Holy Week T

April 16, 2019:  Holy Week:  Tuesday

See 15 connections with today?
Legend below

Listen

• Servant song/ Schutte (1st reading)

• Yahweh called me/ Stein: We sang this decades before the Yahweh directive.  If you're in Denver or Honolulu, check it out (literally); it works in the 2nd person ("Lord, you called me....") (1st reading)

• Let folly praise that fancy loves/ Southwell, sung in Czech; original English words+  (1st reading)

• With bitter herbs/ Core:  lyrics+ (gospel)

• By my side, from Godspell/ Schwartz (gospel)

• The Crucifixion oratorio/ Stainer:  complete, God so loved the world 'hit song,' libretto

• Psalm 71:  I will sing/ Celoni:  sheet music

Read

• Is 49:1-6  The Lord called me from my mother’s womb:  "You are my servant, through whom I show my glory."  I'm made glorious in the sight of the Lord, my strength!  "I'll make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth."

• Ps 71:1-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17  "I will sing of your salvation."  Rescue me; be my refuge and give me safety.  You are my rock and hope; from my mother’s womb you are my strength.

• Jn 13:21-33, 36-38  Jesus, troubled:  “One of you will betray me.”  Peter:  “Who?” / “The one to whom I give the morsel,” then he handed it to Judas Iscariot.  Judas took it, and Satan entered him.  Judas left; it was night.  Jesus:  “Now is the Son of Man glorified...  I won't be with you much longer, and ‘where I go you can't come.’  Peter / Jesus:  “Where are you going?” / “You can't follow me now but will later.” / “Why not?  I'll lay down my life for you.” / “Will you?  You'll deny me.”

Reflect

• Creighton:  Jesus knew of Judas’ plan to hand him over and how Peter’s weakness would lead to his denials, but he still allowed the betrayal and the denial to unfold, trusting the Father, likely understanding he was fulfilling the prophecy of today’s 1st reading.  God assured the Servant he'd restore Israel and help God's salvation reach the ends of the earth.  Jesus sustained the betrayal and denial and hoped his followers would become “a light to the nations.”  What happened to him in the betrayal and denial will likely happen to us as we try to be a light to the nations.  Lord, help us hold up under disappointment and trust that our efforts to follow you will fit your larger plan of salvation.

Judas leaves The Last Supper/ Bloch

• One Bread, One Body:  "It's about love":  Why does God permit abortion, racism, wars, catastrophes, and injustice?  Why do some holy people feel they've "toiled in vain"?  God is Love.  We're created to love him, ourselves, and others.  We're redeemed to love like the Lord.  The Lord orchestrates events to change us from partial to total love, superficial to deep, and from mixed in motives to pure. One of the best ways to transform our love is for us to love our enemies. The Lord repeatedly allows 'Judases' to betray us and 'Peters' to deny us, then commands us to love them and lay down our lives for them.  He gives us grace to love the unlovable and so enter into the mystery of love and life. Our worst enemies our best opportunities to grow in love.

• Passionist:  We hear dark voices in today's readings:  The "Suffering Servant" hears a voice from the dark of the womb:  the Lord calling him and giving him a mission to become light to the nations.  The Servant was to be the beacon of God's glory in the world.  Hope and salvation were to enter the world through him.  Then other voices crowded God's and threatened to drown out his call, saying he was toiling in vain, pulling him down in frustration and dismay, breathing hostility and antagonism, or tempting him to give up.  In the gospel, Jesus hears voices in darkness:   “It was night” and “before the cock crows,” voices of Judas' betrayal, then Peter's denial.  Imagine his reaction!  Before, voices had been affirming and hopeful, spoken in the light:  “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the Lord's name!”  Dark voices, of rejection, betrayal, disappointment, and sadness, drowned them out, but Jesus amplified the voice of light:  “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.”

Both readings help us understand the voices in our lives:  We share with the Servant and Jesus voices of light that invite us to life with encouragement, affirmation, and trust.  We too received a mission through baptism to be God’s voice, to be a beacon of light, to amplify the joy of salvation, but we're also subject to dark voices of disappointment and betrayal that invite us to become cynical or judgmental toward God and others, tempt us to give up on our mission, and deafen us to voices from the light.  The Servant and Jesus teach us to turn away from the voices of darkness to the voices of light, focus on God's voice, respond to his call, finding our way through trials, discovering that through those trials we recognize the promise, hope, and glory of faithfulness to our mission.

St. Bernadette

• DailyScripture.net:  "Betrayal and faltering loyalty to Jesus":  Judas deliberately betrayed his Master while Peter denied him in a moment of weakness.  Judas' act was calculated, but Peter acted impulsively, out of cowardice.  Jesus knew Peter's loyalty and his weakness.  Judas' treachery is seen at its worst at the Last Supper when Satan entered.  Satan twists love into hate, holiness into pride, discipline into cruelty, affection into complacency.  We must be on our guard.  The Spirit will give us grace and strength when we're tested.  If we follow Jesus, we'll walk in his light; otherwise we'll fall into darkness and sin.  Lord, give me a steadfast heart no unworthy thought can drag downwards, an unconquered heart no tribulation can wear out, an upright heart no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.  Bestow upon me also understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and faithfulness that may finally embrace you (Thomas Aquinas).

• Universalis:  St. Bernadette Soubirous, religious, patroness of the sick, didn't let her serious illness get in the way, showed great humility, inspired great love of prayer and good works, especially service of the poor and the sick.  Mary appeared to her near Lourdes to call sinners to change.  See also Wikipedia.

Dress legend

• 'Prize' pin:  My reward is with the Lord (1st reading)

• 'Phone' tie bar:  "The Lord 'called' me from birth" (1st reading)

• 'Sword' tie bar:  "He made of me a sharp-edged sword" (1st reading)

• 'Arrow' pin:  He made me a polished arrow (1st reading)

• 'Street light' tie bar:  "I'll make you a light..." (1st reading)

• 'International flags' tie:  "...to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth." (1st reading)

• 'Clef with cross' pin:  "I will sing of your salvation" (psalm)

• 'Rock' tie pin:  "You are my rock" (psalm)

• 'Hand' tie pin:  "Rescue me from the hand of the wicked" (psalm); "the one I 'hand' the morsel to will betray me" (gospel); post-'Palm' Sunday (subseason)

• 'Eyeball' pin:  The disciples looked at one another:  who would betray Jesus? (gospel)

• 'Money bag' tie pin:  "Judas kept the money bag" (gospel)

• '?' tie pin:  "Where are you going?" "Who is it?" "Why can't I follow you now?" "Will you lay down your life for me?" (gospel)

• 'Rooster' button:  "The cock will not crow before you deny me..." (gospel)

• 'Night blue' shirt, 'Star' tie pin:  After the betrayal, "it was night" (gospel)

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