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Destined to sin and death as children of Adam’s disobedience, we have been set free for holiness and life by Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father’s will (see Romans 5:12-14,17-19; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6). This is why God greatly exalted Him. This is why we have salvation in His Name. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken.

PALM SUNDAY - A Isaiah 50:4-7

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24

Philippians 2:6-11

M atthew 26:14-27:66 Jesus stood before the governor, who asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "You say so." The chief priests and the elders of the people accused him, but he made no answer.

Pilate said to him, "Do you hear all the charges they bring against you?" At Passover, it was customary for the governor to release any prisoner the people asked for. Now there was a well-known prisoner called Barabbas. When the people had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas, or Jesus called the Messiah?" for he realized that Jesus had been handed over to him out of envy.

As Pilate was sit ting in court, his wife sent him this message, "Have nothing to do with that holy man. Because of him, I had a dream last night that disturbed me greatly." But the chief priests and the elders of the people stirred up the crowds, to ask for the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus.

When the governor asked them again, "Which of the two do you want me to set free?" they answered, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "And what shall I do with Jesus called the Messiah?" All answered, "Crucify him!"

Pilate realized that he was getting nowhere, and that there could be a riot. He then asked for water, and washed his hands before the people, saying, "I am not responsible for his blood. It is your doing."

And all the people answered, "Let his blood be upon us and upon our children." Then Pilate set Barabbas free, but had Jesus scourged, and handed him over to be crucified. The Roman soldiers took Jesus into the palace of the governor and the whole troop gathered around him. They stripped him and dressed him in a purple military cloak. Then, twisting a crown of thorns, they forced it onto his head, and placed a reed in his right hand. When they had finished mocking him, they pulled off the purple cloak and dressed him in his own clothes again, and led him out to be crucified.

On the way they met a man from Cyrene called Simon, and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. When they reached the place called Golgotha, they offered him wine mixed with gall. Jesus tasted it but would not drink it. There they crucified him, and divided his clothes among themselves. The statement of his offense was displayed above his head, and it read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

People passing by shook their heads and insulted him, saying, "Aha! You who destroy the Temple and in three days rebuild it, save yourself — if you are God's Son — and come down from the cross!"

In the same way the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law mocked him. They said, "The man who saved others cannot save himself. Let the King of Israel now come down from his cross and we will believe in him. Even the robbers who were crucified with him insulted him. From midday, darkness fell over the whole land until mid-afternoon.

At about three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabbacthani?" which means: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the curtain of the Temple sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, rocks were split. The captain and the soldiers who guarded Jesus were greatly terrified, when they saw the earthquake and all that had happened, and said, "Truly, this was God's Son."

Meditation by Dr. Scott Hahn

‘All this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled,’ Jesus says in today’s Gospel (see Matthew 26:56)

I ndeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled.

By the close of today’s long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished, the new covenant will be written in the blood of His broken body hanging on the cross at the place called the Skull.  

In His Passion, Jesus is “counted among the wicked,” as Isaiah had foretold (see Isaiah 53:12). He is revealed definitively as the Suffering Servant the prophet announced, the long-awaited Messiah whose words of obedience and faith ring out in today’s First Reading and Psalm.

The taunts and torments we hear in these two readings punctuate the Gospel as Jesus is beaten and mocked (see Matthew 27:31), as His hands and feet are pierced, as enemies gamble for His clothes (see Matthew 27:35), and as his enemies dare Him to prove His divinity by saving Himself from suffering (see Matthew 27:39-44).  

Jesus remains faithful to God’s will to the end, does not turn back in His trial. He gives Himself freely to His torturers, confident that, as He speaks in today’s First Reading: “The Lord God is My help…I shall not be put to shame.”

Destined to sin and death as children of Adam’s disobedience, we have been set free for holiness and life by Christ’s perfect obedience to the Father’s will (see Romans 5:12-14,17-19; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6).

This is why God greatly exalted Him. This is why we have salvation in His Name. Following His example of humble obedience in the trials and crosses of our lives, we know we will never be forsaken. We know, as the centurion today, that truly this is the Son of God (see Matthew 27:54). # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU. – Bobot Apit

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