april 12 2006
Wednesday of Holy Week
Is 50:4-9a The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,a stranger to my mother’s sons,because zeal for your house consumes me,and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,I looked for sympathy, but there was none;for consolers, not one could I find.Rather they put gall in my food,and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;you who seek God, may your hearts revive!For the LORD hears the poor,and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Phil 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Mt 26:14-25 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said,“Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said,“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’ ”The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will be tray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another,“Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply,“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”He answered, “You have said so.”
The denial of Judas at the supper was the truth spoken most clearly in a refusal to state the truth. A famous Shakesperian quote is "Thou dost protest too much" What is said at times in denial is an affirmation of what exists.
The betrayal of another is a profound rejection of the law of love of God and the Lord. The gospel states that from the time that Judas accepted the silver coins he looked for a way to hand over Jesus. This brings to mind the old saying "money is the root of all evil." The silver coins could have became more important than the beloved rabboni, the teacher. Judas did not seek out the chief priests but they summoned him and made the offer of money to hand Jesus over.
If Judas had not been summoned by members of the temple would he have betrayed Jesus in another way? Was Judas trying to be loyal to the religion of the temple? Was Judas handing over Jesus for money or because he believed the chief priests' teachings?
Judas, some say, was destined to fulfill his role in the predetermined crucifixion of Jesus. There are other theologians who have different views of the concept of free will in relationship to what is planned by God. God loved us so much that God was willing to give the only begotten Son but was God determined that this must happen no matter what? Some theologians say yes and some say no. I am not sure that I can understand the full depth of meaning of this theological point. I understand that Jesus willingly accepted the cup of suffering that he would have had taken away from him if it was possible.
Redemptive suffering involves being united in Christ. The disciple of Christ in their individual trials and sufferings put themselves into the mind and heart of being united with Christ in Christ's suffering. It can give meaning and healing to sufferings that cannot be taken away, that are then instead embraced in union with Christ.
This Holy Week as I pray and practice lectio and join in monastic liturgies, I look again on the Passion of the Lord relived in Christian community and relived in my heart and soul. There is a meaning that goes beyond words and a depth and direction to faith that is alive and more than spoken. I ask this week especially that my heart, mind and body be united with Christ and that in Christ all things may be glorified. I will be silent most likely on this blog this year during the remaining days of this Holy Week. "I will come to you in the silence." "Be still and know that I am God."
Is 50:4-9a The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,a stranger to my mother’s sons,because zeal for your house consumes me,and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,I looked for sympathy, but there was none;for consolers, not one could I find.Rather they put gall in my food,and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;you who seek God, may your hearts revive!For the LORD hears the poor,and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Phil 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Mt 26:14-25 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said,“Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said,“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’ ”The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will be tray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another,“Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply,“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”He answered, “You have said so.”
The denial of Judas at the supper was the truth spoken most clearly in a refusal to state the truth. A famous Shakesperian quote is "Thou dost protest too much" What is said at times in denial is an affirmation of what exists.
The betrayal of another is a profound rejection of the law of love of God and the Lord. The gospel states that from the time that Judas accepted the silver coins he looked for a way to hand over Jesus. This brings to mind the old saying "money is the root of all evil." The silver coins could have became more important than the beloved rabboni, the teacher. Judas did not seek out the chief priests but they summoned him and made the offer of money to hand Jesus over.
If Judas had not been summoned by members of the temple would he have betrayed Jesus in another way? Was Judas trying to be loyal to the religion of the temple? Was Judas handing over Jesus for money or because he believed the chief priests' teachings?
Judas, some say, was destined to fulfill his role in the predetermined crucifixion of Jesus. There are other theologians who have different views of the concept of free will in relationship to what is planned by God. God loved us so much that God was willing to give the only begotten Son but was God determined that this must happen no matter what? Some theologians say yes and some say no. I am not sure that I can understand the full depth of meaning of this theological point. I understand that Jesus willingly accepted the cup of suffering that he would have had taken away from him if it was possible.
Redemptive suffering involves being united in Christ. The disciple of Christ in their individual trials and sufferings put themselves into the mind and heart of being united with Christ in Christ's suffering. It can give meaning and healing to sufferings that cannot be taken away, that are then instead embraced in union with Christ.
This Holy Week as I pray and practice lectio and join in monastic liturgies, I look again on the Passion of the Lord relived in Christian community and relived in my heart and soul. There is a meaning that goes beyond words and a depth and direction to faith that is alive and more than spoken. I ask this week especially that my heart, mind and body be united with Christ and that in Christ all things may be glorified. I will be silent most likely on this blog this year during the remaining days of this Holy Week. "I will come to you in the silence." "Be still and know that I am God."
posted by Joan Morris at 8:27 AM
