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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His soul’s anguish over he shall see the light and be content

I was in church the other day for Palm Sunday mass, and happened to look up at a painting of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. I focused on a picture of a small child jubilantly cheering, and I wondered what the people were cheering about. What was Jesus thinking and feeling as He entered Jerusalem? He had worked so many wonders, inspired some and converted others. It seems natural that the people would come to believe in Him and look to Him as their leader. Yet, He also knew that these are the same people who would be calling for Him to be crucified. What conflicting and heartrending emotions our Lord must have felt!

But Jesus forged on, knowing that His mission on earth is to fulfil His Father’s will, and that in doing so He will save all our lives. Still, rejection and betrayal are bitter pills to swallow, and it was the Lord’s complete and selfless love that enabled Him to carry the cross up to Golgotha.

Returning to an earlier entry where I mentioned my application for the postgraduate scholarship, I was informed recently that I was unsuccessful in my interview. That news came right after I got reprimanded by my boss for reasons unclear to me. In my current state of self-doubt and soul-searching, I am feeling the temptation of just giving up. But a part of me is also seeing this as an opportunity to grow close to God, because He is the only one I can turn to. In the second reading, St Paul tells us to be confident that we shall have mercy from Him and find grace when we need help. Why? Because He knows and feels our anguish and hurt, and assures us that in surrendering ourselves to Him we find our contentment.

Dear readers, as we contemplate on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, let us draw strength from Him, and confidently approach His throne of grace.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for open hearts and minds to allow ourselves to be embraced by the love of Christ.

Thanksgiving: Lord, we thank you for your grace of hope, for keeping us afloat during trying times.

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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If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me

As a person who loves dancing, my feet is often the evidence of my past-time. It is callous and filled with dead and hard skin. It doesn’t help that my job itself requires me to be on my feet most of the time. So indeed, I can understand how the apostles felt (and would be repulsed by the idea too) if someone like Jesus suddenly stooped down to wash my icky, smelly feet.

Yet, in today’s Gospel, St John tells us that by the washing of his disciples’ feet, Jesus “now showed how perfect his love was”. I was deeply struck by this. How does the act of washing the feet of his disciples reflect the perfectness of Jesus’ love?

Then it dawned on me – this was an act of love from Jesus that had been unsolicited. Unlike the other instances in the Gospels, where we often come across people crying out for Jesus to heal them, the apostles here were not proactively seeking any such acts of service from the Lord. Rather, they were even resistant or reluctant to accept it, given the nature of their status and his. But Jesus told them “If I do not wash you, you can have nothing common with me”.

Reflecting on the passage, I realised that there have been times when I am hesitant about receiving acts of unsolicited kindness or love from others. Particularly when I’m mad or angry at a person. Conversely, there have also been times when I am reluctant to demonstrate a spontaneous act of love to another, even a loved one, for fear that my heartfelt deed would end up being inadequate, rejected or unaccepted.

Today’s Gospel is a gentle reminder to me that maybe it’s time I slowly learn to open up my heart. Rather than always looking at things from a defensive perspective, there are times when I need to actually realise that I’m stopping myself from receiving God’s love through others and sharing his love with them as well.

Life is a mystery. There is as much humility involved in receiving as there is in giving. And, just as Jesus reminds his apostles, we need to first allow Him to wash our dirty, grimy feet, before we can deepen our relationship with Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Cassandra Cheong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, in this season of lent, help us to open our lives to you, especially the areas that we may be most ashamed of. Fill us with your love and use us as your healing instruments to one another.

Thanksgiving: Thank you for blessing us with a saviour – Jesus, your Son.

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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Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ

Remember when as kids we’d compare with friends and siblings on who got more red packets during Chinese New Year? Well, all those comparisons are moot. It is very clear who gets the most. Priests do. Parishioners actually have to queue to pass them their red packets and the priests need bags to carry all of them. So it is also sad that some priests have very short queues. This is natural since priests are people too; some are just not as charismatic or popular or appealing.

Still, at a time of goodwill, this gift is withheld from some priests. Then are comments like how one priest is better because he has a particular spiritual gift. It is as if some priests are more blessed and loved by God than others. But if that were true, God is not giving everyone a fair deal when he calls them to serve Him.

Today the archbishop concelebrates the Chrism Mass with the priests. Together they celebrate and united they consecrate the oils which are used throughout the diocese in the new liturgical year. This Mass is a demonstration of the common oath they have taken in service to the rest of God’s people. It is more than just a sign of unity in the priesthood but of the unity they share with all of us. We who call ourselves children of God are in turn called by Him to be His royal priesthood and holy nation. Our mission is thus the same; the differences are in the roles we all perform.

Priests rank among the most important people in our lives. They preach to us and deliver the sacraments to us. Some are our counsellors and spiritual directors. As the readings for today state, they are anointed to say “Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ”. That is their special function in the Church. As our priests celebrate the Chrism Mass, we can play our own part by joining with them in prayer and offering our support. Not just today too, but on each and every day. Finally, sisters and brothers let us be inspired by our priests in the mission we all share, to go forth and say “Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ”.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: We pray for abundant blessings to fall upon our shepherds

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the Holy Orders.

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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For my part, I made no resistance

Surrendering is never an easy thing – especially when it involves giving up what we think we know best. Many of us would be familiar with being called to surrender our attachments to things that are attractive such as money, fame, food and other earthly luxuries. But how many of us can actually surrender the things that are buried deep within us? Like our fears, insecurities, rejections, hurts or bitterness. In short, our hidden ugliness which we don’t want anyone else to see.

I guess it’s easier sometimes to give up the things that are external but increasingly challenging when we have to dig deep within ourselves and sift out the parts that are dark, deep and hurting. We’re just too afraid to expose that darkness into light. As much as we don’t like these hidden areas of ourselves, ironically, it is these areas of ourselves that we are most attached to because it is what we are familiar with. We have grown too comfortable. And we don’t want to give that up. So we stubbornly build our walls to protect ourselves from having to expose them. Maybe it’s because we just don’t want to revisit old wounds again (after all the time we’ve taken to bury it)? Or maybe it’s because we’re afraid of the consequences that may follow and how others will react when we eventually do?

But it is precisely these areas of our lives that God longs for us to surrender, in order for his love to penetrate through. Unfortunately, the more vulnerable we are, the more we are bound to resist.

In his book, “With Open Hands”, Henri Nouwen aptly likens that resistance to a person with tightly clenched fists. All of us have areas in our lives that we are tightly clenching. These areas are like small bronze coins that we hang onto. Unless we open up our fists and surrender our tiny coins, our palms are unable to receive the blessings that God can pour into our lives. We will never know what other treasures we can hold.

The road to healing and surrender is never easy. But it begins with a single step.

Speaking of which, did you know? Jesus could have resisted sacrificing his life on that cross. He didn’t have to die. After all, wasn’t he betrayed, scorned, mocked and rejected by people whom he had loved, healed and restored? People whom he had vested all his time, love, effort and emotions in? He could have jolly well said halfway through the crucifixion, “I’ve had it with the lost sheep of Israel! This is enough!” and miraculously walked out before he drew his very last breath. God would still have taken him back within a heartbeat (literally), no doubts about that.

Yet, Jesus chose to become vulnerable. He chose to make no resistance. Despite the mockery, the crown of thorns, the scourging at the pillar and the excruciatingly dehumanising crucifixion, he chose to stay on that cross until the very end and submitted his life even to the point of death. For what reason?

As we reflect upon the readings and events of Holy Week, God wants us to remember this: Jesus had made no resistance, simply because he wanted to become our restoration – to revive us, heal us and restore us onto a life that is worth living. A life that is full and filled with God’s favour, peace and blessings.

Are we willing to receive that life today?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Cassandra Cheong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, in this season of lent, help us to surrender ourselves to you like Jesus did. To take a step beyond the familiar and to trust in your faithfulness and goodness. Break through our defences and melt away our resistance so that we can experience your love and favour, through Jesus, your son.

Thanksgiving: Thank you for blessing us with a saviour – Jesus, your Son.

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’ll make you the light of nations

Light is often a symbol used to represent the presence of Christ in our lives. It is my belief that in order to be a beacon to others, we have to undergo much hardship just like the wax of a candle will have to be burned for light to be shown.

Sufferings for the sake of Christ is indeed a joyful load and we should always ask God to assist us in this responsibility. Holy Week allows us to reflect and gain a deeper insight on what it feels to know that one’s physical end is near and the emotions that come along with it. Jesus wants to remind us that He has gone through the same form of suffering that we have been through and that only through suffering can the Resurrection be meaningful in our lives.

Being a Christian is not easy but being a joyful Christian is even harder. Sometimes we fail to realise that we can follow Jesus’s example to take the suffering in our stride, offer it to God the Father in prayer and continue with our work. For through constant communication with God, we grow into a deeper relationship with Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord we pray for joy to accompany our sufferings.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who desire God’s love.

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 or shout aloud

In today’s age of instant connectivity, the rise of computer and mobile software applications to inform the world of what is happening in one’s life are plentiful. It seems that everybody wants to ‘shout’ out in cyberspace what is happening in their lives. This is certainly not the case for Jesus’s role in the first reading.

Jesus did not shout to the people of His time regarding the message of love. Instead what He did was to show through His actions, that God’s love is present in our daily lives. The healing of others and even the word of encouragement to sinners are examples of actions that we can do. Instead of physical healing, we can use our words to heal a person emotionally. Through these words we can enable the individual to discover what it means to be loved by God.

We begin Holy Week with the reminder to show love to others as God has shown love to us. Let us remember that it was His love that enables us to be proud of our actions as Christians in our daily lives.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord we pray for the strength to acknowledge our weakness.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for those who continue to spread God’s word.

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

- The Sunday Missal
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Mark 11:1-10

When they were approaching Jerusalem, in sight of Bethphage and Bethany, close by the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go off to the village facing you, and as soon as you enter it you will find a tethered colt that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, “What are you doing?” say, “The Master needs it and will send it back here directly”.’ They went off and found a colt tethered near a door in the open street. As they untied it, some men standing there said, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ They gave the answer Jesus had told them, and the men let them go. Then they took the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on its back, and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, others greenery which they had cut in the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were all shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heavens!’
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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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Mark 14:1-15:47

It was two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by some trick and have him put to death. For they said, ‘It must not be during the festivities, or there will be a disturbance among the people.’

Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper; he was at dinner when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the ointment on his head. Some who were there said to one another indignantly, ‘Why this waste of ointment? Ointment like this could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor’; and they were angry with her. But Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. Why are you upsetting her? What she has done for me is one of the good works. You have the poor with you always, and you can be kind to them whenever you wish, but you will not always have me. She has done what was in her power to do: she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. I tell you solemnly, wherever throughout all the world the Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told also, in remembrance of her.’

Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, approached the chief priests with an offer to hand Jesus over to them. They were delighted to hear it, and promised to give him money; and he looked for a way of betraying him when the opportunity should occur.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there,’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.

When evening came he arrived with the Twelve. And while they were at table eating, Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me, one of you eating with me.’ They were distressed and asked him, one after another, ‘Not I, surely?’ He said to them, ‘It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping into the same dish with me. Yes, 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!’

And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’

After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all lose faith, for the scripture says: I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, however after my resurrection I shall go before you to Galilee.’ Peter said, ‘Even if all lose faith, I will not.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned me three times.’ But he repeated still more earnestly, ‘If I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And they all said the same.

They came to a small estate called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Stay here while I pray.’ Then he took Peter and James and John with him. And a sudden fear came over him, and great distress. And he said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here, and keep awake.’ And going on a little further he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, this hour might pass him by. ‘Abba (Father)!’ he said ‘Everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you, not I, would have it.’ He came back and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Had you not the strength to keep awake 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 he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came back and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy; and they could find no answer for him. He came back a third time and said to them, ‘You can sleep on now and take your rest. It is all over. The hour has come. Now the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let us go! My betrayer is close at hand already.’

Even while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came up with a number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the traitor had arranged a signal with them. ‘The one I kiss,’ he had said ‘he is the man. Take him in charge, and see he is well guarded when you lead him away.’ So when the traitor came, he went straight up to Jesus and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. The others seized him and took him in charge. Then one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck out at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.

Then Jesus spoke. ‘Am I a brigand’ he said ‘that you had to set out to capture me with swords and clubs? I was among you teaching in the Temple day after day and you never laid hands on me. But this is to fulfil the scriptures.’ And they all deserted him and ran away. A young man who followed him had nothing on but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the cloth in their hands and ran away naked.

They led Jesus off to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes assembled there. Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s palace, and was sitting with the attendants warming himself at the fire.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus on which they might pass the death sentence. But they could not find any. Several, indeed, brought false evidence against him, but their evidence was conflicting. Some stood up and submitted this false evidence against him, ‘We heard him say, “I am going to destroy this Temple made by human hands, and in three days build another, not made by human hands.”’ But even on this point their evidence was conflicting. The high priest then stood up before the whole assembly and put this question to Jesus, ‘Have you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against you?’ But he was silent and made no answer at all. The high priest put a second question to him, ‘Are you the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus ‘and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ The high priest tore his robes, ‘What need of witnesses have we now?’ he said. ‘You heard the blasphemy. What is your finding?’ And they all gave their verdict: he deserved to die.

Some of them started spitting at him and, blindfolding him, began hitting him with their fists and shouting, ‘Play the prophet!’ And the attendants rained blows on him.

While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant-girls came up. She saw Peter warming himself there, stared at him and said, ‘You too were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it. ‘I do not know, I do not understand, what you are talking about’ he said. And he went out into the forecourt. The servant-girl saw him and again started telling the bystanders, ‘This fellow is one of them.’ But again he denied it. A little later the bystanders themselves said to Peter, ‘You are one of them for sure! Why, you are a Galilean.’ But he started calling down curses on himself and swearing, ‘I do not know the man you speak of.’ At that moment the cock crew for the second time, and Peter recalled how Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned me three times.’ And he burst into tears.

First thing in the morning, the chief priests together with the elders and scribes, in short the whole Sanhedrin, had their plan ready. They had Jesus bound and took him away and handed him over to Pilate.

Pilate questioned him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘It is you who say it’ he answered. And the chief priests brought many accusations against him. Pilate questioned him again, ‘Have you no reply at all? See how many accusations they are bringing against you!’ But, to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.

At festival time Pilate used to release a prisoner for them, anyone they asked for. Now a man called Barabbas was then in prison with the rioters who had committed murder during the uprising. When the crowd went up and began to ask Pilate the customary favour, Pilate answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?’ For he realised it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over. The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead. Then Pilate spoke again. ‘But in that case,’ he said to them ‘what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Why?’ Pilate asked them ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, having ordered Jesus to be scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers led him away to the inner part of the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and called the whole cohort together. They dressed him up in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ They struck his head with a reed and spat on him; and they went down on their knees to do him homage. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the purple and dressed him in his own clothes.

They enlisted a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it. Then they crucified him, and shared out his clothing, casting lots to decide what each should get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The inscription giving the charge against him read: ‘The King of the Jews.’ And they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, ‘Aha! So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself: come down from the cross!’ The chief priests and the scribes mocked him among themselves in the same way. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, for us to see it and believe.’ Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood by heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling on Elijah.’ Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink saying; ‘Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.’ But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said, ‘In truth this man was a son of God.’

There were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary who was the mother of James the younger and Joset, and Salome. These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And there were many other women there who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

It was now evening, and since it was Preparation Day (that is, the vigil of the sabbath), there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent member of the Council, who himself lived in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God, and he boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate, astonished that he should have died so soon, summoned the centurion and enquired if he was already dead. Having been assured of this by the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph who bought a shroud, took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Joset were watching and took note of where he was laid.
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The gift of speech

I am no speech therapist or an expert on languages and communication. However, I do know that when we speak, messages are conveyed from the way we feel, the way we think, the way we want others to feel, and the way we want others to think. Speech and messages whether it is well thought out or not, it comes from the heart and mind. It is important in speaking with the right tone of voice, at the right time, and using the right words to bring across a message you want the other to hear. It can portray you as a person who is being respected or the other, a person to be ignored. Sometimes, the way we speak and of what we talk about bring out our personalities.

Have you ever been in an environment where the people are foul-mouthed, aggressive and are just talking to one another with abusive languages and it just seemed to be a norm? There were times when you could not get out of a room where people gossip and you are listening to things which disturbs you or you totally disagree on, I just try my best to shut both ears as I find these people with no personalities. In today’s first reading, the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and gave them the gift of speech. With our Lord the Father, He has given us the gift to speak from the soul, the soul which He had given life to. We have the Holy Spirit in us so that we speak with a gentle, forgiving personality, and not what uncouth men speak of.

We should be aware of we communicate and speak to the people around us. Sometimes, we are not aware of how we could have hurt or made the other angry. Only later did we realize that everything is too late, an apology may not resolve the situation even. Saint Paul wrote that only the one with the Holy Spirit is able to say ‘Jesus is Lord’, thus the way we speak will allow those around us to know that God is in us.

In this Holy Week, it may be a short week at your work place or school, take some time out to step into the church and celebrate the Eucharist a couple of times more than usual, so perhaps we can reflect on the things we have said which have offended those around us. Speak the words God has given us, not speak of the desires and arrogance of men.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: O Lord, please pray for those who give public speeches or leaders of a work environment, and also writers who write with their own personality, that your goodness and graciousness be shown through their speech and words.

Thanksgiving: Dear Lord Jesus, as we get closer to celebrate your passion for us, we thank you for preparing our hearts and life in receiving and understanding Your love for us.

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)