In this celebration of the passion and death of the Lord, we listen to the words of scripture and strive to understand the true meaning of his sufferings and the mind that was in him. We pray with his spirit for the needs of the whole world. We worship the cross as the symbol of his triumph. Finally, we enter into sacramental communion with him who is our Saviour and our Life.

- The Sunday Missal
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Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.
As the crowds were appalled on seeing him
– so disfigured did he look
that he seemed no longer human –
so will the crowds be astonished at him,
and kings stand speechless before him;
for they shall see something never told
and witness something never heard before:
‘Who could believe what we have heard,
and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’

Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.

And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and the Lord burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers
never opening its mouth.

By force and by law he was taken;
would anyone plead his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;
for our faults struck down in death.
They gave him a grave with the wicked,
a tomb with the rich,
though he had done no wrong
and there had been no perjury in his mouth.

The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in atonement,
he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life
and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself.

Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.
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Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.
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John 18:1-19:42

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, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They answered, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ 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, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’ ‘I have told you that I am he,’ replied Jesus. ‘If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.’ 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, ‘Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’

The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took 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, ‘Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?’ He answered, ‘I am not.’ 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, ‘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.’ At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, ‘Is that the way to answer the high priest?’ Jesus replied, ‘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?’ Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’ He denied it saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’ 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, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ They replied, ‘If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.’ The Jews answered, ‘We are not allowed to put a man to death.’ 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, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ he asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘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.’ ‘Truth?’ said Pilate ‘What is that?’; and with that he went out again to the Jews and said, ‘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?’ At this they shouted: ‘Not this man,’ they said ‘but Barabbas.’ Barabbas was a brigand.

Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’; and they slapped him in the face.

Pilate came outside again and said to them, ‘Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.’ Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, ‘Here is the man.’ When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.’ ‘We have a Law,’ the Jews replied ‘and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.’

When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him, ‘Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?’ ‘You would have no power over me’ replied Jesus ‘if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.’

From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted, ‘If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.’ 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. ‘Here is your king’ said Pilate to the Jews. ‘Take him away, take him away!’ they said. ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Do you want me to crucify your king?’ said Pilate. The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king except Caesar.’ 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, ‘You should not write “King of the Jews,” but “This man said: I am King of the Jews.”’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’

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 to hem; so they said to one another, ‘Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.’ 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, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ 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 he said:

‘I am thirsty.’

A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

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 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 this 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 find no case against him

A few weeks ago, someone passed to me a column written by Father Ronald Rolheiser, who commented that many of the really angry, bitter and ideologically-driven people that he knew, he had met inside of church circles and places of ministry. He noted that within church circles, it sometimes seems that everyone is angry about something, and that it is so easy to rationalise our anger in the name of something good.

I quote from Rolheiser’s column: “The logic works this way: Because I am sincerely concerned about an important moral, ecclesial, or justice issue, I can excuse a certain amount of neurosis, anger, elitism, and negative judgement, because I can rationalise that my cause, dogmatic or moral, is so important that it justifies my mean spirit. I need to be this angry and harsh because this is such an important truth!”

Do you know anyone like that? I do, and in today’s readings, we see the result of such thinking and behaviour. It led to the crucifixion of Christ. I find it ironic that the only person who spoke with common sense was Pilate, a man who, as far as we know, wasn’t particularly religious.

Upholding our Church’s teachings can often lead us to becoming angry for a certain cause. In many countries, we hear anti-Christians speaking out about issues that have risen in societies. But when we hear the Christians speaking out against such issues, the Christians are no less filled with anger and hatred. You know what these issues are: GLBT rights, abortion, contraception, bioethics, cloning, IVF, divorce, euthanasia, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, these are indeed important issues, but of the many Christian advocates I have met, I have witnessed such hatred and anger. They say one thing, but they behave totally opposite. I used to be one such person, but now I’ve taken a step back from this craziness. For me, and I speak for me alone, such crazy behaviour does not make me a better Christian; it made me crucify Christ.

In financial planning, we have a saying: if you win an argument, but lose the client, you have lost the case. In the past, I found myself so focused on winning arguments that I must have turned many people away from Christianity, because my behaviour was far from Christian. The virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, peace, kindness, and goodness, all these were not present in me.

I will say one thing I have been saying: Whether a person joins or leaves the church, it is because of the behaviour of other Christians. As I now reflect, and I invite you to do so, I wonder: has my behaviour resulted in drawing more people to Christ or turned more people away from Christ? Have I been a Christian like Jesus Christ or have I been a Christ-crucifying Pharisee?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for Christians who are passionate about contentious issues, that in advocating these causes, they may always behave in a Christian way.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for all who behave with love and respect for others.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

Today we celebrate Christ’s twofold giving of himself:

To his enemies, to die on the cross for the life of the world. he is the paschal victim, whose blood saves his people.

To his friends and disciples, his Church – that is, to us – in the sacrament of his body and blood.

If we want to belong to Christ, we must follow his example of self-giving and of service – ‘washing one another’s feet’. We must be willing and ready to say with Christ, about our own selves:

‘This is my body which is given for you.’

- The Sunday Missal
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Exodus 12:1-8.11-14

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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1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.
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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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Do you understand what I have done to you?

We began this week reflecting on Jesus as a man of action, not mere words. In this morning’s reflection, I wrote about the priesthood and the kind of priest that Jesus was. In tonight’s readings, we look once more at these two salient points.
Tonight’s readings were chosen for a reason. The first reading was about the Jewish Passover, how it came to be, and how it continues to be. The second reading is the celebration of the Eucharistic meal, which alone makes no sense unless seen in the light of the Passover Meal. It is striking then that the gospel reading tells us not about either meal, but the meaning of the meal.

As Catholics, we already know that only an ordained priest may celebrate the Eucharistic meal. The gospel reading goes one step further to tell us that a priest is not simply one who celebrates the Eucharist, but one who serves the people like a servant.

Too often we hear of priests and bishops, even lay CEOs and managers in the corporate world, claiming to be servant in name, but in their action, behave as kings. On the contrary, Jesus in His words in tonight’s gospel reading, claimed not to be a servant, but to be Master and Lord. It is His actions which showed His servanthood.

The Lord’s meaning then is clear for us, His disciples: You can claim to be anything, but how you behave is ultimately how other people will judge you and your words. The Lord has given us an example to follow by His action. We are called to follow in His example of self-giving and self-sacrifice.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for those in positions of power and influence, that they may remember their call to be servants of those they lead.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for those who lead by service and example.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

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 me 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 the 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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Revelations 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
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Luke 4:16-21

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into 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 me 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 were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’
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He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor

“Why do you want to become a priest?” I had been asked that question three times. The first time I answered: “I am attracted to the way of life.” The second time: “I want to celebrate the Eucharist with my hands.” The third time: “I feel called.” Today I am married to a wonderful wife and don’t go to church anymore.

Today is the day that we celebrate the priesthood. Today is the day that the priests of the diocese will gather to celebrate the Eucharist with their bishop at the Chrism Mass. Today is the day that ordinary lay people take leave from work to attend the Chrism Mass at 10am in some parish somewhere, so that they can be a part of this special Mass. Today is the day that the bishop reminds the priests of their priestly commitment.

Often lay people, when thinking of priesthood, think that the most difficult part about being a priest is to be celibate and chaste. It is not. It is a challenge for some, to be sure, but it is not the most difficult thing. To be a priest is to be like Jesus Christ. When we think of Jesus Christ, do we think about His celibacy and chastity? No, we do not, especially not during the Lord’s Passion which we will re-enact at tomorrow’s Good Friday service. What do we think of?

We think of the Lord’s sacrifice for us, and we think of the Lord’s obedience to the Father for going through His Passion, even though He did not really want it. That is the real challenge for the priest today and for all time – to be like Christ in his sacrifice for the Lord’s people, and to be obedient to those the Lord has placed above them.

It is especially apparent in priests who are committed to their priestly vows. In speaking with several priests in the past, I have come to realise that even though they think that the bishop is sometimes wrong in some ways, they still shrug their shoulders and say, “What to do? He is the bishop.” It is this quiet recognition that I so admire in these priests, the recognition of God’s authority through their bishop that makes them obedient to him despite disagreeing with him. It is with such humility that these priests put aside their disagreements for the sake of the church’s unity and the people they serve.

I think that it is for this reason that I was never really suited for the priesthood. I never really considered the people I was to serve nor the authority to whom I would be obedient to. I had wanted to become a priest because I wanted it and, eventually, when I came to that realisation – that it was I who wanted to be a priest, not God or anyone else, I stopped that journey.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for our priests who daily make sacrifices for us, the people of God.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for priests who take seriously their priestly commitments.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 21 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

Isaiah 50:4-9

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.

My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?
Then let us go to court together.
Who thinks he has a case against me?
Let him approach me.

The Lord is coming to my help,
who will dare to condemn me?
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Matthew 26:14-25

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 that moment he looked 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 us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘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 disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, 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 I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.
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Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me

When I was 15, I formed a close friendship with a boy my age in our parish youth group. When he knew I liked a girl, he set up opportunities for me to be with her, always encouraging me to pursue her. When I came down with asthma, I was away for two months. When I returned to the group, things were different. I soon found out that in my absence, my best friend made a move on the girl I liked. They were now together as a couple.

The experience of betrayal was like a cut to my heart. For weeks after, I cried, and the sense of having been betrayed wouldn’t go away. I eventually left the youth group because it was too painful to be there. It took years for the pain of betrayal to go away.

In order to feel betrayed, there must first be trust. Jesus was betrayed by His disciple Judas Iscariot, and this was only possible because Jesus first trusted Judas. As we prepare for the great Easter Triduum, we call to mind the two great betrayals that took place during the Lord’s passion. These are the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, and the betrayal of Simon Peter.

One traitor sought despair, and hung himself. The other sought forgiveness and returned to the Lord. Have you ever betrayed anyone’s trust? What did you do with you found yourself in the position of traitor? Did you, like Peter, seek the Lord’s forgiveness and that of your friend? Or did you, like Judas, try to take matters into your own hands?

My friend and I, we met years later to reconcile. We could never be friends again, but at least we didn’t part as enemies. He shared with me that just as his betrayal of our friendship had remained a mainstay in my mind, he too had been plagued with his own betrayal. He longed to seek reconciliation, and, with the Lord’s providence, that became possible. This is not always the case with betrayals.

If you have experienced betrayal, a kind where you feel great hatred and wished the traitor ill in every way, I want to share with you that the pain can go away eventually, but only if you will it to be so. It takes time and effort, but with the Lord’s grace, healing can take place if you allow it to. Forgiveness is not an easy choice to make, but the alternative of anger leads to no good for you:  physically in the form of hypertension, and mentally in the form of depression or other forms of psychosis.

For your own sake, make the decision to forgive, and pass the situation into the Lord’s hands. After all, He is the only one who can change hearts.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for those who still bear grudges against others, may they learn to forgive.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God for only He can change hearts and minds.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 21 Apr – Isaiah 61:1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass
Thu, 21 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

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.’
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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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It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish

When I first agreed to explore a relationship with my wife, who was then my girlfriend, I did not yet have any romantic feelings for her. When I entered a relationship with her, it was based not on feelings, but on a decision to explore a possibility of love. In the course of our relationship, I came to have feelings for her.

But, as feelings are fickle, they came and went from time to time, especially in periods when our relationship was rocky. And, as it happens in all relationships, there came a point when our relationship was so strained that the both of us had to make a decision: Did we want to continue with it? We made the decision to, and we stuck together even though the feelings were not there. We made it through that difficult stretch and eventually the feelings came back. But by then I had learnt not to trust feelings, because they are by their nature fickle.

In today’s gospel reading, we read how Peter swore to remain faithful to Jesus. But our Lord, in His wisdom, knew that Peter’s words were empty because they based on feelings, not a decision of the will. We also know that when placed in a different situation – one of fear for his own life – Peter disowned the Lord three times, and the Lord’s words came true.

The reason why there are so many divorces today is because couples have mistaken feelings for love. We make decisions based on feelings, not based on will. We feel good about a person so we make a commitment to this person. But this commitment lasts for as long as the feelings do. Once the feelings ebb away, the commitment follows soon after.

It is unfortunate that these same feelings are also the basis for many conversion experiences. How often have we seen people wanting to get baptised because “I feel loved by God”? How often have we seen Catholics religiously attending Mass because “I feel God’s presence”? I know I have. There was a time when I attended Mass daily because “I felt God’s presence”. But when those feelings have completely faded, likewise I have completely stopped attending Mass.

What is your faith to you? Is it based on feeling? Or is it based on something deeper? If from today onwards, nothing Catholic brings you any positive feeling whatsoever anymore, would you still remain Catholic? Why?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help those who, for one reason or another, cannot or will not believe in You.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for taking away our feelings, so that our faith may be tested.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 20 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 21 Apr – Isaiah 61:1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass
Thu, 21 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

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 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 at 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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He does not cry out or shout aloud, or make his voice heard in the streets

You and I are, by our very nature, concerned about what other people think about us. The simple acts of deciding what to wear, what to read, what to watch, what to learn, where to work, etc. are very much influenced by what we think other people think about us. The truth is that we are not so concerned about what other people actually think about us, but what we think they think about us, which in actual fact may be quite different from what they actually think about us.

In today’s gospel reading, Judas Iscariot protested about Mary using an expensive ointment to anoint Jesus’ feet. Rather than saying what he truly felt, Judas wanted to sound concerned about the poor, so he asked Jesus why the ointment wasn’t instead sold and the money given to the poor.

We might think that this is despicable behaviour for Judas, but how often do you and I behave in the exact same way? We say something but mean something else. We don’t say what we truly feel or think because other people might look at us in a negative light. How often do we speak good things about ourselves or try to make other people feel bad about themselves?
In communication, we are taught that only seven percent of what we say matters to the other person. The remaining 93 percent is body language. Yesterday, I wrote about how what we say and how we behave can be different things. Very often, what we say and how we behave can be two different things, and people are more apt to believe what we do rather than what we say.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on how much emphasis of our faith is placed on what is said, and how much is placed on what we do.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray that Christians realise that their actions speak louder than their words.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for Christians who live their faith by action, not mere words.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 19 Apr – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38; Tuesday of Holy Week
Wed, 20 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 21 Apr – Isaiah 61:1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass
Thu, 21 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

On this day the Church celebrates christ’s entry into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery.

- The Sunday Missal
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Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!

Matthew 21:1-11

When they were near Jerusalem and had come in sight of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village facing you, and you will immediately find a tethered donkey and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, “The Master needs them and will send them back directly”.’ This took place to fulfil the prophecy:

Say to the daughter of Zion:
Look, your king comes to you;
he is humble, he rides on a donkey
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

So the disciples went out and did as Jesus had told them. They brought the donkey and the colt, then they laid their cloaks on their backs and he sat on them. Great crowds of people spread their cloaks on the road, while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in his path. The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed were all shouting:

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heavens!’

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil. ‘Who is this?’ people asked, and the crowds answered, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
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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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Philippians 2:6-11

Jesus Christ’s state was divine,
yet he did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet,
even to accepting death,
death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name
which is above all other names
so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Matthew 26:14-27:66

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 that moment he looked 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 us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘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 disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, 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 I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.

Now as they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. ‘Take it and eat;’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them. ‘Drink all of you from this,’ he said ‘for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’

After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all lose faith in me this night, for the scripture says: I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, but after my resurrection I shall go before you to Galilee.’ At this, Peter said, ‘Though all lose faith in you, I will never lose faith.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you solemnly, this very night, before the cock crows, you will have disowned me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the disciples said the same.

Then Jesus came with them to a small estate called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I go over there to pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. And sadness came over him, and great distress. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here and keep awake with me.’ And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it.’ He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? You should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, a second time, he went away and prayed: ‘My Father,’ he said ‘If this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!’ And he came back again and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy. Leaving them there, he went away again and prayed for the third time, repeating the same words. Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, ‘You can sleep on now and take your rest. Now the hour has come when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is already close at hand.’

He was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared, and with him a large number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. Now the traitor had arranged a sign with them. ‘The one I kiss,’ he had said ‘he is the man. Take him in charge.’ So he went straight up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi’, and kissed him. Jesus said to him, ‘My friend, do what you are here for.’ Then they came forward, seized Jesus and took him in charge. At that, one of the followers of Jesus grasped his sword and drew it; he struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus then said, ‘Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father who would promptly send more than twelve legions of angels to my defence? But then, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this is the way it must be?’ It was at this time that Jesus said to the crowds, ‘Am I a brigand, that you had to set out to capture me with swords and clubs? I sat teaching in the Temple day after day and you never laid hands on me.’ Now all this happened to fulfil the prophecies in scripture. Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.

The men who had arrested Jesus led him off to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Peter followed him at a distance, and when he reached the high priest’s palace, he went in and sat down with the attendants to see what the end would be.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus, however false, on which they might pass the death sentence. But they could not find any, though several lying witnesses came forward. Eventually two stepped forward and made a statement, ‘This man said, “I have power to destroy the Temple of God and in three days build it up”’ The high priest then stood up and said to him, ‘Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I put you on oath by the living God to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘The words are your own’ answered Jesus. ‘Moreover, I tell you that from this time onward you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ At this, the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has blasphemed. What need of witnesses have we now? There! You have just heard the blasphemy. What is your opinion?’ They answered, ‘He deserves to die.’

Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists; others said as they struck him, ‘Play the prophet, Christ! Who hit you then?’

Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came up to him and said, ‘You too were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it in front of them all. ‘I do not know what you are talking about’ he said. When he went out to the gateway another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.’ And again, with an oath, he denied it, ‘I do not know the man.’ A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘You are one of them for sure! Why, your accent gives you away.’ Then he started calling down curses on himself and swearing, ‘I do not know the man.’ At that moment the cock crew, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said, ‘Before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people met in council to bring about the death of Jesus. They had him bound, and led him away to hand him over to Pilate, the governor.

When he found that Jesus had been condemned, Judas his betrayer was filled with remorse and took the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned;’ he said ‘I have betrayed innocent blood’ ‘What is that to us?’ they replied ‘That is your concern.’ And flinging down the silver pieces in the sanctuary he made off and hanged himself; The chief priests picked up the silver pieces and said, ‘It is against the Law to put this into the treasury; it is blood-money.’ So they discussed the matter and bought the potter’s field with it as a graveyard for foreigners, and this is why the field is called the Field of Blood today. The words of the prophet Jeremiah were then fulfilled: And they took the thirty silver pieces, the sum at which the precious One was priced by children of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord directed me.

Jesus, then, was brought before the governor, and the governor put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus replied, ‘It is you who say it.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?’ But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.

At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Which do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. Now as he was seated in the chair of judgement, his wife sent him a message, ‘Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.’

The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ they said, ‘Barabbas.’ ‘But in that case,’ Pilate said to them ‘what am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ ‘Why?’ he asked ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.’ And the people, to a man, shouted back, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.

On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him.

Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, ‘So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!’ The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way. ‘He saved others;’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He puts his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, “I am the son of God.”’ Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said, ‘The man is calling on Elijah’, and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink. ‘Wait!’ said the rest of them ‘and see if Elijah will come to save him.’ But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, ‘In truth this was a son of God.’

And many women were there, watching from a distance, the same women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and looked after him. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

When it was evening, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, called Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate thereupon ordered it to be handed over. So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud and put it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. Now Mary of Magdala and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.

Next day, that is, when Preparation Day was over, the chief priests and the Pharisees went in a body to Pilate and said to him, ‘Your Excellency, we recall that this impostor said, while he was still alive, “After three days I shall rise again.” Therefore give the order to have the sepulchre kept secure until the third day, for fear his disciples come and steal him away and tell the people, “He has risen from the dead.” This last piece of fraud would be worse than what went before.’ ‘You may have your guard’ said Pilate to them. ‘Go and make all as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the sepulchre secure, putting seals on the stone and mounting a guard.
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So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”

When I was in primary school, a classmate sitting in front of me held up his test paper to check his answers. I saw his answers and I copied them down. I don’t remember whether or not those answers made any difference to my test results, but when I went home that day, I was so plagued by guilt for cheating that I told my parents, and asked my father to cane me for lying. That was because I had been brought not to lie, and cheating is lying with our actions.

Today’s readings have a lot of actions, in which we truth, and we see lies. In the processional reading, Jesus sends two disciples to find a donkey, which He rode on during His entrance into Jerusalem. It was truth, because Jesus’ actions matched the words of Scripture. The crowds, in their action of hailing Jesus as Son of David, also spoke truth because their actions matched their words. We see also a startling proclamation of truth in Pontius Pilate. His symbolic action of washing of his hands reflected the truth of his words: “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”

Conversely, today’s readings also have a lot of lies in them. These are when the words and actions of a person did not match. In the passion of our Lord according to Matthew, we see Judas Iscariot pretending to be innocent, while knowing full well he was to betray the Lord. Jesus’ response, “These are your own words”, showed the difference between Judas’ words and his actions. It was by Judas’ own words that he would be condemned – and still is, today, by future generations. We see too in the gospel reading, where the governor’s soldiers made fun of Jesus, hailing Him as king of the Jews while spitting on His face. Here too their actions did not match their words.

Someone asked me, “Why are you surprised and disappointed when members of the Church sin?” I am not disappointed with their sin, but with their lies. I am disappointed when I see Catholics preaching one thing, and doing another thing completely. When its people preach love, but practise hate, then I know what they speak are lies. When its people preach truth, but live lies, then I know what they speak is not true. When its people preach respect for other religions, but laugh and jeer at the beliefs of other people, then I know it is all talk, no action.

These are the people that make up the Church, and if they don’t live the truth, why should I, or anyone, believe?

Let’s pause and reflect if we have done anything to give anyone reason to disbelieve our faith.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all members of the Church, that they live what they say they believe.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for Christians who mean what they say, and say what they mean.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 18 Apr – Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11; Monday of Holy Week
Tue, 19 Apr – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38; Tuesday of Holy Week
Wed, 20 Apr – Isaiah 50:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 21 Apr – Isaiah 61:1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass
Thu, 21 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 22 Apr – Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 23 Apr – Genesis 1:1 – 2:2; Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15 – 15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32 – 4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Vigil Mass)
Sun, 24 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37;43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10; Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection (Mass during the Day)

Today we celebrate Christ’s twofold giving of Himself.

To His enemies, to die on the cross for the life of the world. He is the paschal victim, whose blood saves His people (see the Old Testament Reading). To His friends and disciples, His Church – that is, to us – in the sacrament of His body and blood (see the reading from St. Paul).

If we want to belong to Christ, we must follow His example of self-giving and of service – ‘washing one another’s feet’ (see Gospel). We must be willing and ready tos ay with Christ, about our own selves: “This is my body which is given up for you.”

- From The Sunday Missal
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Exodus 12:1-8,11-14

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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1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.
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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 have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you

As I write this reflection, I have 22 more days of singlehood left. Preparing for the wedding and balancing responsibilities at home and at work has me very stressed out and tense. My wife-to-be noticed this, and asked me if I would like to go over to her place for a massage. I asked her why she wanted to do that for me, and she simply said that a massage would make me feel more relaxed afterwards. Her love for me struck me at that point, and her action revealed it.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus showed His love for His disciples. Jesus’ mission on earth was to reveal to the world the Father’s love, and He did it through service towards others. This example that Jesus gave His disciples, they were meant to copy and show God’s love to others through service.

In the first reading, we read of the instructions of the Passover meal. The second reading shows us how Jesus celebrated His Passover – by taking the most important feast that the Jews had and turning it into the most important feast the Church has – the feast of the Eucharist. It is through the Eucharist that we are reminded of God’s love for us.
But when we celebrate the Eucharist, it cannot end there. The Eucharist is not meant to stay within us. Rather, it is meant for us to be reminded of Jesus’ love for us through service to us, and we, being His disciples, are supposed to go out and do likewise for others, revealing to others God’s love through us.

Do we do that?

This Easter triduum, let us take some time to reflect on how the Eucharist can help us to be a better disciple of Christ through service towards others.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christians who are religious, but do not love. We ask that the Lord bless them with the grace to love as He loves.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for His example of love through service.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 02 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 03 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1.26-31); Genesis 22:1-18 (or 22:1-2.9-13.15-18); Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 04 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37-43; Colossians 1-4 (or 5-8) John 20:1-9 (or Luke 24:1-12); Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

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 me 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 the 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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Revelations 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
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Luke 4:16-21

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into 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 me 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 were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’
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This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.

I recently paid a visit to the NEWater visitor centre. NEWater is one of ways by which Singapore meets its water needs. Waste water is reclaimed and purified through a multi-step process. It happens every day and the water produced is already used extensively in industry, with a small amount being fed into our reservoirs for consumption. Many people though are not aware of the nuances involved. There is also a documentary series called “How Do They Do It?” which focuses on the processes behind everyday objects like toothpaste which we use without a second thought. It is very interesting to find out just what is involved in things we take for granted.

Today is Holy Thursday and on this day, the Church celebrates the Chrism Mass. The chrism or oil used at the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders is blessed during this Mass, as are other oils used to bless the sick and catechumens. This Mass has significance to the Church and its members for the rest of the year. In Singapore though, not every Catholic is able to attend this Mass as it takes place during the day, when most are at work or in school. Many are also not aware of the existence of the Chrism Mass. This seems a waste considering its importance.

The readings for the Chrism Mass represent a unique paradox of sorts. The first two readings speak about the rich anointing, kingship and mission of Christ. Despite all the recorded prophecies that were proclaimed every Sabbath and all the signs in Christ’s life that were congruent with those prophecies, many still took Him for granted. His words to the people in the synagogue say it all: “This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen”. Whether you are aware or not, it is happening. That being the case, should we make ourselves aware or continue in ignorance?

With Holy Thursday, Lent is approaching an end. One of the things this season has taught us is to become more aware of lives as Christians and a greater appreciation for the things we have. One of those things in the Catholic tradition is the Chrism Mass. Many of us are unable to take part in it physically but we can certainly find out more about it. This also applies to many other traditions such as liturgical hymns which we take for granted. My brothers and sisters, let us make the effort to find out a little more about how our Church, the Body of Christ works.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: We pray for a deeper awareness and appreciation of the gifts You have given us.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for blessing us through the Chrism Mass.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 01 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday; Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 02 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 03 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1.26-31); Genesis 22:1-18 (or 22:1-2.9-13.15-18); Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 04 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37-43; Colossians 1-4 (or 5-8) John 20:1-9 (or Luke 24:1-12); Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

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.’
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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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I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.

I used to have a very narrow perception of my Christian faith. A few years back, when I was starting out in learning more about the faith, I attended numerous talks, sharing groups and seminars covering a diverse range of topics. Somewhere at the back of my mind I began to form this impression that the more knowledge I gained, the thicker would be my shield against sin. So when I found myself succumbing to temptation and committing the sin that I so often condemned in others, I could not accept it. It is only afterwards, did I realise that everyone is vulnerable to sin, and it does not mean that reading more or learning more would serve as a natural buffer against straying from God.

There is not much mention of Judas in scripture, save for the events leading to the Lord’s passion. The writers of the gospels rarely mentioned him without making some reference to the fact that he was the one who was to betray Jesus. It is naturally a very human reaction among the disciples to perceive Judas in a negative light, since he was the one who betrayed Jesus to the chief priests. The motivation behind Judas’ betrayal is unclear, especially since he only got only thirty silver pieces for his deed.

As one of Jesus’ chosen Twelve, Judas was exposed to the same kind of teachings as the rest of the disciples. With such a benevolent and loving master, we would think that the disciples are very blessed for their privileged positions. Yet, Judas took the initiative to approach the chief priests to offer to betray Jesus to them. We can only guess at whether Judas was aware of what would happen to Jesus after he handed him over.

There are some who would say that the severity of Judas’ betrayal would surely send him straight to hell, and there are others who say that there might be a possibility that he may have been forgiven. Only God would know. Let us remember to not judge others when they sin, since we are all just as likely to do the same, and the important thing is to repent and not commit the sin again.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray that we will remember our own human frailty when we are tempted to pass judgement on others.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for seeing who we really are, and for loving our true selves.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 31 Mar – Isaiah 0:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 01 Apr – Isaiah 61: 1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday; Chrism Mass
Thu, 01 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday; Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 02 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 03 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1.26-31); Genesis 22:1-18 (or 22:1-2.9-13.15-18); Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 04 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37-43; Colossians 1-4 (or 5-8) John 20:1-9 (or Luke 24:1-12); Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

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 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 at 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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Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial.

We live in a society where we are constantly encouraged to strive hard in our work in order to achieve more. Such achievements are perceived by some as necessary to make our lives more fulfilling. In my growing up years, I was socially very awkward and shy. I always felt like a failure when it comes to socialising with people, so I always fell back on my academic abilities to prop up my self-esteem. Each time I felt inferior to others in some aspect, I would seek solace in my academic achievements.

Mary’s act of anointing Jesus and also her decision to sit and listen to Jesus during a previous visit reflected her devotion to Jesus, and her desire to let go of material things so as to follow Him. She is a disciple who will go to great lengths to serve Jesus, to the extent to defying social conventions. During a period when Jesus’ Passion was nearing and He was having difficulty communicating the message of His would-be death and resurrection to His disciples, she had no doubt or fear, but reached out to Him with love.

Upon reflection, I see that it will take a lot for me to relinquish the ‘security blanket’ that I have clung on to for most part of my life. In order to be a true follower of Christ, God has to be my only source of security. I cannot claim to be His servant if I am carrying personal baggage. I would need to drop them, and empty myself, so that I can be filled with His love. In this way, I will be able to truly love Him, and others as well.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray that we will be able to love God without reservations.

Thanksgiving: We thank the Lord for His patience and compassion towards His children.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 30 Mar – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38; Tuesday of Holy Week
Wed, 31 Mar – Isaiah 0:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 01 Apr – Isaiah 61: 1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday; Chrism Mass
Thu, 01 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday; Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 02 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 03 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1.26-31); Genesis 22:1-18 (or 22:1-2.9-13.15-18); Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 04 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37-43; Colossians 1-4 (or 5-8) John 20:1-9 (or Luke 24:1-12); Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

Hosanna to the Son of David
the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest
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Luke 19:28-40

Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. Now when he was near Bethphage and Bethany, close by the Mount of Olives as it is called, he sent two of the disciples, telling them, ‘Go off to the village opposite, and as you enter it you will find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” you are to say this, “The Master needs it”.’ The messengers went off and found everything just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owner said, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ and they answered, ‘The Master needs it.’

So they took the colt to Jesus, and throwing their garments over its back they helped Jesus on to it. As he moved off, people spread their cloaks in the road, and now, as he was approaching the downward slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole group of disciples joyfully began to praise God at the top of their voices for all the miracles they had seen. They cried out:

‘Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!’

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Master, check your disciples,’ but he answered, ‘I tell you, if these keep silence the stones will cry out.’
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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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Philippians 2:6-11

Jesus Christ’s state was divine,
yet he did not cling
to his equality with God
but emptied himself
to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are;
and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet,
even to accepting death,
death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name
which is above all other names
so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,
should bend the knee at the name of Jesus
and that every tongue should acclaim
Jesus Christ as Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Luke 22:4-23:56

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 Arimathaea, 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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Jesus… remember me when you come into your kingdom.

I usually do not make any particular sacrifice during the season of Lent, as I am concerned that I may become complacent when I become fixated on it, and think that I do not need to do much else. The past couple of Lenten experiences have been rather unremarkable, as I did not pray much. This Lent, however, I made more effort, and, to my dismay, I became very troubled when several of my sins became evident to me. I experienced a period of struggle and frustration with myself. I felt better about it when I read from a devotional website that it is not uncommon to become more aware of one’s sinfulness when one is on the path to holiness.

When we pray the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, we reflect on the physical and mental anguish Jesus had to endure on the road to Calvary. By relating our own sufferings to that of Christ, we can share in them, and better appreciate the meaning of His sacrifice. In the words of a popular praise and worship song: He took the fall, and thought of us, above all.

Recently I heard a friend speak about punishment from God falling upon sinners. I clarified with him that it is not God who proactively metes out punishment to His people. Rather, it is a natural consequence when we turn away from His ways. God is always reaching out to us in love, but the problem is sometimes we might feel so unworthy and sinful that we are unable to respond to His love. After recognising our sins, the next step would be to pray for forgiveness, and accept that forgiveness and love. Then, we can die to our sins, and rise again to enter a new life with Christ.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for the courage to face our sins and to persevere in our struggle against them.

Thanksgiving: Dear Lord, we cannot thank You enough for Your gift and promise of eternal life. Thank You for saving us from the darkness of sin.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 29 Mar – Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11; Monday of Holy Week
Tue, 30 Mar – Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38; Tuesday of Holy Week
Wed, 31 Mar – Isaiah 0:4-9; Matthew 26:14-25; Wednesday of Holy Week
Thu, 01 Apr – Isaiah 61: 1-3.6.8-9; Revelations 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21; Maundy Thursday; Chrism Mass
Thu, 01 Apr – Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15; Maundy Thursday; Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Fri, 02 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9; John 18:1-19.42; Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Sat, 03 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1.26-31); Genesis 22:1-18 (or 22:1-2.9-13.15-18); Exodus 14:15-15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1-11; Baruch 3:9-15.32-4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12; Easter Vigil
Sun, 04 Apr – Acts of the Apostles 10:34.37-43; Colossians 1-4 (or 5-8) John 20:1-9 (or Luke 24:1-12); Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

Isaiah 52:13-53-12

See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offences,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offences.
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Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9

Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

In the days when Christ was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 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.
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John 18:1 – 19:42

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He said to them, “I AM.” Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. So he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill what he had said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.”

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus, bound him, and brought him to Annas first. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Now the other disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus. But Peter stood at the gate outside. So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in. Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

As Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” They answered and said to him, “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” The Jews answered him, “We do not have the right to execute anyone,“ in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.

So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly.

Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.” Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:

They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.

This is what the soldiers did.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said,

“I thirst.”

There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and that they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:

Not a bone of it will be broken.

And again another passage says:

They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in 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. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.
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[T]here was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.

A few years ago during Lent before Good Friday, I watched “The Passion of Christ”; this made a difference in my experience of praying the Stations of the Cross and the Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary as I would sometimes  vividly recall the images of the movie scenes as I meditated on them.

In my meditation, the image of Jesus’ agony in the garden brought to mind the creation of the world and the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis; a time when God created the earth and the seas, the plants and the animals, day and night, and He saw that it was good. When he created man in His image, male and female He created them, He saw that it was indeed very good. It was a time when man was in perfect communion with God.  That perfect communion was destroyed when Adam and Eve disobeyed and sinned against God.

When Jesus was in agony in the garden, did he recall his Father’s agony when He had to banish Adam and Eve from the garden? Was the Father in agony as He knew that the only way to restore the broken communion was to send His only Son to die for us.

The scene that moved me the most during “The Passion of Christ” was when Jesus fell, and Mary his mother rushed to his side, as he looked at his mother, Jesus drew strength from her and comforted her with these words; “Look, mother, I make all things new.”

TGIF – Thank God It’s Friday. A phrase I used to exclaim when I used to work a typical five-day work week and had the weekend off when Friday arrives. On Good Friday, Jesus made all things new again, to restore our communion with God and it is GOOD! Indeed we can thank God for Good Friday.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jarvis Tan)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christians to appreciate what Jesus has done for us through His Passion and death on the cross.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for His sacrifice for our good.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 12 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2. 2; Genesis 22:1-18; 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; Mark 16:1-8; Easter Vigil
Sun, 12 Apr – Acts 10:34. 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Mark 16:1-8; Easter Day

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt: “This month is to be the first month in the year for you. Give these instructions to the whole community of Israel: On the tenth day of this month each man must choose either a lamb or a young goat for his household. If his family is too small to eat a whole animal, he ! and his next-door neighbour may share an animal, in proportion to the number of people and the amount that each person can eat. You may choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male without any defects. Then, on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, the whole community of Israel will kill the animals. The people are to take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and above the doors of the houses in which the animals are to be eaten. That night the meat is to be roasted , and eaten with bitter herbs and with bread made without yeast. You are to eat it quickly, for you are to be dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your walking stick in your hand. It is the Passover Festival to honour me, the Lord.

On that night, I will go through the land of Egypt, killing every first-born male, both human and animal, and punishing all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood on the doorposts will be a sign to mark the houses in which you live. When I see the blood, I will pass over you and will not harm you when I punish the Egyptians. You must celebrate this day as a religious festival to remind you of what, I, the Lord, have done. Celebrate it for all time to come.
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1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup and said, “This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Whenever you drink it, do so in memory of me.”

This means that every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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John 13:1-15

It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.

Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?”

Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now that I am doing, but you will understand later.”

Peter declared, “Never at any time will you wash my feet!”
“If I do not wash you feet,” Jesus answered, “you will no longer be my disciple.”

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!”

Jesus said, “Anyone who has taken a bath is completely clean and does not have to wash himself, except for his feet. All of you are clean – all except one.” (Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, “All of you, except one, are clean.”)

After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. “Do you understand what I have just done to you?” he asked. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you.”
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[D]o this as a memorial of me.

Every year, the readings for this day reflect on the ‘Passover’, ‘Lord’s Supper’ and ‘Washing of Feet’. The theme revolves much about a gathering of people and food. My experiences for tonight’s Mass have been different in Singapore and Australia.

In Singapore, my family and I would attend evening Eucharistic celebration followed by church-visiting around Singapore. When I was young, the family always had a set itinerary for the whole night. It became like a road trip in itself. What is amazing is that Catholics around the island are doing it all at their own pace. My favourite stop is always the city’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’ which comprises of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Church of Sts. Peter & Paul and St. Joseph’s Church. I remember those days where I had to say a short prayer at every church, watching altar boys change shift and definitely not forgetting the variety of food and drinks organized by the local parishioners. Perhaps someone could tell me the significance of church visiting?

In Australia, my experience of Mass is celebrated around a long table set up in the middle of the church with the congregation gathered around it. The priest re-enacts the washing of the feet for those sitting in front row after the homily.

Reading the verses in Exodus got me really hungry with roasted lamb, unleavened bread and herbs. In Corinthians, the institution was focused not so much about the food we eat, but the spiritual food we need, that is, Jesus himself. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus washes the feet (considered the most unclean part of the body in those times) of his disciples which shows reconciliation and love.

The daily and Sunday Eucharistic celebrations are open invitations to come to his banquet, where there is the gathering of people sharing in the ‘food’ which God has given us. As we enter the Triduum, let us be in remembrance of Jesus’ passion and God’s hope for us, being in the presence of both the solemnity and joyous of it. For our neighbours, let us reconcile and show love to them as we renew our baptismal vows, letting God’s promise working through us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, let me humble myself and wash the feet of my brothers and sisters, because your Son Jesus is the great example to remind us of your mercy.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord for sending your Son Jesus to give us meaning to death and eternal life.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 10 Apr – Isaiah 52:13-53; Hebrews 4:14-16. 5:7-9; John 18: 1-19, 42; Good Friday
Sun, 12 Apr – Genesis 1:1-2. 2; Genesis 22:1-18; 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; Mark 16:1-8; Easter Vigil
Sun, 12 Apr – Acts 10:34. 37-43; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9 or Mark 16:1-8; Easter Day