Jesus, our great high priest, bridges the gap between Heaven and earth through his divinity and humanity. As the Son of God he has the power to make a sacrifice for the salvation of the world; as the Son of Mary he meets us in our human weakness and struggle. May we turn to our Savior for the strength we need!
The two small coins given by the poor widow are worth more in the sight of heaven because they came with a far greater sacrifice. Point: what kind of sacrifice to we make for our faith in Jesus Christ today?
Like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies to become a new and fruitful plant, we die to our sins and rise with Christ as a new creation filled with God’s grace through the fruitful offering of our lives.
Every year on Palm Sunday we hear the Passion of the Lord. Why? Because we need to be reminded of God’s remedy for our sins, so that we may stand at the foot of the Cross of Christ and repent…so as to receive his great gift of mercy.
Ezekiel’s great prophecy of hope is made possible through the words of the high priest Caiaphas – who reminds us that “it is better that one man should die instead of the people.” As we enter into Holy Week may we cherish the Lord’s sacrifice for our salvation!
He never says a word in the Scriptures, but St. Joseph demonstrates by his actions his faith in God and his capacity to sacrifice for others. May his example inspire us today.
The death of John the Baptist makes it clear that in no uncertain terms there is a price for following the Lord. Our “yes” to God means that we will follow a path where sacrifice will be part of the offering of our lives.
The death of John the Baptist assaults our senses for its cruelty, pettiness and injustice. As John precedes the Lord in life, so also he precedes him in death…reminding us that the offering of our lives will include profound sacrifice.
We all know that Jesus commands us to love one another, but all too often we overlook the sacrifice it takes to follow the teaching and example of Jesus. All three readings today point out that there will be a cost…and we will pay it with our lives.