selection. No mention is made of St. Thomas’ presence or absence as in the account from St. John (see John 20:19-31). He shows the disciples his wounds and then to prove he is corporeal, he asks for food and eats in front of them.
As with the disciples of Emmaus, Jesus “opened their minds” so they could see how the Law and Mosaic Law and the Hebrew Prophets were fulfilled in him. Then, satisfied that they believe, the Lord brings them to understand the prophetic significance of what had taken place. He concludes pointedly by saying; “You are witnesses to these things.” This statement is important since later in St. Luke’s narrative in the Acts of Apostles, their witness becomes the foundation of faith for others.
CCC: Lk 24:36 641, 645; Lk 24:38 644; Lk 24:39 644, 645, 645, 999; Lk 24:40 645; Lk 24:41-43 645; Lk 24:41 644; Lk 24:43 2605; Lk 24:44-48 652; Lk 24:44-46 112; Lk 24:44-45 572, 601; Lk 24:44 702, 2625, 2763; Lk 24:45 108; Lk 24:46 627; Lk 24:47-48 730; Lk 24:47 981, 1120, 1122; Lk 24:48-49 1304
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Fourth Option
Jesus said to the crowd:
"Now is the time of judgment on this world;
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself."
He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.
So the crowd answered him,
"We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever.
Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?
Who is this Son of Man?"
Jesus said to them,
"The light will be among you only a little while.
Walk while you have the light,
so that darkness may not overcome you.
Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
While you have the light, believe in the light,
so that you may become children of the light."
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Commentary on Jn 12:31-36a
Following the Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his discourse regarding the immediacy of his final act of salvation on earth, Jesus now speaks of his ultimate destiny; his death and resurrection. He expounds upon what will become a paradox of the events that will unfold. His seeming defeat will become a victory. (Again the use of the term “lifted up” conveys the duel meaning of lifted up upon the cross in the crucifixion and raised to glory in the resurrection.)
We note that Jesus does not try to answer the question "Who is the Son of Man?" Rather he warns them once more that they have little time to come to belief (cf. John 8:12; John 9:4ff). The Lord uses the simile of light to indicate that he will continue to guide them in faith even after he has departed this world.
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975 Reading from the Account of the Lord's Passion
1.
While Jesus was still speaking to his disciples,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
"The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him."
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
"Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
"Friend, do what you have come for."
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
"Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?"
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
"Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples left him and fled.
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Commentary on Mt 26:47-56
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus has finished his passionate prayer. He is just finished chastising his friends for not having the strength to stay awake when Judas ("my betrayer") approaches with a large group (probably temple guards since we are told they were sent by "the chief priests and elders of the people."
In a greeting typical of one between friends and frequently accompanied by "Shalom" (peace), Judas identifies Jesus to those who will arrest him. In Matthew's Gospel we are told this was a prearranged signal. Unlike the Luken account, Jesus does not express knowledge of this fact.
As Jesus is seized by the guards, and one of the disciples (Peter- John 18:10 ) strikes one of the high priest's servant (Malchus also from John's Gospel). This is a likely response to a part of the Lord's discourse at the Last Supper captured in Luke 22:35-38 in which the Lord predicts the coming conflict; specifically telling the disciples (in metaphor) to arm themselves with swords. While no mention is made of Jesus healing the servant with a touch (Luke 22:51), here the Lord rebukes those who would defend him, telling them that he is fully capable of calling on heavenly powers to rescue him if it were not the will of his Heavenly Father and to fulfill prophetic scripture. The passage concludes with Jesus pointing out that this deed (his arrest) was predicted *(Isaiah 53:8ff)
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2.
They came to a place called Golgotha
(which means Place of the Skull ),
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.
From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“This one is calling for Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.”
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.
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Commentary on Mt 27:33-50
The crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross is recorded by Matthew. The Way of the Cross described in Luke's Gospel (Luke 23:26ff) leads Jesus to Golgotha "The Place of the Skull". (The later term Calvary comes from the Latin word for skull –calvaria.) The guards attempt to drug Jesus with Gall (fulfilling yet another piece of prophecy - Psalm 69:22) but he refuses. The scene plays out as the guards, having crucified Jesus now cast lots for his clothing, once more recalling the prophetic song of David in Psalm 22:19.
Ironically the charge against Jesus, inscribed on a sign attached to his cross correctly identifies the Lord as Christ the King. Once more recalling Isaiah 53 "...smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked", Jesus is joined by two others, these condemned criminals. Even these joined passers by and members of the Sanhedrin in mocking the Lord as he hung upon the cross.
Matthew records Jesus calling out his final plea quoting the opening line of Psalm 22. Those attending misunderstood his passion as a call for Elijah to come to his aid. He called out loudly once more and gave up his spirit.
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3.
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane,
and Jesus said to his disciples,
"Sit here while I pray."
He took with him Peter, James, and John,
and began to be troubled and distressed.
Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch."
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed
that if it were possible the hour might pass by him;
he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you.
Take this cup away from me,
but not what I will but what you will."
When he returned he found them asleep.
He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?
Could you not keep watch for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing.
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open
and did not know what to answer him.
He returned a third time and said to them,
"Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
It is enough. The hour has come.
Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners."
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Commentary on Mk 14:32-41
Following the Last supper, Jesus takes his disciples to a garden, probably one familiar to them. Gethsemane (literally “oil press”) is a small garden outside the eastern wall of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. He has 8 of his disciples sit down to wait but invites the three who had witnessed the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and the transfiguration of their Master (Mark 9:2) to be with him while he prays in this ominous hour.
His address, beginning with the word "abba" (or dad/daddy in colloquial English) conveys the familial relationship between the Father and the Son more intensely than almost anywhere else in scripture. The prayer itself has a plea to the Father, recognizing that all things are possible for him. This plea is coupled immediately with abject subjugation of the Lord's will to the Father as he humbly paraphrases the prayer he gave his disciples "thy will be done."
We see, in St. Mark's Gospel the symbolism of the disciples inability to comprehend the events unfolding. Three times (using Hebrew numerology - the absolute) he finds his three friends unable to stay awake (to understand). The symbolism is that they are completely uncomprehending of what is happening. "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" the spirit is drawn to what is good yet found in conflict with the flesh, inclined to sin; cf. Psalm 51:5, 10. Everyone is faced with this struggle, the full force of which Jesus accepted on our behalf and, through his bitter passion and death, achieved the victory."[8] Finally he tells them that the hour has come and his arrest is immanent.
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4.
The chief priests and the entire Sanlicdrin
kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none.
Many gave false witness against him,
but their testimony did not agree.
Some took the stand and testified falsely against him,
alleging, "We heard him say,
'I will destroy this temple made with hands
and within three days I will build another
not made with hands.'"
Even so their testimony did not agree.
The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus,
saying, "Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?"
But he was silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked him and said to him,
"Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed One?"
Then Jesus answered, "I am;
and 'you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power
and coming with the clouds of heaven.'"
At that the high priest tore his garments and said,
"What further need have we of witnesses?
You have heard the blasphemy.
What do you think?"
They all condemned him as deserving to die.
Some began to spit on him.
They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him, "Prophesy!"
And the guards greeted him with blows.
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Commentary on Mk 14:55-65
The trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin is presented by St. Mark. In all accounts Jesus is falsely accused (see also Matthew 26:60–61 and John 2:19) and the difficulty of finding witnesses to testify is stressed. The testimony regarding the destruction of the temple is a likely misunderstood reference to Jesus eschatological prediction of his own death and resurrection (see Matthew 23:37). The author’s account of a key point in the trial differs for other accounts in that Jesus, in this account, proclaims his identity as the Messiah to the Sanhedrin. This has the immediate effect of ending further discussion about his guilt and results in his condemnation. The trial with the Sanhedrin ends with the beginnings of the passion as Jesus is mocked and spit upon.
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5.
As soon as morning came,
the chief priests with the elders and the scribes,
that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council.
They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
Pilate questioned him,
"Are you the King of tlie Jews?"
He said to him in reply, "You say so."
The chief priests accused him of many things.
Again Pilate questioned him,
"Have you no answer?
See how many things they accuse you of."
Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them
one prisoner whom they requested.
A man called Barabbas was then in prison
along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion.
The crowd came forward and began to ask him
to do for them as he was accustomed.
Pilate answered,
"Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that the chief priests had handed him over.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd
to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
Pilate again said to them in reply,
"Then what do you want me to do
with the man you call the King of the Jews?"
They shouted again, "Crucify him."
Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder, "Crucify him."
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged,
handed him over to be crucified.
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Commentary on Mk 15:1-15
Those present at Jesus trial the night of his arrest, already aware that Jesus is condemned to death, must convene the whole governing body of the Temple (“…chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin”). They lack the authority to execute Jesus so they must take their case to Pilate, the Roman Governor to accomplish the sentence they have passed.
St. Mark portrays Pilate as being amazed at Jesus’ responses to his questioning and because of what follows, we must assume Pilate to be reluctant to pass judgment against him (see also Luke 23:14 and Matthew 27:18). Seeking a means to avoid outright condemnation Pilate uses a local tradition of releasing one prisoner. Because the Hebrew leadership has support among those in the crowd present, a convicted felon, Barabbas is released instead and Jesus fate is sealed. Jesus is scourged and handed over to the guards to be crucified.
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6.
The soldiers led Jesus away inside the palace,
that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort.
They clothed him in purple and,
weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him.
They began to salute him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
and kept striking his licad with a reed and spitting upon him.
They knelt before him in homage.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the purple cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him out to crucify him.
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Commentary on Mk 15:16-20
St. Mark describes the mocking of Jesus by the guards of the Praetorium (Fortress of Antonia). Pilate, after having him scourged, has given in to the apparent will of the crowd and placed Jesus in the custody of the paid guards guard. The soldiers jeer at Jesus as a "pretend king," placing upon him the purple cloak and the crown of thorns. This image of suffering and pain has become a symbol of all human pain and humiliation under the title "Ecce Homo." "But, as St. Jerome teaches, 'his ignominy has blotted out ours, his bonds have set us free, his crown of thorns has won for us the crown of the kingdom, his wounds have cured us.' (comm. in Marcum, in loc.)"[9]
Mk 16:15-16 977, 1223; Mk 16:15 888; Mk 16:16 161, 183, 1253, 1256, 1257; Mk 16:17-18 670, 1507; Mk 16:17 434, 1673; Mk 16:18 699; Mk 16:19 659, 659; Mk 16:20 2, 156, 670
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7.
At noon darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"
which is translated,
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"Look, he is calling Elijah."
One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed,
and gave it to him to drink, saying,
"Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down."
Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.
When the centurion who stood facing him
saw how he breathed his last he said,
"Truly this man was the Son of God!"
When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
Very early when the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
They were saying to one another,
"Who will roll back the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?"
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, "Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him."
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Commentary on Mk 15:33-39; 16:1-6
In this passage we are given St. Mark's narrative about the final moments of Jesus' earthly life as he hung upon the cross and the interment of Lord in the tomb. St. Mark's narrative begins with darkness blanketing the whole land, probably a reference specifically to Judea as the Messiah is sacrificed. This could also be a veiled recollection of the darkness called down by Moses (see Exodus 10:22).
Jesus cries out "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated by Mark immediately. It is also found in Psalm 22:2. There the phrase is spoken as the suffering of the upright individual who turns to God at a time of extreme need. Here, in the voice of Christ, we hear the despair not of failing in his mission but rather more a plea for God not to abandon those he loves. The fact that a bystander misunderstands the cry as one invoking Elijah is likely representative of a confusion of language between the Greek and Hebrew. Elijah was of course expected by the Hebrews to return at the time the Messiah was to appear (see Malachi 3:1ff). Hearing him cry out one of the bystanders wet a sponge with wine to see if the mistaken request would be answered. Christians see this as a fulfillment of Psalm 69:22b "... and for my thirst they gave me vinegar."
The Lord gives a loud cry in St. Mark's Gospel differs from the later accounts of Luke 23:46 ("Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit'”) and the more theological account from John 19:30 (“It is finished."). "Patristic writers often regard the cry as a manifestation of the freedom with which Jesus handed over his life to the Father."[10]
With the death of the Lord, the symbol is provided for the reality of his triumph. "The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom." The curtain being referenced stood between the faithful and the Holy of Holies. It is torn essentially in half, opening the passage between the two spaces. It can also be interpreted as the very temple of God in Jerusalem mourning the passing of the Savior (as one rending their garments in grief). The conclusion of this event provides the long awaited climax of St. Mark's Gospel as a Centurion, a gentile identifies Jesus as the Son of God.
In Mark 16:1-6 the author speaks of the empty tomb. It is noteworthy to point out that none of the Gospel authors describe the resurrection event itself, that would be impossible, but rather the mystery of the empty tomb and the apparitions therein (see also Matthew 28:1-6; Luke 24:1-8; and John 20:1-8). The revelation by the angel that Jesus was no longer in the tomb but had been raised is the final proof that God's promise to all the faithful is a reality. The Lord has defeated death. He was the holocaust, the sin offering from God himself; offered so that the whole human race might have their sins forgiven.
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8.
When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
They divided his garments by casting lots.
Now one of the criminals hanging there
reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other man, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon
because of an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit";
and when he had said this he breathed his last.
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Commentary on Lk 23:33-34, 39-46
At Golgotha (The Place of the Skull) (Note: Luke does not use this name. The later term Calvary comes from the Latin word for skull – calvaria.) Jesus is crucified with two criminals to further fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 53:8ff wherein the Messiah is assigned a place among evildoers thought he has done no wrong. In this part of the Passion we hear the jeering of those in leadership because of what they perceived to be the Christ’s ironic fate. Even one of the two criminals begins to take up the insult but is silenced by the other who seems to understand that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world, but rather the Kingdom of God. Demonstrating the love only the Savior is capable of, the Lord forgives those who have tortured and crucified him even as his life’s blood flows down the wood of the cross.
As the Savior cries out and breaths his last, several events occur that are significant to the life of the Church. The darkening of the sky occurs signifying that the light of Jesus which once walked the earth as a sign of God’s unimaginable love for his people has departed from this life. The curtain in the Temple be torn in the middle is significant as it depicts the destruction of the old covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. “The curtain being referred to was the one hanging between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31ff). In Hebrews 9:12 and 10:20 this event is interpreted as the suppression of the Mosaic cult and the admission of all me, Gentiles as well as Jews, into the heavenly sanctuary.”[11]
CCC: Lk 23:34 591, 597, 2605, 2635; Lk 23:39-43 440, 2616; Lk 23:40-43 2266; Lk 23:43 1021; Lk 23:46 730, 1011, 2045
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9.
Jesus, aware that everything wna now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said,
"I thirst."
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
"It is finished."
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
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Commentary on Jn 19:28-37
The narrative continues describing the Lord's last moments of life on the cross. The prophecy to which John refers when saying "...in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled" was Psalm 69:22. While Matthew and Mark speak about this event, only John relates it specifically to the prophetic literature. After this final act, the Lord "handed over his spirit."
What happens after Jesus' death demonstrates to the Jews the nature of his sacrifice. "Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover - Parasceve- that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the temple. By stressing this, the Evangelist implies that Christ's sacrifice took the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance in his blood (cf. Hebrews 9:12)."[12] Typically, when the executioners wished to speed up the death of one crucified, the legs would be broken. This would force the victim to suffocate quickly. In the case of Jesus, this was not done. (see Psalm 34:20-21) Instead we are told the guards pierced his side with a lance and "immediately Blood and water flowed out."
While the outflow of water and blood have a natural explanation, there has been great theological importance placed upon it in numerous sources (St. Ambrose, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Augustine). Water and blood have already been established as signs of salvation (John 3:5 and John 6:53ff). "With Christ's death and the giving of the Spirit already signified in v. 30, the life giving work of the Church begins, and hence the Church can be said in a sense to have been born from the wounded side of Christ."[13]
St. John next adds a theological reflection of his own in the form of testamentary from and eye witness. Using references to prophetic literature, the witness points out that Jesus' body ritually followed Jewish law governing the Passover sacrifice, which designated that the bones of the sacrificial animal should not be broken (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12). Christ becomes the Christian's Passover Sacrifice and meal. And in the second proof "They will look upon him whom they have pierced" he makes reference to Zechariah 12:10.
CCC: Jn 19:28 544, 607, 2561, 2605; Jn 19:30 607, 624, 730, 2605; Jn 19:30b 2605; Jn 19:31 641; Jn 19:34 478, 694, 1225; Jn 19:36 608; Jn 19:37 1432
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**Citation for this selection differs but the text is identical.
[1] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 23:47, pp. 396
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 499
[2a] The Navarre Bible: “Wisdom Books”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp.310
[2a] The Navarre Bible: “Wisdom Books”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp.310
[3] These selections are incorrect in the published index. They are attributed to Psalm 41 but the texts are as listed above.
[4] See NAB footnote for Psalm 118:22
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 345
[6] Index error reads #976
[7] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.285
[8] See NAB Footnote for Mark 14:38
[9] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp.313
[10] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 42:93, pp.58
[11] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:173, pp. 162
[12] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, pp. 695
[13] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 63:172, pp. 462
[14] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp 18
[14] The Navarre Bible: “Revelation and Hebrews and Catholic Letters”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp 18
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