The Passion of the Lord reveals God’s love for the world. May this day drive us to our knees as we accept the gift of Christ and share His love with one another.
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Tag Archives: Paschal Mystery
Holy Week
Pastoral Note: This post was originally given on April 12, 2014. I share it once again in the hope that all of us will enter more fully into the gift of this sacred time. Fr. Andrew
Study: Recall a time in your life when you experienced death and new life. Where did you find the strength? Who helped you through this time?
Pray: Spend some time reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week. Read Mark 14-16; Matthew 26-28; Luke 22-24; and John 18-21. Take in as many prayer opportunities as possible in your parish.
Serve: Who in your life is dealing with life and death issues right now? How might you be present to them to offer help, comfort, or strength?
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We enter into the heart of the Christian mystery: Holy Week offers us a time to pause, reflect, and pray as the Church ponders on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This mystery, often called the Paschal Mystery, recalls us to the saving work of the Lord. His death frees of from the burdens of sin and death, and his resurrection opens for us the path to eternal life. This mystery is profoundly experienced over the Triduum – the 3 Great Days:
- Holy Thursday – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper
- Good Friday – the Passion of the Christ
- Easter (Vigil/Day) – the Resurrection of the Lord
On Holy Thursday we find ourselves in Jerusalem, eating with the disciples at the Lord’s Supper and feeling awkward as he washes their feet – wondering how we would react if he did that for us. We might identify with Peter or Judas – especially when we consider the times we have willingly betrayed or turned our back on the Lord.
On Good Friday we experience the physical pain, emotional abandonment, and personal humiliation on the path to Calvary (also called Golgotha or Skull Place) and look on with horror at the cruel death of Jesus. We might also consider the times we have helped others – as Simon did when he was forced to carry the Cross of Christ. And then we stand in profound sorrow with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, helpless as the innocent suffer injustice.
On Easter we wait in vigil and rise early in the morning with Mary Magdalen, only to find to our wonder and joy that the tomb is empty: Christ is alive! Our world, like that of the apostles, is changed forever as we experience new hope and life.
A word to the wise – we get out of Holy Week what we put into it. Here are some simple ways for an incredible experience.
- Make church services a top priority – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (Vigil or Day).
- Take time to read and reflect on the scriptures (see at the top under “Pray”).
- Make Holy Thursday an opportunity to offer a special act of service or kindness to another.
- Make Good Friday fasting extra special with a gift to a particular charity that helps the poor.
- Make Easter a time of gratitude – take a quiet moment to count our blessings and thank the Lord.
- Find some time throughout this week to tell the people in our lives how much we love them.
May this be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and one another.
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Walking with the Lord in Holy Week (March 9-12, 2015 – Our Lady of the Valley – Green Valley, AZ) This parish mission takes the listener on a journey with Christ – from his entry into Jerusalem, through the Last Supper, his Passion, and his Resurrection.
- #1 Palm Sunday (32 Minutes)
- #2 Holy Thursday (33 Minutes)
- #3 Good Friday (33 Minutes)
- #4 Easter (33 Minutes)
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Palm Sunday: The sacrificial offering of Christ’s Passion. Catholic Inspiration
We read the Passion of the Lord every year to remember the Lord’s sacrificial offering for the salvation of the world. May our reflection inspire us to live the gift of our lives, bought by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
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Walking with Mary on the Way of the Cross: in six parts. Catholic Inspiration
This six part retreat was given during Lent in 2021 at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Each session stands alone and can be heard in any order. However, they are listed below in the order they were given. May these reflections help us draw closer to Christ and one another.
Part 1 – Confronting Injustice – February 18, 2021
Part 2 – Jesus falls three times – February 25, 2021
Part 3 – Simon and Veronica – March 4, 2021
Part 4 – Jesus is stripped – March 11, 2021
Part 5 – Jesus is crucified – March 18, 2021
Part 6 – Jesus dies – March 25, 2021
Palm Sunday: The Passion of our Lord
Study: What sacrifices do I currently face in my life? Do I recognize the presence of Christ as I carry my Cross?
Pray: Reflect on the Passion of the Lord. Recall the sacrifice of Jesus and take a moment to express gratitude for his love.
Serve: How might you help others face their sacrifices? Are there people you can comfort or assist as they carry their crosses?
Mass Readings – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
On the road to Jerusalem the Lord was dropping hints to his disciples:
“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.” Matthew 20:18-19
He knew it was coming…and he went through with it.
For us.
And just so we’re clear: not because we’ve been good and deserve it. Because we’ve sinned and cannot continue without his saving grace. The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross reveals God’s love for humanity: the fundamental value which the Lord places on ALL human life and demonstrates how love is the greatest of all commandments – for sacrifices reveal quickly and bluntly what we value, respect, cherish, and love.
And Christ sacrificed his pure and sinless life…for our sins. The more we reflect on the Passion of the Lord, the more we understand the depth of God’s love that knows no limit or boundary – a priceless gift that flows from the heart of Heaven.
Which means that as his disciples the example of Christ becomes our model. Where do we see our sacrifices today? How do we – through a sincere and genuine desire to love others – participate in the great sacrifice of Jesus? What are the Crosses in our lives, and how might we carry them with the help of one who understands the weight of the Cross?
His Cross becomes a gateway that leads to abundant life; may the crosses we carry today be received as our path that the Lord sets before us:
- To grow in Grace
- To face our Fears
- To live in Love
Have a blessed Holy Week.
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Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts
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Note: This post was originally published on March 22, 2015.
5th Sunday of the Year: A grain of wheat teaches us about life and death. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus reveals the mystery of his saving death through an example of a grain of wheat. As we die to sin and rise with Christ, may we call upon the Lord to create a clean heart within us.
Mass Readings – 5th Sunday of Lent
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Daily Mass: Let’s live our faith in the present moment. Catholic Inspiration
Jesus warns his disciples not to go chasing for the Kingdom of God; it is already among them! Rather, we make the most of each day to live our lives for the Lord.
Daily Mass: All times are in the hand of God. Catholic Inspiration
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus touches all aspects of human life with a grace that brings hope and healing. May we see God at work in every moment of our day as we place our trust in the Lord.
The Passion of the Lord
Study: Reflect on a time you experienced weakness and suffering. Where did you find the strength to continue?
Pray: Gaze upon a crucifix and offer to Christ any struggles you are facing right now. Bring the needs of your loved ones to the foot of the Cross as well.
Serve: Is there someone in your life who is carrying a heavy cross right now? How can you offer comfort and assistance?
Palm Sunday Readings (with Year A reading for the Procession with Palms)
How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross? Stop and think: at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace. This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.
We adorn our homes with the Cross. A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; crosses are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.
We adorn ourselves with the Cross as well: a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.
The passion we read every year on this day focuses our attention on the central mystery of our faith. Out of love for us God sent His Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life. Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.
The Cross teaches us many lessons:
- Life is difficult, and at times painful
- Weakness and sin are part of our experience
- God identifies with our pain
- God dies that we might have life
At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us. Yet the Cross appears to be an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated? Does that not mean that God is weak? Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?
In reality, the weakness revealed in the Cross uncovers our frailty, not God’s. Jesus endured the Cross because of our broken, wounded nature. He carried the Cross because we were unable to – as St. Paul writes “The wages of sin is death” in Romans 6:23 – and he bore the suffering, pain, and grief that are the natural result of our sinfulness. God is not weak, rather God takes on our weakness so that we can be made whole.
The Cross proclaims the truth that God meets us where we are in life. In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us. Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world. He knows us, loves us, and saves us through his Cross.
Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us. Through the Cross we discover our strength as we trust in God’s love and seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world!
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Note: This post was first published on April 3, 2017.
Daily Mass: The lesson of a grain of wheat. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord teaches a key concept – the Paschal Mystery of death to new life – through the example of a grain of wheat. What needs to “die” in us today so that God’s grace can raise up something new and blessed in our hearts?
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 18th Sunday of the Year (St. Lawrence)
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