Saturday, March 19, 2016

 

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

20 March 2016 

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION

Blessing of Palms

Cycle C.   Red.  

 

Blessing and Procession of Palms: Lk 19:28 – 40

 

Mass:  Is 50:4 – 7 / Phil 2:6 – 11 / Lk 22:14 – 23: 56  

 

1st Reading: Is 50:4 - 7

The Lord Yahweh has taught me so I speak as his disciple and I know how to sustain the weary.  Morning after morning he wakes me up to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear.  I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced.

 

2nd Reading: Phil 2: 6 – 11

Though being divine in nature, he did not claim in fact equality with God, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man.  He humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross.  That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

 

Gospel Reading: Lk 22:14 – 23: 56   

The Passion of the Lord according to Luke. 

 

Reflection

I clearly recall the last retreat I attended as a College student, sometime in the nineties.  Our retreat director showed us a drinking glass filled with dirty water.  He asked whether we could replace the dirty water with clean water without emptying the glass. We all said yes:  by letting clean water flow continuously into the glass, the dirty water will eventually be replaced with clean water.

 

Later the retreat director showed us another drinking glass filled with rocks. He asked if we could replace the rocks with clean water. Clearly the rocks will have to be removed first before the glass could be filled with clean water.

 

The same holds true in our spiritual life.  Though God's grace is always effective in cleansing us and filling us up with inspiration and light, at some point he needs our cooperation by emptying ourselves of our own sinful and inordinate attachments and deeds.  Unless we do so, like the rocks in the glass, God's grace cannot work in us.

 

In today's second reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul summarizes Christ's self-emptying for our salvation.  We are all encouraged to somehow imitate our Lord's self-emptying:  it was through Christ's self-empting that this "sin-full" world is saved.

 

On Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, one of the Synoptic Gospel accounts of Christ's Passion and Death is read as the Gospel: this year we have the account according to Luke.  At the Good Friday liturgy the account of Christ's Passion and Death according to John is read. The accounts are the longer version of Paul's summary in his hymn to the Philippians.

 

I would like to suggest a very simple ritualization of this "self-emptying" to be "filled-with-grace" in our lives:

 

1) Get two cups of drinking glasses: fill one with clean water, the other with stones.

2) Find a suitable place for private prayer: a crucifix may be helpful.    

3) Place yourself in God's presence.

4) Imagine that the stones are your inordinate attachments and sinful habit  and actions. One by one remove the stones: "I empty myself before the Lord," . . . until the cup or glass is empty. 

5) Slowly pour clean water into the empty cup or glass: "Lord, Fill me up with your grace." . . . until the cup or glass is full.

6) End with the Our Father or the Anima Christi.

 

 

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

 

BIRTHDAY

     Chaelda M. Del Carmen

     Ernest James Yu

     Thelma N. Factoran

 

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Yu Tiong (1921 – 2002)

 

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

 

Have a good day!

 

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These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

  +================================================+

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ST. JOSEPH, Husband of Mary

19 March 2016
ST. JOSEPH, Husband of Mary, Patron of the Society of Jesus
Solemnity.     White.       

2 Sm 7:4 - 5a, 12-14a, 16 / Rom 4: 13, 16–18, 22 / Lk 12:41 – 51a

From the 1st Reading: 2 Sm 7:4 - 5a, 12-14a
But that very night, Yahweh's word came to Nathan, "Go and tell my servant David, this is what Yahweh says." 

"When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure.  He shall build a house for my name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever.  I will be a father to him and he shall be my son. . . . Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be firm forever."
 
From the 2nd Reading: Rom 4:13, 16 – 18, and 22
For that reason, faith is the way and all is given by grace; and the promises of Abraham are fulfilled for all his descendants, not only for his children according to the Law, but also for all the others who have believed. 

Abraham is the father of all of us, as it is written:  I will make you father of many nations.  He is our father in the eyes of Him who gives life to the dead, and calls the non existent as if already existing, for this is God in whom he believed.  Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation, thus becoming father of many nations, as he had been told: See how many will be your descendants.

From the Gospel Reading: Lk 2:41 – 43, 46, and 48- 51a 
Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. .  .  And when Jesus was twelve years old, he went up with them according to the custom for this feast.  After the festival, they returned, but the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem and his parents did not know it . . . . And on the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. . . .

His parents were very surprised when they saw him and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us?  Your father and I were very worried while searching for you." Then he said to them, "Why were you looking for me?  Do you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"  But they did not understand his answer.

Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and he continued to be subject to them.

Reflection
As a Jesuit in formation, I was always intrigued with the silence of Joseph in the Gospels.  We do not hear of him in the Gospel accounts of Mark and John.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke speak of him but we do not hear him speak. God gives him instructions in dreams and he obeys.

We know he had a very important role in salvation history as the foster-father of Jesus and the husband of Mary, the Mother of God.  His role was to protect and care of Jesus and Mary. His role was to instruct Jesus in his early and growing years.  We speak of him as the silent and just man. Pope Francis speaks of his devotion to the sleeping Joseph when God spoke to him in dreams.

Later on, I realized that Joseph's silence actually highlighted his key role as protector and foster-father of the Child Jesus and of Mary. He was always there to protect and care. He was always there, in the same way that God our Father is always there for us.

St. Joseph is honored as the Patron of the Universal Church. The Society of Jesus also calls upon him as its Principal Patron and Protector.
 
WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY
     Graziano and Joji Negroni
     Pearlie Chan
     Rolly Mar Saga

IN MEMORIAM (+)
     Francisco F. Sun
     Eden Rosel Siruno

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

**************************************************
These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 
  +================================================+
   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the
   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish
   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  
  +================================================+

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