When the hour
came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have
eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you,
I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then
he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;
for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the
vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took
the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is
my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise
the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, which will be shed for you.
“And yet
behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for
the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by
whom he is betrayed.” And they
began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.
Then an
argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the
greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and
those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’; but among you it
shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the
leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one
who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who
serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on
you, just as my
Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Simon,
Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have
prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you
must strengthen your brothers.” He said to him, “Lord, I am prepared to go to
prison and to die with you.” But he replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the
cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me.”
He said to
them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you
in need of anything?” “No, nothing, “ they replied. He said to them, “But now
one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does
not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this
Scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the wicked; and
indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.” Then they said, “Lord,
look, there are two swords here. ”But he replied, “It is enough!”
Then going
out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed
him. When he arrived at the place he said to them,“Pray that you may not
undergo the test.”After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and
kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away
from me;still, not my will but yours be done.” And to strengthen him an angel
from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that
his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from
prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief.He said
to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the
test.”
While he was
still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man
named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, “Judas, are
you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” His disciples realized what was
about to happen, and they asked, “Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” And one
of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus
said in reply, “Stop, no more of this!”Then he touched the servant’s ear and
healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders
who had come for him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and
clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize
me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.”
After
arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest;
Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the
courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him
seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was
with him.” But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A short while
later someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them”; but Peter
answered, “My friend, I am not.” About an hour later, still another insisted, “Assuredly,
this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “My
friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” Just as he was saying this,
the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered
the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you
will deny me three times.” He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men who
held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and
questioned him, saying, “Prophesy! Who
is it that struck you?” And they reviled him in saying many other things
against him.
When day came
the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and
they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, “If you are the Christ,
tell us, “but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if
I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be
seated at the right hand of the power of God.” They all asked, “Are you then
the Son of God?” He replied to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What
further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.”
Then the
whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought
charges against him, saying, “We found this man misleading our people; he
opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Christ, a
king.” Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in
reply, “You say so.” Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, “I
find this man not guilty.” But they were adamant and said, “He is inciting the
people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even
to here.”
On hearing
this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon learning that he was
under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that
time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a
long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform
some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief
priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his
soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in
resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends
that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned
the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, “You brought
this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have
conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of
the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back
to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have
him flogged and then release him.”
But all
together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” — Now
Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city
and for murder. — Again Pilate
addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their
shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate
addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty
of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” With
loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their
voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be
granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and
murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as
they wished.
As they led
him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from
the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind
Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned
and lamented him.Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children for indeed, the
days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that
never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to
the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these
things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?” Now
two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed.
When they
came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive
them, they know not what they do.” They divided his garments by casting lots. The
people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He
saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they
called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him there was
an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
Now one of
the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save
yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no
fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have
been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but
this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will
be with me in Paradise.”
It was now
about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because
of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;
and when he had said this he breathed his last.
Here all
kneel and pause for a short time.
The centurion
who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, “This man was innocent
beyond doubt.” When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what
had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his
acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him
from Galilee and saw these events. Now there was a virtuous and righteous man
named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to
their plan of action.
He came from
the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he
wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one
had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about
to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and
when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they
returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils.
Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Denials and
betrayals perhaps these two words best describe the fate which sealed the
crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus would have not been crucified if he was not denied
and betrayed by the very people who followed Him, people who benefited from His
miracles and people who were praising Him to high heavens as he entered
Jerusalem astride on a donkey.
Why was Jesus
betrayed? Jesus was betrayed because there were no more earth-shaking miracles
coming from Him. There were no more displayed of powerful healings and
eloquence of speech. What they saw was a defeated and powerless man, a man who
couldn’t defend Himself. So unlike of the powerful image of Jesus before He
entered Jerusalem, thus they left Jesus to fend for himself!
Such is our
human behavior, we side with the powerful and when the powerful is not anymore
powerful we hastily abandon ship. To cling to the new power, this is what
happened to Jesus, He was abandoned by the very people who were supposed to defend
Him.
Perhaps in
His humanity Jesus was expecting to be defended by those who benefited from
Him. But His expectation did not become a reality. In His humanity Jesus saw
for Himself the pain and agony of betrayal.
This is the
reality of life during the time of Jesus and this is still the reality of life
today during this very hour. We love to side with the powerful even if they are
already manipulating and using us to advance their own selfish agenda. They use
fake news, lies and historical revisionism to put and eventually perpetuate
themselves in power.
If we
continue to side with the powerful who are simply using and manipulating us
with their endless dispensing of fake news, lies and historical revisionism to
perpetuate their deceitful ambitions. We will not find Jesus because Jesus is
not with them.
Jesus is with
the powerless, those who are being oppressed and those who have nothing in life
except the tattered clothes that they are wearing. Jesus is with those who fight and advance
the welfare of the poor, the marginalized and those whose integrity are beyond
question.
As we begin
our journey this Palm Sunday perhaps it’s good to ask ourselves this questions:
Have I already encountered this Jesus who is with the poor, this Jesus who
fights for the welfare of the poor and marginalized and this Jesus in the
person of a politician whose character and intentions are beyond question? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
