Sometimes it Causes me to Tremble

 

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

20-21 March at St. Mary’s in Salem

Jer. 31:31-34

Heb. 5:7-9

John 12:20-33

Praised be Jesus Christ!

        With the Fifth Sunday of Lent, we begin Passiontide, which has two Sundays. It is our proximate preparation for the high holy days of the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). This first Sunday of the Passion is usually noted by people in parishes that still observe or have recovered the grand old custom of veiling crucifixes and statues. Covering up the statues is supposed to help us focus more attentively on Jesus in every aspect of all that He suffered for our salvation. This is our start to what climaxes in the unveiling and veneration of the Cross in the Liturgy of Good Friday, when the priest sings, “This is the wood of the Cross on which hung the Savior of the World!” And the congregation responds, “Come let us worship!”

The Second Sunday of the Passion will be next Sunday; we call it Palm Sunday. Besides the blessing of palms to remind us of the procession by which Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem and took possession of its Temple, on that day the Passion account from one of the Synoptic Gospels is read with great solemnity. Again, with reference to Good Friday, that is the day for the whole Church to proclaim the Passion account from the Gospel of St. John.

Very simply stated, for Passiontide then which starts today, we work to focus on all that Jesus suffered for our sake, even unto death, death on a Cross. We seek to stir our hearts to love for Him and sincere repentance for our sins, which contributed to His terrible suffering.

        In our Second Reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews we read:

        “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”

        This obedience of Jesus even unto death on the Cross must be understood as a terribly radical thing. It cost Him dearly and reminds us that following Christ, being a faithful Catholic, is going to cost us. It will cause us suffering, as well.

        We just heard these words from St. John’s Gospel:

        “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.”

        Meditating upon the sufferings of Christ between now and Holy Thursday should touch our hearts and fill them with love and awe of the Son of God made Man, for Jesus, Who took on the heavy burden of the Cross. The Passion of Christ involved so much pain and ultimately an excruciating death. He did it for us that once again, as before the fall of Adam and Eve, the gates of Heaven might be opened, such that once we pass from this earthly scene, we might by the grace of God enter into the joy of everlasting life.

        It is not too late to jumpstart your Lent. You can still make yours a good Lent. In all seriousness, use this Passiontide to break your hard heart and surrender all you have and are to the Lord Who loved you even unto death upon the Cross!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI