Friday, April 7 – And they slapped him in the face

06 Apr – Good Friday

Why do I do what I do?

A young wife was preparing to bake a ham. Her husband was watching. He was puzzled when she took a knife and cut off a piece off each end of the ham. “Why did you do that?” he asked. “I really don’t know,” she replied, “but my mother always did it.”

Some time later the young man was visiting his wife’s mother, and he remembered the incident with the ham, and his wife’s explanation for doing what she did. So he asked his wife’s mother why she cut a piece off each end of the ham, before baking. The reason was simple, “Because the hams sold in our local supermarket are too big for the only baking pan I have!”

– Oh, to be reflective, to be thoughtful, and not to be afraid to stop and look at ourselves, what we do, and why we do it!

– On occasions I can do the right thing, but not always for the right reasons.

– Why I do something makes it wrong or right. I could visit someone in the hospital because I feel sorry for him – or because I want to gloat over his helpless state!

– taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle

Today’s story reminds me of why we genuflect when we go to church. Sometimes I look at people going for Good Friday service genuflecting before they get into their pew, and I feel like asking them, “What are you genuflecting to?”
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The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John 18:1 – 19:42

N: Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,
J: Who are you looking for?
N: They answered,
C: Jesus the Nazarene.
N: He said,
J: I am he.
N: Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, “I am he”, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,
J: Who are you looking for?
N: They said,
C: Jesus the Nazarene.
N: Jesus replied,
J: I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.
N: This was to fulfil the words he had spoken: “Not one of those you gave me have I lost.”
Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,
J: Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?
N: The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They too him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, “It is better for one man to die for the people.”
Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter,
O: Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?
N: He answered,
O: I am not.
N: Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered,
J: I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.
N: At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying,
O: Is that the way to answer the high priest?
N: Jesus replied,
J: If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?
N: Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas, the high priest.
As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him,
O: Aren’t you another of his disciples?
N: He denied it saying,
O: I am not.
N: One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose eat Peter had cut off, said,
O: Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?
N: Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.
They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said,
O: What charge do you bring against this man?
N: They replied,
C: If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.
N: Pilate said,
O: Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.
N: The Jews answered,
C: We are not allowed to put a man to death.
N: This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, and asked,
O: Are you the king of the Jews?
N: Jesus replied,
J: Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?
N: Pilate answered,
O: Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?
N: Jesus replied,
J: Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world my men would have fought to prevent me being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.
N: Pilate said,
O: So you are a king then?
N: Jesus answered,
J: It is you who say it. Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this; to bear witness to the truth, and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.
N: Pilate said,
O: Truth? What is that?
N: And with that he went out again to the Jews and said,
O: I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?
N: At this they shouted:
C: Not this man, but Barabbas.
N: Barabbas was a brigand. Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crowd and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying,
C: Hail, king of the Jews!
N: and they slapped him in the face.
Pilate came outside again and said to them,
O: Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.
N: Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said,
O: Here is the man.
N: When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted,
C: Crucify him! Crucify him!
N: Pilate said,
O: Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.
N: The Jews replied,
C: We have a Law, and according to the Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the son of God.
N: When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus,
O: Where do you come from?
N: But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him,
O: Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?
N: Jesus replied
J: You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.
N: From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted,
C: If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.
N: Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews,
O: Here is your king.
N: They said,
C: Take him away, take him away. Crucify him!
N: Pilate said,
O: Do you want me to crucify your king?
N: The chief priests answered,
C: We have no king except Caesar.
N: So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull, or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’. This notice was read by many of the Jews , because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,
C: You should not write, ‘King of the Jews’, but ‘This man said: I am King of the Jews’.
N: Pilate answered,
O: What I have written, I have written.
N: When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck t hem; so they said to one another,
C: Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.
N: In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:

They shared out my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my clothes.

This is exactly what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother,
J: Woman, this is your son.
N: Then to the disciple he said,
J: This is your mother.
N: And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly her said:
J: I am thirsty.
N: A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said,
J: It is accomplished;
N: and bowing his head he gave up the spirit.
N: It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:

Not one bone of his will be broken,

and again, in another place scripture says:

They will look on the one whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.
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I believe that, in the past six or seven years of having writing daily reflections, this is the first time that I’ve ever typed out the whole Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was easier than I thought it would be. I didn’t want to, but there were two parts of the Passion that struck me today as I did my reflection.

The first part is the first blow that is given to Jesus, when a guard slaps him for answering the high priest in the wrong way. The second part is when the soldiers are humiliating Jesus by calling him, “Hail! King of the Jews!” and then they slapped him.

The second part struck me first, because as I reflected on it, I realised that as a Christian, I have behaved as the soldiers do as well. On one hand, I proclaim Jesus as my King, but on the other hand, I do something that runs completely contrary to that earlier proclamation, which amounts giving Jesus a slap in the face.

For example, I claim that I love Jesus and that he is my Lord and King. But I do humiliate another person or deride him or her. That’s really like slapping Jesus in the face… and I think back on the number of times I have indeed given Jesus a slap… after calling him King.

The first part struck me as I was typing out the Passion. The guard slaps Jesus because Jesus does not respond to the high priest in the “correct” way. How many times have I overlooked another person, choosing instead to focus on the person’s lack of following the “correct” way of practising the Christian religion? How many times have I placed more emphasis on the rules and laws rather than on the person?

Whenever I place more emphasis on things being done the “correct” way, than I do on the person, I am giving Jesus a slap.

Dear Lord, forgive us our sins, especially when we place regulations above the person, especially when we confess that you are our King, and then say or do something contrary to it.
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Prayer:
Heavenly Father, your Son our King Jesus Christ has given his life in atonement for our sins. Help us to see the times that we have cooperated with the Jews in crucifying him and driving him to his grave. Grant us the humility to acknowledge that we are accomplices in the crucifixion of Jesus, and count on your generosity and mercy to ask for forgiveness of our crimes. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: True love and friendship.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer’s own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Thursday, April 5 – God’s Love Is Crazy!

05 Apr – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

God’s Love

An anonymous poet wrote:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the heavens of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill;
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

– I asked how much God loved me, and God stretched both arms fully sideways, and said, “This much” – and then he died.

– taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Exodus 12:1-14

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:

‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt, I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’
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John 13:1-15

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand’. ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me’. ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are’.

When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.
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I chuckle whenever I read the first reading because it mentions that the Passover meal must be eaten hastily. Perhaps that explains the reason why our Catholics grumble whenever Mass takes longer than usual.

Today we commemorate the Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It is the summit and pinnacle of what we truly believe in and encompasses the entire Paschal mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. What is the driving force behind this mystery?

Love

He wanted to show us how perfect his love was by becoming a servant of servants; washing the feet of his apostles, including Judas. He washed the feet of the man that would betray him. It seems totally illogical and crazy for him to do such a thing but he did.

God is love. He cannot be anything else. We all have a choice before us, the choice to love him or to choice to not accept this love. Judas chose the latter. The devil might have put it into his mind the idea of the act but Judas had to do it. It was a decision of his to do it.

Similarly, we all have a choice whether we want to follow Christ. He never forces us to love him because it must be a free and willing choice of ours. He showed it to us by the washing of feet and asked his apostles to ‘copy what I have done to you.’ That takes a lot of courage for anybody to wash the feet of his enemy.

Pause and think of somebody that you harbour a strong hatred against. Imagine you washing his feet without any form of malicious intention. Can you? Why not?

Let us remember during this Holy Thursday that it was the love of God that gave us this Sacrament. However, we are all called to follow our Lord’s example of loving our enemies including the one that, in a modern context, caused us that promotion, pay rise, shamed me in public or caused me to commit sin. Only then can we understand the greatness or dare we say, craziness, of God’s love.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Chia)
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Pray: That we see the goodness of the foes we have and realise the futility of such hatred.

Give thanks for: The unselfish love of Christ to die on the cross for our sins

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer’s own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Thursday, April 5 – The priest is not his own

05 Apr – Chrism Mass

Perseverance

Wilma Rudolph was a disaster from birth. She was a tiny premature baby, who caught pneumonia, then scarlet fever, and finally polio. The polio left one leg badly crippled, with her foot twisted inward.

Until the age of eleven, Wilma hobbled around on metal braces. Then she asked her sister to keep watch while she practised walking without the braces. She kept this up every day, afraid that her parents might discover what she was doing and she might be compelled to stop. Eventually, feeling guilty she told her doctor, who was flabbergasted. However he gave her permission to continue as she was, but only for a short period of time.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, Wilma worked away at it until she eventually threw away her crutches for good. She progressed to running, and by the time she was sixteen she won a bronze medal in a relay race in the Melbourne Olympics. Four years later, in the Rome Olympics, she became the first woman in history to win three gold medals in track and field.

She returned to a ticker tape welcome in the U.S., had a private meeting with President Kennedy, and received the Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete.

– We can grow in faith, love, patience, etc, by the day-in-day-out practice and perseverance.

– taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Isaiah 61:1-3, 6, 8-9

The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me
for the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent to bring good news to the poor,
To bind up hearts that are broken;

To proclaim liberty to captives
Freedom to those in prison;
To proclaim a year of favour from the Lord,
A day of vengeance for our God

To comfort all those who mourn and to give them
For ashes a garland;
For mourning robe he oil of gladness,
For despondency, praise

But you, you will be named ‘priests of the Lord’,
They will call you ‘ministers of our God.’
I reward them faithfully
And make an everlasting covenant with them

Their race will be famous throughout the nations,
Their descendants throughout the peoples.
All who see them will admit
That they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.
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Luke 4:16-21

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went in the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me
for he has anointed me.
He has sent to bring the good news to the poor,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And to the blind new sight;
To set the downtrodden free;
To proclaim the Lord’s year of favour

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue was fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ’This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’
__________________

Chrism Mass has always held a special place in the Church’s liturgy. It brings about the entire presbyterium and the laity together to celebrate the ministry of the priesthood. This is in line with today’s first reading.

The prophet Isaiah’s presents a comforting and warm note to the reader, promising a rosy vision of what the role of the priests should be. It seems to be a far cry from the division and the unhappy people dynamics that we see in our parishes. Yet this is what to be expected of men in the ministerial priesthood. This is a high standard to meet, but is it?

Laity have always been accused of putting priests on a pedestal and expecting them to meet certain moral standards and behaviour. The common reply to that is that they are human and are prone to err. Whilst agreeing with this view, I feel that this should not be an excuse. Priests should be less inclined NOT to succumb to these issues because they are called to live a life that the prophet Isaiah has mentioned.

Such a life is not easy but as the title of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s book goes, “The priest is not his own.” He is called to lay down his life for the people i.e. the sheep. We as sheep also have a duty not to cause too much trouble for the shepherds.

Speaking about shepherds, the main celebrant of the Chrism mass is the Archbishop whom by virtue of the laying of hands during his Episcopal Ordination, is the successor to the Apostles. He has a heavy task on his shoulders and in this Chrism mass, we can see the significance of the tasks at hand. He has to ensure that priests remain faithful to their commitment and this is done through the public renewal in the Chrism Mass. The Church in Singapore has its own set of unique problems that must surely keep him busy. Administrative duties must be a tremendous weight on his energies and strengths. Yet in all this, he must soldier on. Why?

Because God will reward him faithfully for teaching the Christian faith solely for the well being of the people and be a living example of the Good Shepherd.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Chia)
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Prayer:
Lord we pray for Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Vicar General Msgr Eugene Vaz, Chancellor Father Patrick Goh and all priests in the Archdiocese, that the Lord may always guide them in their decisions and allow them to withstand the tests that Satan puts forth before them.

Give thanks for: The priests that we have in our archdiocese that enable us to bear witness to the Sacraments.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 05 Apr (The Lord’s Supper) – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; NC
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil; RX, NC
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer’s own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Wednesday, April 4 – No Reaction

04 Apr

Gentleness

In one of Aesop’s fables there’s a story about an argument between the wind and the sin as to which of them is the stronger.

To settle the argument they decide to test their respective strengths against a man who was wearing an overcoat. It was agreed that whichever of them compelled the man to take off his overcoat, that one was the stronger.

The wind began the test. It blew and blew, even to gale force, but the only reaction from the man was to wrap the coat tighter around him. The sun then took over. It didn’t actually do anything. It just shone in the sky and let the heat reach the man. Within minutes the man removed his coat.

– “Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

– “You can catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar.” (St. Francis de Sales)
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Isaiah 50:4-9a

Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple’s tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple. Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not turned away. I have offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I have not turned my face away from insult and spitting. Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me, this is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame. He who grants me saving justice is near! Who will bring a case against me? Let us appear in court together! Who has a case against me? Let him approach me! Look, Lord Yahweh is coming to my help!
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Matthew 26:14-25

Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came he was at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating he said, ‘In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not me, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, ‘Not me, Rabbi, surely?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is you who say it.’
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When we love others, we put ourselves at great risk, especially in conflict. Sometimes loving people requires that we do not react, or that we do not know how to react. If we don’t react, chances are that people who don’t understand where we’re coming from will act to attack us. So we react to protect ourselves. We shout, use harsh language, and don’t give the other party a chance to reason that they are right.

We are put to shame by Jesus who hung on the Cross so willingly.

The suffering servant in the first reading and Jesus loved others in that risky way, in their most trying moments. The suffering servant knew that the Lord had helped and would help him, so he would not avoid being persecuted. Jesus was betrayed—by one of the Twelve who had followed Him so closely, and He knew that He was going to His death. Yet out of His love for humanity, He was not going to run away or lament. He wanted to save us. It was to be a painful, shameful way to die. He was not going to react.

In their non-reaction, they did not feel wronged. Instead, they accepted their suffering knowing that God was with them. They were clear about what they were going to go through, and they were clear about how they wanted to go through it. They wanted to love God and neighbour, right to the end.

Are you sure of how you want to meet persecution, conflict and difficulty? Is your assurance in yourself, or in God?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Regina Xie)
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Prayer: Lord, let us take You on the cross as our example when we face difficulties in our relationships. Help us to love others as You do.

Give thanks to the Lord for: His will.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 05 Apr (Chrism Mass) – Isaiah 61:1-3a. 6a, 8b-9; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; NC
Thu, 05 Apr (The Lord’s Supper) – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; NC
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Tuesday, April 3 – Why receive the Eucharist?

03 April

Come and Serve

Final call for volunteers!

The Easter Triduum is coming with a total of five different Masses and readings over the four days (Thursday to Sunday). And as always, I need help. As part of the annual OXYGEN tradition, I would like to invite volunteers to do reflections on these readings.

Chrism Mass and the Lord’s Supper have been reserved. We still need volunteers for Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday reflections.

If you are interested to contribute, please email me by this evening with your choice(s) of reflection. This will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Confirmation will be sent out by Wednesday afternoon.
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The Enemy Within

The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world. It is said to be the only man-made structure on earth that can be seen from the moon. The cost and the effort that went into building it just boggles the mind.

When it was finished, the people relaxed. They knew they were safe. Nobody could possibly attack them now. It was impossible to either climb over or penetrate their superb protecting wall, behind which they were safe.

But their enemies got through easily. How? They simply bribed one of the gatekeepers! He opened the gate, and they came through unhindered.

– There is something of an “enemy within” in all of us, and Satan knows this only too well as he dangles temptations before the windows of our souls.

– If Satan’s wares were not very attractive to something within me, they wouldn’t be much of a temptation! Paul speaks of this in Romans 7:15-24.

– Temptation usually comes in through a door that’s been deliberately left open.

– taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Isaiah 49:1-6

Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me, “You are my servant Israel,
in whom I shall be glorified”;
while I was thinking, “I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing”;

and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.

And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:

“It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
____________________

John 13:21-33, 36-38

While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, “Ask who it is he means”, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, “Who is it, Lord?” “It is the one,” replied Jesus, “to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.” He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. night had fallen.

When he had gone Jesus said:

“Now has the Son of Man been glorified,
and in him God has been glorified.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will in turn glorify him in himself,
and will glorify him very soon.
My little children.
I shall not be with you much longer.
You will look for me,
and, as I told the Jews,
where I am going,
you cannot come.

Simon Peter said, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.” Peter said to him, “Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” “Lay down your life for me?” answered Jesus. “I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.”
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In the past, whenever I had a painful ulcer in my mouth, I would go to church, receive Holy Communion, and rub the host all over the ulcer. Since Jesus is the greatest physician, he can cure my ulcer, I reasoned. That, unfortunately, displays my ignorance towards the healing power of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is not some magic pill that when swallowed has the power to cure all of our physical illnesses. It is not even some magic pill that magically causes all our emotional or spiritual illnesses to disappear. If anyone who has a broken heart receives the Eucharist, the heart will still be broken. If anyone has a great tendency to sin receives the Eucharist, that person still has a great tendency to sin.

We look at the person of Judas Iscariot in today’s gospel reading. He had just received the Body of Christ at the first Eucharistic meal that was ever celebrated. And immediately he went out and sinned… and here we are complaining about people who just received Christ in church and makes rude signs in the church car park…

Simon Peter was another one. After receiving the Body of Christ, he boldly exclaims that he would lay down his life for Jesus if need be. It’s not that Peter was telling lies or anything. He truly believed that he would do something like that. But several hours later, he would indeed deny Christ three times.

What is the source of this cowardice, this sin that we have? Why can’t the Eucharist that we keep receiving cure what is surely a spiritual ailment? Jesus has taught us before: “It is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes out of him.” It is what is in our hearts that makes us sinful people.

Like what someone on my blog commented yesterday, “Our actions reflect our beliefs.” Receiving the Eucharist does nothing for a person who already intends to sin.

Then what is the Eucharist for? Why should we still receive it? Why is it a source of God’s grace?

The Eucharist does more for a person who doesn’t intend to sin, but knows that he has a tendency to sin. It is a source of grace, of strength to resist temptations that a person is aware of. For example, if I have a tendency towards the sin of lust, when I receive the Eucharist, I am acknowledging that I have this tendency, and I know that on my own strength, I cannot resist the temptation.

In effect, receiving the Eucharist like this is saying to God, “I am a sinner and I know it. Help me not to sin.” In essence, we are acknowledging our fallen state and placing our faith, hope and trust in God to save us. When we are acting not out of our own strength, but in the strength that comes from the Lord, then we shall see that the Eucharist truly is “the source and summit” of our Christian faith.
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Prayer:
Dear Father, we know that we are sinners and that we have a great tendency to sin thanks to our fallen nature. We ask for your grace to accept this fact and that we are powerless to be saints. Help us, through the healing power of your Holy Spirit, to lead sinless lives, so as to always be in communion with you. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The Eucharist.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 04 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25
Thu, 05 Apr (Chrism Mass) – Isaiah 61:1-3a. 6a, 8b-9; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; NC
Thu, 05 Apr (The Lord’s Supper) – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; NC
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Monday, April 2 – The Voice of Truth and Love

02 Apr – Holy Monday

Come and Serve

The Easter Triduum is coming with a total of five different Masses and readings over the four days (Thursday to Sunday). And as always, I need help. As part of the annual OXYGEN tradition, I would like to invite volunteers to do reflections on these readings.

Reflections for the Chrism Mass and the Lord’s Supper have been reserved. We still need volunteers for Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday reflections.

If you are interested to contribute, please email me (chryskyva@yahoo.com) by Tuesday evening with your choice(s) of reflection. This will be on a first-come-first-serve basis… although as I write this, I see the word ‘serve’ take on a whole new meaning. Confirmation will be sent out by Wednesday afternoon.
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Proclaiming the Word

This story is told by a missionary in New Guinea. An old man, a recent convert to Christianity, used to come to the mission hospital every day to read the gospel for the patients. One day the man was having real difficulty reading. The doctor examined his eyes, and discovered that he was going blind and would probably be totally blind in a year or two. After that, there was no sign of the man coming to the hospital. No one knew what had happened to him. Eventually, a young man found him, and brought the mission doctor to him.

The old man explained to the doctor that he was busy memorizing the gospels while he still could see. “Soon, I’ll be back at the hospital, doctor, and I’ll continue my work of teaching the gospel to the patients.”

– The barometer for my own level of being evangelized is my enthusiasm to tell the Good News to others.

– taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Isaiah 42:1-7

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.

He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.

Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.

Thus says God, the Lord,
he who created the heavens and spread them out,
who gave shape to the earth and what comes from it,
who gave breath to its people
and life to the creatures that move in it:

I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
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John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those a table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.
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Today’s first reading seems to refer to Jesus. However, as all scripture is God’s word to us, it also refers to us.

God is calling us today. He is telling us that he has taken us by the hand and formed us. We are what our experiences have made us. Our experiences are unique to us, that is why we are all unique people. Each of our experiences has made us what we are today, and we have been allowed to go through each of our experiences because it is God’s way of forming us.

The job is not yet done, however, for God is still forming us to do his will. Even so, God has already appointed us as “covenant of the people and light to the nations”. This means that wherever we go, whatever we do, we must always be a sign of God’s love for his people. We must radiate God’s love to his people.

Look at Lazarus. Jesus raised him from the dead, and he became the voice of truth and love. We see that that chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus because Lazarus was winning the hearts of many of the Jews. Lazarus was a threat. He was a danger to the chief priests, because he spoke for Jesus.

What about you? Do you speak for Jesus and win the hearts of many to follow Jesus? Is there anyone who wants to silence you because you speak the truth? If not, perhaps it is time to start.
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Prayer:
Dear Jesus, grant us the courage to speak up for you when we are in the presence of people who do not know your love. Help us to speak up for you and your values when they are threatened by the people of the world. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Those who speak God’s truth in the world today by the way they live and the way they love.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 03 Apr – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38
Wed, 04 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25
Thu, 05 Apr (Chrism Mass) – Isaiah 61:1-3a. 6a, 8b-9; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; NC
Thu, 05 Apr (The Lord’s Supper) – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; NC
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Sunday, April 1 – The Modern Crucifixion

01 Apr – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

On this day the Church celebrates Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery. Accordingly, the memorial of this even is included in every Mass, with the procession or the solemn entrance before the principal Mass, with the simple entrance before the other Masses. The solemn entrance (but not the procession) may be repeated before one or other Mass that is usually well attended.

– from the Sunday Missal
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Come and Serve

Holy Week is here with a total of five different Masses and readings over the four days (Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday). And as always, I need help. As part of the annual OXYGEN tradition, I would like to invite volunteers to do reflections on these readings.

This year, we will have one volunteer each for each of the reflections for Chrism Mass, The Lord’s Supper, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday morning. We will have two or three volunteers for the reflections on Easter Vigil.

If you are interested to contribute, please email me (catholic.writer@yahoo.com) by Tuesday evening with your choice(s) of reflection. This will be on a first-come-first-serve basis… although as I write this, I see the word ‘serve’ take on a whole new meaning. Confirmation will be sent out by Wednesday afternoon.

As for today, I was so not looking forward to typing out the narrative of the Lord’s Passion when suddenly, at about midnight, when I was just about to turn on my computer to do today’s reflection, I received an SMS from Nick Chia asking to do today’s reflection. Why? You will find out below.
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Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord has given me
a disciple’s tongue.
So that I may know how to reply to the wearied
he provides me with speech.
Each morning he wakes me to hear,
to listen like a disciple.
The Lord has opened my ear.

For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.

The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.
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Luke 22:14-23:56

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have longed to eat this passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God’.

Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and share it among you, because from now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the kingdom of God comes’.

Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me’. He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.

‘And yet, here with me on the table is the hand of the man who betrays me. The Son of Man does indeed go to his fate even as it has been decreed, but alas for that man by whom he is betrayed!’ And they began to ask one another which of them it could be who was to do this thing.

A dispute arose also between them about which should be reckoned the greatest, but he said to them, ‘Among pagans it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. This must not happen with you. No; the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I among you as one who serves!

‘You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

‘Simon, Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift you all like wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail, and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers.’ ‘Lord,’ he answered ‘I would be ready to go to prison with you, and to death.’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you, Peter, by the time the cock crows today you will have denied three times that you know me’.

He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without purse or haversack or sandals, were you short of anything?’ ‘No’ they said. He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it; if you have a haversack, do the same; if you have no sword, sell your cloak and buy one, because I tell you these words of scripture have to be fulfilled in me: He let himself be taken for a criminal Yes, what scripture says about me is even now reaching its fulfilment.’ ‘Lord,’ they said ‘there are two swords here now.’ He said to them, ‘That is enough!’

He then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with the disciples following. When they reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray not to be put to the test’.

Then he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw away, and knelt down and prayed. ‘Father,’ he said ‘if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.’ Then an angel appeared to him, coming from heaven to give him strength. In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

When he rose from prayer he went to the disciples and found them sleeping for sheer grief. ‘Why are you asleep?’ he said to them. ‘Get up and pray not to be put to the test.’

He was still speaking when a number of men appeared, and at the head of them the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, who went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said, ‘Judas, are you betraying the son of Man with a kiss?’ His followers, seeing what was happening, said, ‘Lord, shall we use our swords?’ And one of them struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. But at this Jesus spoke. ‘Leave off!’ he said ‘That will do!’ And touching the man’s ear he healed him.

Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests and captains of the Temple guard and elders who had come for him. ‘Am I a brigand’ he said ‘that you had to set out with swords and clubs? When I was among you in the Temple day after day you never moved to lay hands on me. But this is your hour; this is the reign of darkness.’

They seized him then and led him away, and they took him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance. They had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and Peter sat down among them, and as he was sitting there by the blaze a servant-girl saw him, peered at him, and said, ‘This person was with him too’. But he denied it. ‘Woman,’ he said ‘I do not know him.’ ‘Shortly afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You are another of them’. But Peter replied, ‘I am not, my friend’. About an hour later another man insisted, saying, ‘This fellow was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean.’ ‘My friend,’ said Peter ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ At that instant, while he was still speaking, the cock crew, and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will have disowned me three times’. And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Meanwhile the men who guarded Jesus were mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him. ‘Play the prophet’ they said. ‘Who hit you then?’ And they continued heaping insults on him.

When day broke there was a meeting of the elders of the people, attended by the chief priests and scribes. He was brought before their council, and they said to him, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us’. ‘If I tell you,’ he replied ‘you will not believe me, and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God. Then they all said, ‘So you are the Son of God then?’ He answered, ‘It is you who say I am’. ‘What need of witnesses have we now?’ they said. ‘We have heard it for ourselves from his own lips.’ The whole assembly then rose, and they brought him before Pilate.

They began their accusation by saying, ‘We found this man inciting our people to revolt, opposing payment of the tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a king’. Pilate put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘It is you who say it’ he replied. Pilate then said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no case against this man’. But they persisted, ‘He is inflaming the people with his teaching all over Judaea; it has come all the way from Galilee, where he started, down to here’. When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man were a Galilean; and finding that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction he passed him over to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Herod was delighted to see Jesus; he had heard about him and had been wanting for a long time to set eyes on him; moreover, he was hoping to see some miracle worked by him. So he questioned him at some length; but without getting any reply. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes were there, violently pressing their accusations. Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak on him and sent him back to Pilate. And though Herod and Pilate had been enemies before, they were reconciled that same day.

Pilate then summoned the chief priests and the leading men and the people. ‘You brought this man before me’ he said ‘as a political agitator. Now I have gone into the matter myself in your presence and found no case against the man in respect of all the charges you bring against him. Nor has Herod either, since is he has sent him back to us. As you can see, the man has done nothing that deserves death, So I shall have him flogged and then let him go.’ But as one man they howled, ‘Away with him! Give us Barabbas!’ (This man had been thrown into prison for causing a riot in the city and for murder.)

Pilate was anxious to set Jesus free and addressed them again, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ And for the third time he spoke to them, ‘Why? What harm has this man done? I have found no case against him that deserves death, so I shall have him punished and then let him go’ But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices, demanding that he should be crucified. And their shouts were growing louder.

Pilate then gave his verdict: their demand was to be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased.

As they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind Jesus. Large numbers of people followed him, and of women too, who mourned and lamented for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For the days will surely come when people will say, “Happy are those who are barren, the wombs that have never borne, the breasts that have never suckled!” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”; to the hills, “Cover us”. For if men use the green wood like this, what will happen when it is dry?’ Now with him they were also leading out two other criminals to be executed.
When they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing’. Then they cast lots to share out his clothing.

The people stayed there watching him. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’. Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews’.

One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’

It was now about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ With these words he breathed his last.

When the centurion saw what had taken place, he gave praise to God and said, ‘This was a great and good man’. And when all the people who had gathered for the spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts.

All his friends stood at a distance; so also did the women who had accompanied him from Galilee, and they saw all this happen.

Then a member of the council arrived, an upright and virtuous man named Joseph. He had not consented to what the others had planned and carried out. He came from Arimathea, a Jewish town, and he lived in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He then took it down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb which was hewn in stone in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day and the sabbath was imminent.

Meanwhile the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus were following behind. They took note of the tomb and of the position of the body.

Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. And on the sabbath day they rested, as the Law required.
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In today’s technologically advanced world, it seems that everybody owns a piece of technology in their pocket, be it an iPod, handphone or even PDAs. Even the Catholic Church is no exception to this phenomenon. The installation of projectors that show the day’s readings using Microsoft Powerpoint. I am responsible for the projecting the slides in my church for the sunset Mass which happens to be the first mass of the weekend. Thus any errors that occur will happen in my shift.

This year’s Palm Sunday’s Gospel will forever be etched in my mind because of this funny incident that happened during Mass yesterday evening. The person that prepared the slides, who is different from the person projecting the slides, typed the labels for the parts that are supposed to be spoken by the congregation. For those that are unaware, selected parts of the Passion narrative is read by the congregation, with the words of Christ being said by the priest and the narration done by lectors. The congregation reads the parts which have the most meaning such as the cry calling for Christ to be crucified.

Due to a minor typographical error, the congregation ended up reading the narrator’s part and the narrator read the congregation part! You must understand that this meant that the whole congregation ended up reading the Passion narrative out loud for a good part of the passage. I believe that for many in the pews, it must be the first time that they have read a Bible passage aloud!

I do not want to start pushing the blame to others but for once, I could understand how Christ felt when the people shouted “Crucify him, crucify him.” I felt the entire congregation was saying that to me when they realised the mistake in the slides; it was not said verbally but through the glare and stare of the 3,000 pairs of eyes towards me. I could feel they wanted to transfer the sense of shame and humiliation they faced upon realising their mistake on me.

They were looking for a scapegoat.

That moment made me realise how quick people are in wanting to condemn others. There seems to be this ‘it wasn’t me’ attitude that seeks to justify the consequences of one’s actions relative to others. It also made me realise my own flaws and how I actually have been the source of much division and unnecessary judgement.

Yet, did Christ not die on the cross to be our scapegoat? In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds us of Christ’s response.

“For my part, I made no resistance”

I wanted to shout to the entire congregation and said it was not my fault but I held my tongue and in effect, I made no resistance to this harsh glare coming to me.

My dear reader, let us remember to be like Christ, to offer no resistance when people hurt us and say all kinds of bad things against us because doing so will not help the situation. Let us always recite the words of Christ whenever we face such problems:

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, grant us the humility to bear with all injuries and insults that we encounter and let us always emulate your selfless behaviour even whilst dying on the cross.

Give thanks to the Lord for: The generosity of God’s love.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 02 Apr – Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11
Tue, 03 Apr – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38
Wed, 04 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25
Thu, 05 Apr (Chrism Mass) – Isaiah 61:1-3a. 6a, 8b-9; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21
Thu, 05 Apr (The Lord’s Supper) – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15
Fri, 06 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42; Good Friday
Sat, 07 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1,26-31a; Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4; Ezekiel 36::16-17, 18-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 08 Apr (Easter Sunday morning) – Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9or Luke 24:1-12
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer’s own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.