The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder our role in the salvation plan of God even as we realize that our ability to serve is fully dependent on His mercy and Love.
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| Serving in Love |
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah describes the Suffering Servant’s mission.
* [49:1–7] The second of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4).1
Psalm 71 is a prayer for lifelong protection and help.
* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise.2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus foretells His betrayal and Peter’s denial.
* [13:31–38] Introduction: departure and return. Terms of coming and going predominate. These verses form an introduction to the last discourse of Jesus, which extends through Jn 14–17. In it John has collected Jesus’ words to his own (Jn 13:1). There are indications that several speeches have been fused together, e.g., in Jn 14:31 and Jn 17:1.3
Larry Hopp comments that today’s readings certainly seem to point us back to that fundamental issue…Are we truly fulfilling God’s plan for our life?
Psalm 71 further reinforces the simple truth that each of our lives has a profound purpose. Like Isaiah, we are reminded to rely on our Lord – for everything. Beginning in our mother’s womb and continuing throughout our youth and on into our entire adult life, we can count on God’s amazing strength to fulfill his plan for our life. We are reminded that it is an important part of our life’s journey to sing of God’s salvation and to proclaim his wondrous deeds.
So how does this all fit into the wonder of Holy Week? It is enough to be awestruck by the magnitude of Jesus’ gift of salvation as played out this week. The passion of Jesus is certainly much more than words could ever adequately describe or that we could ever fully comprehend. The details of this week tear at the very fabric of our hearts. How can it be that the God of the universe who lived a perfect, sinless life could suffer so much to pay for my sins? Yet this was the detailed plan for Jesus, beginning in Mary’s womb.4
Don Schwager quotes “Fight sin and put up with trials,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 59,5)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 13:21-33, 36-38 invites us to look at the Last Supper. Jesus knows that Judas is going to betray him and is destined for a tragic end (John 13:21-27; 17:12). He also knows that Peter will fail him as well but that Peter will repent and become even more zealous (13:36-38). But notice how Jesus treats these two men: he washes their feet and then shares his last meal with both of them. He wants to make sure that neither of them experiences rejection or condemnation from him, only love.
Jesus knows everything about our future too. He knows that we’ll have some big successes and some big failures. But he never gives up on us. That can bring us great confidence and security because it shows that we don’t have to figure everything out perfectly or do everything just right. Because Jesus sticks with us, there is always hope for us and for our loved ones. As the psalmist prays, “Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. . . . My days were shaped, before one came to be” (139:5, 16).
The first Holy Week is not just something that happened long ago. Its effects extend to the present day and on into the future—a future that only Jesus knows. And through it all, he is still with you. His love and grace are still available for you. Perhaps you’ve been away from him for a long time. Or perhaps you feel the need to walk more closely with him. Whatever your past, whatever your future, wherever you are today, Jesus is there too. So reach out to him and accept his incredible mercy.6
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the mission in the second suffering servant passage in Isaiah is to be a light to all including the Gentiles. The dualism in the Gospel of John places Judas either as with Jesus or with Satan. Friar Jude reminds us that like Jesus, our glory is the love we share when we take up our cross to serve in Love.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that our importance is given and bestowed in this universe as part of the unbreakable covenant between us and our Creator. We are declared important “from the beginning” (Ephesians 1:4, 9), and when we really know it, we have no need to prove it. We are reminded who we really are in God when Jesus tells us that our “name is written in heaven.”
If there is no list of names in eternity, no confidence that we are known and chosen by God, we are burdened with making a name for ourselves every day. We must be self-made, every person out for themselves in a dog-eat-dog world, vying with one another for zero-sum dignity and importance. Instead of comparison, envy, competition, and scarcity, authentic spirituality is an experience of abundance and mutual flourishing. We are tempted to count only our material and ego gifts which decrease with usage, whereas spiritual gifts actually increase with each use, in ourselves and in those around us.
If we have no foundational significance, we must constantly attempt to self-signify and self-validate. Everyone is then a competitor and rival. We cannot help but be pushed around by our neediness and judgments, and we will push others around too. If we have no unshakable experience of divine approval, we will be lost in fragile momentary experiences of “victory” that cannot be sustained or really enjoyed.7
Surely God holds medical workers and first responders close to God’s heart right now, as they put their lives on the line to support us all. The courage they are showing is the kind of courage that comes from knowing the value of life. Fr Richard prays we might all operate from that place of being close to God’s heart as we struggle through the coming days.
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