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Palm Sunday—A Model of Courage and Determination
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year A)
And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?” And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10–11
The commemoration of our Lord’s Passion has begun. Today, Mass begins with the reading of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Riding on a donkey, Jesus is greeted by a very large crowd who “spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road” (Matthew 21:8). The people welcome Him with shouts of: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9).
The word “Hosanna” in Hebrew means, “Save us, we pray!” Though it was originally a plea for deliverance, it became an expression of praise and joy, especially as it came to be associated with the Messiah’s arrival. The phrase “Hosanna in the highest” calls for God, enthroned in Heaven, to bring His saving power to earth. The crowds’ acclamation reveals both a hope for salvation and a recognition of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
During Passover week, Jerusalem’s population increased several times over with pilgrims from across Israel. The atmosphere was vibrant with religious fervor and communal celebration. Merchants sold sacrificial animals, food, and provisions to the crowds. Central to the festivities was the Temple where sacrifices were offered and the Passover lambs were prepared for the sacred meal. Roman authorities increased security, wary of potential unrest, as the commemoration of Israel’s liberation from Egypt stirred hopes of national deliverance. The Jewish authorities were also on high alert, concerned that any disturbance might provoke harsh reprisals from the Romans.
Imagine the excitement, concern, and surprise that many of the religious and Roman leaders felt as large crowds professed their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Was Israel’s deliverance at hand? This public acclaim highlighted why some saw Jesus as a threat. The Pharisees, in particular, feared that His messianic identity might undermine the religious authority to which they clung. Most of them dismissed the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah they awaited.
Jesus, however, had a very different understanding of the Passover that year. He knew it was the time for His hour of suffering and death, leading to His glorification. He had no interest in political maneuvering. His sole desire was to fulfill His mission as the Messiah by becoming the one perfect Lamb of Sacrifice whose blood would atone for the sins of many. Jesus was determined and confident as He rode into Jerusalem. Though He knew the suffering that awaited Him, His gaze was fixed on His mission of saving souls. In His sacred humanity, He overcame every temptation to fear or anxiety, allowing peace, strength, and joy to fill His heart.
Not only is Jesus our Savior and the one Mediator between God and us, His human life perfectly models how we are to live. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem especially models for us how we are to face every difficult situation that tempts us to fear and anxiety. His courage must become our courage, and His determination our determination.
Reflect today on Jesus’ interior disposition during His triumphal entry. He invites us to share in His sacrificial love, laying down our lives selflessly for others. This is only possible if we allow His virtues to take root in us every time we are called to imitate His love. As we embrace our own mission, we must not allow fear or anxiety to hinder us. Pray that the courage, peace, and steadfast love that Jesus embodied during that first Holy Week may flourish in your heart. Let go of fear, worry, and selfishness, and allow Jesus’ love and strength to fill you, so that His mission may continue through you and, with our Lord, you may lay down your life for others.
Sacrificial Lamb of God, You entered Jerusalem as the new and perfect Lamb of Sacrifice, whose blood would be shed for the salvation of all who turn to You. Please open my heart, dear Lord, to receive all You wish to bestow upon me. Fill me with the virtues You possessed, so that my life will be united to Yours and Your Sacrifice will become alive in me. Jesus, I trust in You.
The Definitive Passover Celebration
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year B)
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:9–10
The week of Passover was the most important time of the year for the Jewish people. It celebrated their identity as God’s chosen people, especially through the retelling of the Exodus narrative, which recounted their liberation from slavery in Egypt. A central theme of Passover was salvation—remembering how God set His people free. This annual celebration also stirred hope for the future, as many believed that the Messiah would come during Passover to bring definitive liberation from oppression.
It’s difficult to fully grasp the excitement in Jerusalem during that first Holy Week. Today, we commemorate Jesus’ entry as the people laid their cloaks and branches before Him, crying out, “Hosanna!” By this time, Jesus had engaged in about three years of public ministry. He and His disciples traveled across the Jewish nation and beyond, preaching, performing miracles, and drawing large crowds. Many had heard Him speak, witnessed His divine authority, and even more had heard about Him.
As news of Jesus spread, many began to believe that He was the long-awaited Messiah promised by the prophets. The Jewish people were deeply familiar with their history, recounting God’s promises through Abraham, Moses, King David, the prophets, and down to their own day. Imagine the excitement filling many hearts as they considered the possibility that they were witnessing the Messiah’s arrival, ushering in a new and glorious era for Israel. Their entire history pointed to this moment, and many hoped that their deliverance was finally at hand.
Like those faithful Jews on the first Palm Sunday, we are often filled with joy when we first encounter the consoling presence of Jesus in our lives. Whether through a powerful sermon, acts of charity, grace-filled prayer, a fruitful retreat, or insightful spiritual reading, these moments leave us joyful. Yet, just as the first Holy Week went from joy to shock, we too often experience consolation that turns to sorrow when we encounter the Cross in our lives.
The lesson we learn from today’s solemnity is that Jesus did not enter Jerusalem to be crowned as an earthly king, as many expected. Instead, He entered to mount the throne of the Cross and become the definitive Passover Lamb. His blood would mark the faithful, ensuring that they would be eternally passed over by the angel of death and led from the slavery of sin into the eternal Promised Land of Heaven.
Recall that the first Passover in Egypt did not immediately lead to the Promised Land and the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel. Instead, it led to forty years in the desert, during which the fidelity of God’s people was tested again and again. Similarly, our joyful welcome of Christ—whether in moments of profound prayer, retreat, or consolation—does not immediately lead us into a life of complete freedom. Once we proclaim Jesus as the Messiah and are marked with His Sacred Blood, we must enter our own “forty years in the desert”—a time of testing, transformation, purification, and fidelity. Though there is great joy when we welcome Jesus into the Jerusalem of our souls, the Passion is never far off.
Reflect today on the joyful and enthusiastic welcome Jesus received as He entered Jerusalem for the Passover. Prayerfully see Jerusalem as an image of your own soul. Welcome our Lord as He enters. Cry out, “Hosanna in the highest!” Give thanks for every consolation, insight, and grace you have received. Then turn your eyes to the end of the week. Know that as Jesus enters your soul, He comes to lead you to His Cross and invites you to participate in His sacrificial offering. Do not be shocked or horrified by the contrasting experiences of consolation and suffering in your spiritual life. Instead, learn from the example of your Savior: Embrace Him with joy as the Messiah, agonize with Him in the Garden, and die with Him on the Cross. Only then can you rise with Him on the third day.
My triumphant Lord, You entered Jerusalem with great solemnity and rejoicing. You were the long-awaited Messiah, and Your time of liberation had finally arrived for the faithful. Though Your plan of salvation was markedly different from what many expected, Your mission alone brought about true freedom. I welcome You into the Jerusalem of my soul, dear Lord, and pray that Your grace will enable me to follow You through Your Passion and death and into Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
Welcoming the King of Kings
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Year C)
As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Luke 19:36–38
Six days before the annual Feast of Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on “a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat” (Luke 19:30). He was warmly welcomed with jubilation and praise as the long-awaited Messiah. However, Jesus was no earthly king, and His Kingdom was not of this world. This is evident in His triumphal entry, which culminated not in worldly glory but in His mounting of the Cross, the true throne of His Kingship.
In ancient times, rulers and conquerors entered cities on mighty warhorses, accompanied by military processions that symbolized power, domination, and conquest. Jesus, however, rejects this image entirely by choosing to ride on a colt—a humble animal associated with everyday life and labor, not warfare.
A colt refers to a young donkey that had not yet been tamed for riding or labor. In biblical symbolism, donkeys represent peace, service, and humility, while horses symbolize war, domination, earthly power, and pride. Jesus’ deliberate choice to enter Jerusalem on a colt reveals the nature of His kingship: He is the King of Peace, reigning not through force or political might, but through meekness, love, and self-sacrifice. This act fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, which foretells the Messiah’s humble entrance into Jerusalem: “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Through this gesture, Jesus redefines kingship, inaugurating a Kingdom marked by mercy, service, and inner peace, rather than conquest or worldly power.
Our Lord’s actions teach us how to welcome His Kingdom into our lives and to live as members of that Kingdom. As a Kingdom of Peace, God’s reign within us brings interior harmony. When Jesus reigns in our hearts, the chaos of disordered desires, unruly passions, and obsessive thoughts gives way to His peace. Under the gentle rule of the King of Peace, our interior battles are won, allowing His grace to control our souls more fully.
Because “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28), those who welcome Jesus’ Kingship will also find that their life mission is changed. His reign moves us from seeking to be served to becoming servants of others, willing to lay down our lives with sacrificial love in union with our King. Emotional attachments and disordered loves give way to pure charity, freeing us from selfishness and teaching us to live in humble service.
The reign of God in our lives is possible only through humility. Humility allows us to acknowledge our need for Christ to reign as King. It opens us to our weaknesses and limitations, showing us that we cannot control our lives alone. Humility opens our hearts to God’s grace, enabling Him to establish His Kingdom within us. Once God reigns in our lives, we become instruments for His glory and the salvation of souls.
Without humility, we remain worldly, trying to fight life’s battles through pride and self-reliance, seeking domination and control over others. This only leads to disorder and turmoil. In contrast, when we surrender to Christ’s gentle reign, we are freed from selfishness and pride, becoming channels of His peace.
Reflect today on Jesus’ true Kingship and how you are called to live as a member of His Kingdom. Ponder whether you have welcomed Christ’s reign in your life. If interior chaos and war within your soul are present, it might indicate that certain areas of your life are not yet fully surrendered to His gentle rule. Humbly surrender more fully to His control, knowing that having Him as your Lord is the only way to find the interior peace you seek and to embrace the selfless service to God and others to which you are called.
My Lord and King, You came to establish a Kingdom of mercy, service, and inner peace and desire that Your Kingdom be established in my soul today. Where disorder and chaos reign in me, please enter as King and establish Your peace. Give me humility so that I can more fully surrender to Your rule in my life as I look forward to the great day of Your universal reign. Jesus, I trust in You.
Wholehearted Worship
Monday of Holy Week
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:1–3
On Saturday evening, the day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples enjoyed a meal at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany, located about two miles from Jerusalem. Lazarus—who had recently been raised from the dead after being in the tomb for four days—was present at the meal. Martha fulfilled her important role of loving service, while Mary once again took center stage with her profound act of devotion, honoring Jesus by anointing Him with a liter of costly perfume made from pure nard, worth nearly a year’s wages.
The nard (spikenard) Mary used was an aromatic oil derived from the roots of a plant native to the Himalayan regions of modern-day Nepal and northern India. Due to the challenges of harvesting and transporting it over a distance of 3,000 to 4,000 miles, nard was a luxury item in Israel, reserved for the wealthy or used in sacred rituals. Its fragrance, prized for its therapeutic properties, was often used in perfumes, incense, and anointing oils. The lavish use of this rare oil emphasizes the depth of Mary’s devotion.
Practically speaking, it might be easy to sympathize with Judas’ strong objection: “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Imagine how many people could have been helped by that money! Yet Jesus’ affirmation of Mary’s action is absolute: “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:7–8). Jesus’ words are not dismissive of the poor; rather, they point to the highest duty we must fulfill: the worship of God.
Mary’s act of love demonstrates that wholehearted worship is the foundation of all other good works. Recall Jesus’ twofold commandment: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). Only when the first and greatest commandment is fulfilled—love of God—can the second be fully realized—love of neighbor. Charity that does not flow directly out of our love for and worship of God becomes mere philanthropy. When charity is rooted in worship of God, it becomes an expression of and participation in divine love.
Mary got it right. She might not have fully understood what she was doing, but her heart told her to honor Jesus as God, sparing nothing in her effort. The symbolism cannot be missed. Her anointing not only prophesied Jesus’ impending death and the customary anointing of a body for burial but also pointed to His identity as the Messiah—God’s anointed King and High Priest. The quality and quantity of the oil symbolize our duty to generously offer God our very best—everything we have and are—placing nothing earthly above divine worship. Anointing His feet emphasizes Mary’s humility, prefiguring the service that Jesus Himself would show by washing His disciples’ feet. The fragrance filling the house shows how authentic acts of devotion leave a lasting witness. It lingers, symbolizing how acts of true devotion not only honor God but also inspire others, spreading the “aroma of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15) wherever they are offered. In this, Mary teaches us that love for God surpasses what the natural mind perceives as practical, reminding us that the wisdom of wholehearted worship is understood only through the gift of grace.
Reflect today on your sacred duty to imitate Mary’s loving act of devotion. How do you express your deep love for God? Sometimes we take God for granted, treating our relationship with Him as one-sided, always asking for favors. Imitate Mary of Bethany by choosing to honor and worship God for the single reason that He is God and is worthy of all our love. If you can get worship right, as Mary did, all else will flow from that interior disposition of wholehearted devotion, enabling you to fulfill every other duty God has entrusted to you.
My Lord and God, You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the World. I love and adore You with all my soul. Draw me into deep worship of You, making it my first and greatest priority, so that from that act of charity, all good things will flow. Jesus, I trust in You.
Human Trials and God’s Grace
Tuesday of Holy Week
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” John 13:21
Love, betrayal, divine glory, and human weakness permeate today’s Gospel, offering us a contrast of emotions and experiences to ponder. All forms of joys and trials affect our lives. Life is not “a bed of roses,” as the old saying goes. Besides joy, love, and excitement, we are touched by hurt, anger, fear, and anxiety. The same was true of Jesus’ human experience with His disciples and all those who encountered Him. Through no fault of His own, Jesus was a polarizing figure. Some people loved Him deeply—such as His Blessed Mother, John, Mary of Bethany, and Mary of Magdala—while others despised Him, such as the scribes and Pharisees. Today’s Gospel presents us with another figure whose life added great drama to the Gospel story—not because he loved or hated Jesus with passion—but because he was greedy and spiritually misguided.
Today we read Saint John’s account of the Last Supper. Jesus and His disciples were gathered in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover meal. He began by washing the disciples’ feet, a profound act of humble service. After this, Jesus prophesied that one of the Twelve would betray Him. When John, the Beloved Disciple, asked who the traitor was, Jesus identified Judas by handing him a morsel of food—an act of intimate friendship and trust. At that moment, “Satan entered him.” With both meekness and authority, Jesus told Judas: “What you are going to do, do quickly.” And immediately, “Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night” (John 13:27, 30). The night’s unfolding drama did not end with Judas’s betrayal. Jesus also revealed to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times” (John 13:38).
Though Jesus was God, He was also fully human, capable of feeling every human emotion to a much greater degree than we are, due to the perfection of His humanity. Therefore, within Jesus’ human soul we discover a profound contrast of emotions to the full range of human experience. One of the Twelve will hand Him over to death later that evening, while another, the one He would entrust with the leadership of His Church, would deny he even knew Jesus. On top of that, Jesus was fully aware that later that night He would be arrested, tortured, falsely accused, imprisoned, and await the sentence of death in the morning. He not only felt the effects of these events within His humanity, but His empathy enabled Him to perceive the experiences of the Twelve, His mother, and all who loved or hated Him. He felt their pain, confusion, and anger far before they did, and He felt those emotions much deeper than they ever would. Only His mother, who would stand by Him faithfully at the Cross, would experience the depth of human suffering that Jesus felt within His soul.
Why would God take on human nature and permit Himself to experience such pain? Because all human emotions—even pain—-needed to be intermingled with divine love. Because of the hypostatic union, all of Christ’s human experiences—whether joyful or sorrowful—were perfectly united with divine love and transformed into sources of grace for those whom He loves. His courageous entrance into His Passion makes it possible for us to endure our own human trials with His strength, hope, and peace.
Reflect today on your life and the experiences you endure and enjoy. If some experiences are overwhelming, know that Jesus perfectly understands, deeply empathizes, and offers a remedy. He invites you into His own trials, promising you His divine strength to untangle confusion and flood you with peace. Unite the blessings you enjoy with Jesus’ Passion as well. Among Jesus’ greatest earthly delights was the love His mother lavished upon Him, especially as she stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross. With our Lord, receive your blessings with gratitude and allow them to strengthen you so that you may endure your own daily trials, guided by His meekness and authority, leading you to a share in His Resurrection.
My empathetic and understanding Lord, by taking on our human nature, You permitted Yourself to experience everything we experience. Though sinless, You endured the effects of sin with suffering and love. Please draw me into Your human joys and trials so that I can live my life in You, by You, and through You, receiving grace through Your humanity so as to share in Your glory and divinity. Jesus, I trust in You.
Perceiving Jesus as Lord
Wednesday of Holy Week
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray 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.” Matthew 26:21–23
The Last Supper was both a glorious moment of grace and a painful moment of betrayal. During that meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the gift of His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity that perpetuates His saving sacrifice until the end of time. It was also at that holy meal that one of Jesus’ closest companions lied to His face and resolved to betray Him for thirty pieces of silver.
According to the Torah, if an ox killed a slave, the owner was required to pay the slave’s master thirty pieces of silver. The holy irony is that Judas betrayed Jesus for the price of a slave, even though Jesus came to set all people free from the slavery of sin.
When Jesus informs the Twelve that one of them would betray Him, He does so without anger or self-pity. His words reflect holy sorrow, accompanied by resignation, clarity, and gentleness. This sorrow is not merely sadness over His impending suffering but a loving sorrow for the lost soul of His betrayer. Deeply distressed, the disciples respond one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?”
The Greek word Kyrios, used here for “Lord,” denotes authority, mastery, and divine lordship. It appears frequently in the New Testament, primarily in reference to Jesus. In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), Kyrios replaces YHWH, the sacred and unspoken name of God, about 7,000 times. By addressing Jesus as Kyrios, the eleven recognize Him not only as their teacher but as the Messiah and Son of God. This title expresses a relationship of trust and reverence, acknowledging Jesus’ divine authority.
When Judas speaks, he replaces Kyrios with Rabbí—“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”—a transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic term meaning “teacher.” While respectful, this address falls short of acknowledging Jesus as Kyrios, focusing on Him as a human teacher rather than as Lord, Messiah, and God. This distinction is subtle but significant, inviting us to reflect on how we approach Jesus during the Holy Mass, since this conversation took place at the Last Supper—the first Mass. Do we approach Him with the heart of Judas, recognizing Him only in an earthly sense, or with the faith of the other disciples, seeing Him as Lord?
Judas did not hate Jesus. Unlike the Pharisees who sought His death, Judas regretted his betrayal, tried to return the thirty pieces of silver, and tragically “went off and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3–5). His greatest failure was that he could not look beyond Jesus’ humanity to perceive His divinity. His eyes were fixed on himself—particularly his greed and selfish desires. In a similar way, when we approach the Eucharist without faith, surrender, and adoration, we risk falling into Judas’ error: focusing more on ourselves than on Christ.
At Mass, we say, “Lord, have mercy,” not “Rabbi, have mercy.” This prayer must come from the depths of our hearts, recognizing our need for mercy with God as its source. When we kneel at the consecration, our hearts should cry out, “My Lord and my God!” Yet, how often are we distracted, thinking about our plans after Mass? When we neglect to approach Jesus in faith and reverence, we miss the opportunity to encounter Him as He truly is—our Lord and our God.
Reflect today on how you participate in the Holy Mass. See yourself at the Last Supper, uniting that moment with every Mass you attend. Pray that you may receive Jesus with love, devotion, and reverence, looking beyond the appearance of bread and wine to encounter your Lord.
My Lord and my God, I believe in You, I adore You, I hope in Your mercy, and I love You with all my heart. Please fill me with a deep faith in Your presence, especially every time I attend Mass. May I recognize my need for You and surrender completely to Your mercy and love. Jesus, I trust in You.
Realizing What He Has Done
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Reflection I)
So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:12–15
The celebration of the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday is one of the most spiritually enriching liturgical celebrations of the year. The Mass begins with an empty tabernacle. After the readings and homily, the ritual of the washing of the disciples’ feet takes place. The Mass culminates with the celebration of the Eucharist, which is then carried in procession to another altar for adoration by the faithful until midnight, during which time we are invited to spend an hour with our Lord, in communion with Him during His Agony in the Garden.
The Gospel for the Mass, from Saint John, presents the beginning of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. Jesus performs the act of a servant by washing the disciples’ feet. Though this surprises them, especially Peter, Jesus insists, saying, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me” (John 13:8). Our Lord says the same to us.
Often people understand the washing of the feet only superficially. Perhaps that is why Jesus said to the disciples, “Do you realize what I have done for you?…” This begs the question: Do you understand the deep and transforming meaning of this most sacred act? This was not Jesus’ way of simply telling us that we should be nice to one another and look for opportunities to do each other kind favors. The meaning is much richer. First, we need to be washed by Jesus. Second, we must participate in Jesus’ washing of others.
How are we washed by Jesus? By His Cross and Resurrection that destroyed sin and restored eternal life. We need to be washed by His blood, which was shed for us and first administered to His disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus was telling them that they need the cleansing He was giving them: the cleansing of sin. Today, this cleansing takes place first in Baptism and then in Reconciliation. If we wish to share in the Eucharist fruitfully, we must first be cleansed through Baptism. When we sin later in life, this cleansing takes place by confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which prepares us to receive Him worthily in the Eucharist. When we receive those sacraments, we should hear our Lord say to us, “Do you realize what I have done for you?”
After that question, Jesus says, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Of course, we are not Jesus. We cannot forgive sins and give to others His Sacred Body and Blood, right? Remember that Jesus was talking to His Apostles, the first bishops, so, “Yes,” Jesus was commanding them, and all bishops and priests that followed, to perpetuate His ongoing gift through the faithful administration of the Sacraments He instituted.
Though that is the central command, our Lord also calls all of us to participate in His self-gift. Though only He could offer us the cleansing and transformation we need—which is perpetuated throughout time in the Sacraments—He also commands each of us to imitate His sacrificial love in charity, the “model” He has given us to follow. Forgiven of our sins and strengthened by the Eucharist, we must turn our attention to others, choosing to do everything necessary to be Christ to them, laying our lives down, selflessly and without hesitation. This command applies not only to those we like, but to everyone, equally and unwaveringly. Note that Jesus even washed Judas’ feet, despite knowing Judas would soon betray Him. In doing so, Jesus teaches us that charity extends even to those who wrong us, calling us to love as He loves—without conditions or limits.
Reflect today upon Jesus’ question to the Twelve: “Do you realize what I have done for you?” Ponder that question today, especially this evening. Do you understand the depth of His Sacrifice? Do you understand the Sacraments that perpetuate that Sacrifice throughout time? Do you understand the demands that your reception of His gift places on you? Be open to all that Jesus offers you and, in turn, give what you have been given to others.
My sacrificial Teacher and Lord, You have poured out upon me Your Precious Blood to cleanse me from sin and restore me to life. Though I will never fully fathom this Gift, I pray for Understanding, so that I can comprehend more fully this great mystery. As You transform me, please use me as a gift, poured out for others, in charity and selfless service of divine love. Jesus, I trust in You.
Worthily Participating in the Mass
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Reflection II)
“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11: 24–26
The very next line, not included in today’s second reading, says, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27). Do you drink His Blood and eat His Body worthily? Saint Paul continues in verse 28: “A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.” The word “examine” means we are to test ourselves thoroughly, ensuring that our hearts and actions align with the truth of Christ’s sacrifice. Failing to do so not only damages our relationship with Christ but also causes disunity within the Church, the Body of Christ.
To understand this and to understand the Holy Eucharist is to enter into a sacred mystery. Our understanding cannot be based on what makes us feel good. It must be based on the truth. Only then will the Eucharist have the transforming effect upon our lives that God intends.
Holy Thursday begins the most sacred time of the year—the Holy Triduum. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday form one unified mystery in which we are invited to participate. They cannot be separated. The meaning of Holy Thursday and the Eucharist only become fully clear when we gaze upon them through the lens of Good Friday and Easter.
When we understand the Eucharist in light of Good Friday, we realize that our participation in the Mass and reception of Holy Communion mean receiving the fruits of Christ’s sacrifice. In doing so, we are invited not only to comprehend this mystery intellectually but to experience it personally. A worthy reception of Christ’s Body and Blood—i.e., aligning our hearts and actions with the truth of His sacrifice—makes us members of His Body, given in love. The Eucharist embodies the same self-giving love that Christ revealed on the Cross. There is no greater love than selflessly laying down one’s life for others, in conformity with God’s will. This is love, this is Good Friday, this is Holy Thursday, and this is the Eucharist.
Easter Sunday shows us the fruit of participating in this sacrifice: new life in Christ. When we receive the Eucharist worthily—embracing Christ’s self-giving love and living it out in our daily lives—our sacrifices do not end in sadness. United with Christ’s Cross, these sacrifices lead to joy because His Cross culminates in the Resurrection.
When we understand, believe, and embrace these sacred mysteries, we become worthy partakers of the Paschal Mystery—Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection. When we fail to understand, believe, and embrace the true mystery of the Eucharist, we consume it unworthily and bring judgment upon ourselves and damage the Body of Christ, the Church. Yet even this judgment is an invitation to repentance and reconciliation, drawing us back into unity with the Body of Christ, the Church. Worthy participation means not only aligning our hearts with Christ but also striving for unity within His Church, seeking reconciliation with others as we approach the altar.
Reflect today on your participation in the Mass. As you enter into the beauty of Holy Thursday, seek to understand the full meaning of the Eucharist. Resolve to participate worthily by aligning your life with the truth of the Paschal Mystery, which is made present to us throughout the Sacred Triduum. As you receive Jesus’ Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, choose to die with Him in sacrificial love so that every sacrifice you make will lead to the joy of the Resurrection.
My sacrificial Lord, as the Passover began that Holy Thursday evening, You fully entered into the great mystery of sacrificial love, freely laying Your life down for others. Please draw me into a worthy participation in Your sacrificial love by enabling me to lay my life down in conformity with Your will. I pray that my every sacrifice, united with Yours, will culminate in my sharing in Your glorious Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
The Passover of the LORD
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Reflection III)
“This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD.” Exodus 12:11
This passage from tonight’s first reading recounts the first Passover in Egypt when God, by His mighty hand, delivered the Israelites from slavery. He commanded them to sacrifice an unblemished lamb, mark their doorposts with its blood, and eat the roasted lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The lamb, offered as a substitutionary victim, signified that its death spared the Israelites from the final plague—the death of the firstborn. The unleavened bread symbolized the haste of their departure, as there was no time for the dough to rise. The bitter herbs represented the suffering and bitterness the Israelites endured during their bondage in Egypt.
The first Passover prefigures Christ, the Lamb of God and the Firstborn Son of the Father, whose sacrifice on the Cross delivers us from the slavery of sin and death, granting eternal life to all who are marked by His Blood through faith and the sacraments. The new Passover meal is the Eucharist, instituted by Jesus on Holy Thursday. We continue to use unleavened bread for Mass as a symbol of our readiness to journey through the desert of purification from sin, nourished by the Eucharist. While bitter herbs are physically absent from our Eucharistic celebration, we spiritually contemplate the bitterness of Christ’s sufferings during Mass, made visibly present by the crucifix placed centrally and prominently within our churches.
Especially on Holy Thursday we must hear God speak to us as He did to the Israelites on the first Passover. Today, however, we must hear His words in an even more definitive way: “It is the Passover of the LORD.”
The first Passover teaches us much about how we are to celebrate the Holy Mass. First and foremost, the Mass is a real participation in the Sacrifice of the Firstborn Son of the Father Who offered Himself as the Lamb of God. During the Mass, we are marked with His Blood, which shields us from sin and death. Reception of the Eucharist places profound demands upon us. If we are to receive Him in Holy Communion, we must be ready to respond to the grace we receive. When we are dismissed from the Mass, we must hear God’s exhortation—embodied in the “Ita Missa est” (“Go in peace”)—a holy command to go in haste out of slavery and into the purifying and arduous journey through the desert of conversion, so as to arrive safely at the Promised Land of Heaven. We must “taste” the bitterness of sacrifice willingly, embracing it without complaint or resentment.
The Eucharist, the fulfillment of the Passover of the LORD, is a meal for those embarking on a long journey—a journey that demands perseverance and trust as we experience sacrifice, discomfort, and hunger. As the Israelites were led by the Pillar of Fire by night and the Pillar of Cloud by day, so Christ Himself— our Light and Guide—will lead us through our “forty years in the desert” of conversion and Christian living. He leads us by the truth of His Word, the grace of the sacraments, and the example of His saints, sustaining us with His Body and Blood as we press on toward the fulfillment of God’s promises. Just as the Israelites trusted in God’s presence in the wilderness, we are called to trust in Christ’s abiding presence with us, especially in the Eucharist, as we journey through life’s trials and temptations toward the eternal Promised Land of Heaven, where all sacrifice will give way to everlasting joy in the presence of God.
As we enter into this most holy night of Holy Thursday, reflect upon this night as the beginning of the Christian journey. Though Jesus’ final and definitive Passover began with the Last Supper, it quickly turned chaotic as He was arrested, judged, condemned, tortured, and killed. Every time we participate in the Eucharist with faith and devotion, we must expect what followed. The Eucharist is the food we need to press on with hope, not despair; trust, not fear; and sacrifice, not selfishness. It is the Passover of the LORD. Celebrate it this evening in the way our Lord intends this Sacred Meal to be celebrated.
Firstborn Son of the Father, on Holy Thursday night You entered into Your Passion, during which You became the definitive and substitutionary Passover Victim for our sins. As the Lamb of God, You offer us Your Body and Blood as our nourishment on the journey from the slavery of sin to the freedom of Heaven. Grant that I may always understand the mystery of the Mass and celebrate it with true faith and devotion, ready to respond to You promptly wherever You lead me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Behold, Your Mother
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (Reflection I)
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27
If God invited you to be present at one moment in the Scriptures, to see it with your eyes, hear it with your ears, and experience it with your heart, what moment would that be? Certainly, Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Christ’s birth, a miracle, or a sermon would be awe-inspiring. The moment, however, that perhaps best manifests pure and perfect love is the love shared between Mother and Son during Jesus’ three hours on the Cross.
Throughout His life, Jesus’ mother was uniquely privileged to know Him like no other. She bore Him in her womb, nursed Him at her breast, bathed Him as a child, fed Him, watched Him grow, and was attentive to His every virtue. As His ministry attracted both great attention and harsh criticism, her Immaculate and motherly Heart remained perfectly attentive to Him and His mission.
As tensions rose during the week of Passover, her motherly intuition filled her Immaculate Heart with an intertwining of the most holy love and sorrow imaginable. When Jesus was arrested, the pain was deeper than any human heart had ever suffered, and her resolve to be present at her Son’s Passion was stronger than any earthly force could stop. No fear, threat, or sorrow could keep her from accompanying her Son to the very end. In perfect union with the will of God, Mary’s love was unwavering. Her silent presence at the Cross became a testament to the boundless strength of maternal devotion. Just as she had embraced Jesus in the joy of His Nativity, she now held Him in her heart during His Passion, standing as both witness and participant in the work of redemption.
As Jesus looked down at her from the Cross upon which He hung, the human consolation He received from His mother’s gaze was all He needed. Her love and affection were His only remaining earthly possessions. Stripped bare, nailed to the Cross, and suffocating, His mother’s love could not be taken from Him. Yet Jesus came to give all out of love—everything He possessed, including His mother. Out of love, Jesus entrusted her to John, the beloved disciple—and through him, to all of us—so that we might receive her as our own mother.
As He looked at her with the deepest love ever shared between two people, He called her “Woman”—“Woman, behold your son.” By calling her “Woman,” Jesus revealed the fulfillment of her identity in salvation history. She was the woman foretold in Genesis and the woman revealed in the vision of Revelation. In that moment, when the heavens were torn open and grace poured down upon the world, Jesus’ mother fulfilled her role as the New Eve, the new Mother of all the Living. She became the Mother and protector of all God’s children, interceding for them with unparalleled love and participating in the mediation of God’s grace. To John, who stood by her, Jesus said, “Behold, your mother.” With that, He thirsted, drank the bitter wine on a sprig of hyssop, cried out, “It is finished!,” bowed His head, and handed over His spirit.
As we celebrate this Good Friday, fix your gaze upon the moment when human love, united with divine love, was revealed to the world in the most sacred way. The love between this Mother and Son, alongside the gift of His mother and the New Eve to all of us, embodies the selfless nature of divine love. Ponder this mystery. Pray that you may be spiritually drawn into that moment. Gaze upon their love and hear the Messiah, the Son of God, say to you: “Behold, your mother.” Hearing, believing, and responding to those words makes you present at that moment when love was perfected and salvation poured forth upon the world.
Most generous Lord, as You suffered upon the Cross, having nothing left in this world but Your mother, You entrusted her to us to be our mother, so that we could participate in the love that You and she shared. I do behold her as my mother, and You as my King and God. I love You and thank You with all my heart for the unfathomable gift You have given me. Jesus, I trust in You.
The Cup of Consummation
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (Reflection II)
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. John 19:28–30
The Passover meal Jesus shared with His disciples on Holy Thursday was not merely a commemoration of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. It was the fulfillment of all that the first Passover prefigured and the establishment of the New and Perpetual Passover in Christ, the Lamb of God and Eternal High Priest.
The Old Testament Passover followed strict prescriptions: The lamb had to be without blemish, symbolizing purity, and its blood was sprinkled on the altar to recall Israel’s protection from the angel of death. Families ate the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, accompanied by four cups of wine. Each cup symbolized a stage in God’s promises made in Exodus 6:6–7:
First Cup (Sanctification): “I will free you.”
Second Cup (Deliverance): “I will deliver you.”
Third Cup (Redemption): “I will redeem you.”
Fourth Cup (Praise or Consummation): “I will take you as my own.”
These promises are fulfilled in Christ’s offering, signifying our freedom from sin, deliverance from evil, redemption through His sacrifice, and consummation in His eternal Kingdom.
At the Last Supper, Jesus altered the structure of this ancient meal, instituting the Eucharist. With the third cup, the Cup of Redemption, He declared, “This is my body, which will be given for you” (Luke 22:19) and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). Through these words, Christ revealed that He was the true Passover Lamb, offering His Body and Blood for the salvation of the world.
Importantly, He left the fourth and final cup—the Cup of Consummation—undrunk, signaling that His work of redemption was not yet complete. Jesus told His disciples, “I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of my Father” (Matthew 26:29). The completion of the Passover would not end in the Upper Room but on the Cross.
Three significant moments at the Cross unfold in John’s Gospel: Jesus entrusts His mother to John, expresses His thirst, and, after receiving wine, proclaims, “It is finished.” His thirst was a divine longing for souls to enter the Church, the new family of God. In uniting Mary and John beneath the Cross, Jesus symbolically entrusted all believers into this communion of love, born from His side in the order of grace. When He drank the wine on the Cross, the fourth cup—the Cup of Consummation—was completed, sealing the New Covenant in His Blood.
The Cross becomes the altar of the New Passover. Jesus, the unblemished Lamb and High Priest, offers His life as the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of souls. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we mystically partake of this perpetual offering, receiving the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. The four cups of the New Passover are fulfilled in the Sacrifice of the Mass: God frees us from sin, delivers us from evil, redeems us through His Blood, and takes us to Himself in love.
Reflect today on Christ’s words from the Cross: “It is finished.” In other words, it is consummated! See Him inviting you to be united with His Blessed Mother as her child, a member of His Body, the Church. Hear His thirst for your soul, and behold the Lamb of God as He drinks the Cup of Consummation, completing His work of redemption. May His finished work transform your life, drawing you ever deeper into His life-giving love.
Holy Lamb of God and High Priest, You offered Your life as the perfect and perpetual Sacrificial Lamb, the lamb without blemish, for the salvation of souls. Draw me into the great mystery of redemption. Open my eyes to see what You have done, and open my heart to the abundant grace poured forth upon me. You are my God, my Messiah, my Lord, and my Savior. Jesus, I trust in You.
Sacrificial Love
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (Reflection III)
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Judas his betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. John 18:1–3
In the quiet of the garden, the Passion of the Son of God began. With full knowledge of what lay ahead, Jesus willingly embraced suffering. Today, we pause to commemorate His unfathomable final hours. God the Son, co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, took on human nature through the Blessed Virgin Mary, living fully as one of us, yet without sin. His earthly mission culminated on that first Good Friday when He accepted betrayal, mockery, scourging, condemnation, and death on the Cross. Though He would rise three days later, restoring life and hope, today we are invited to reflect on His Passion and sacrificial love.
Among the many virtues Christ embodied, His sacrificial love—also called charity—is the synthesis of all virtue, which is revealed most fully through His Passion. As we contemplate the mystery of His love, we are called not only to receive it but also to imitate it, no matter how incomprehensible it may seem.
The word “love” expresses many human experiences. In Scripture, four Greek words are translated as “love.” Agapē is selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the good of the other at personal cost. Philia is the bond of friendship; eros is romantic desire; and storgē is the natural affection within families. While each reflects an important aspect of human life, only agapē fully captures the selfless love Christ embodied in His Passion.
This agapē—sacrificial love—shines throughout Jesus’ final hours. His presence in Jerusalem for the Passover was no accident; He came as the spotless Lamb, willingly laying down His life. In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing Judas would soon arrive with soldiers and guards, Jesus could have fled, but He did not. Instead, He entered His Passion willingly, “knowing everything that was going to happen to him…” (John 18:4).
Throughout the night, Jesus endured betrayal, mockery, Peter’s denial, and the high priests’ unjust interrogation. In the morning, He stood before Pilate, who reluctantly gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus’ scourging. After being crowned with thorns and mocked as a king, Jesus stood again before Pilate, bloodied and beaten.
Through all this, Jesus’ sacrificial love never faltered. He returned mercy for hatred, compassion for mockery, and forgiveness for judgment. Without faith, these responses appear shocking—confounding both His enemies and His followers. Such love transcends human understanding; it requires grace to perceive its wisdom.
When Pilate ordered His crucifixion, Jesus carried His own Cross by His own will, driven by sacrificial love and Divine Wisdom. At that moment, perhaps only He and His Blessed Mother fully understood the unfolding mystery. Though many would grasp it later, in that moment, most could not comprehend His sacrificial love.
As we behold the culmination of Jesus’ perfect Sacrifice, gaze upon His crucifixion with the deepest gratitude. Look beyond the blood and horror to see an utterly selfless and sacrificial love. Jesus offered the perfect atoning sacrifice for sin, opening the way to eternal life. Yet His sacrifice is more than an offering for our salvation; it is also a model for us to follow, an invitation to live in imitation of His love, made possible by His grace.
Reflect today on Jesus’ invitation to share in His act of sacrificial love. Receive the gift of salvation He accomplished by His blood; then, ponder how God is calling you to live sacrificially. Forgive without reserve, abandon selfishness, and live sacrificially for others. Lay down your life freely—with courage, humility, and compassion. Once sanctified, focus on the salvation of others. This form of love requires the divine wisdom of sacrificial love to elevate your mind and will beyond what human nature can comprehend or choose.
Most Holy Lamb of God, Your love, guided by the perfection of divine Wisdom, surpassed every lower form of human love. Your Sacrifice atoned for my sins and those of the whole world. May I not only receive this gift of atonement in my life, but also imitate it in my actions so that You will save many souls through me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Hopeful Anticipation of Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday
Though the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was not offered yesterday, the faithful received Holy Communion during the commemoration of the Lord’s Passion. Today, however, the Church falls into profound silence. No liturgical services are celebrated during the day; the tabernacle remains empty, and the Church waits in expectant stillness for the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection. This silence invites us to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s descent to the dead and to reflect on the unfathomable depths of His sacrifice.
For those who attend daily Mass, this day often brings a sense of emptiness—a longing for the Eucharist that reflects the soul’s spiritual hunger. Yet, in Her wisdom, the Church withholds both the Mass and the reception of the Eucharist. Why? Because Holy Saturday, in itself, communicates a distinct grace. The stillness of this day is not a deprivation but a profound way of receiving—a gift offered in silence, inviting us to trust, wait, and hope.
The Triduum reveals that the liturgical year itself is a source of grace, with each of these three sacred days unfolding the Paschal Mystery in stages. Saint Thomas Aquinas explains it this way: “The figure ceases on the advent of the reality. But this sacrament is a figure and a representation of our Lord’s Passion, as stated above. And therefore, on the day on which our Lord’s Passion is recalled as it was really accomplished, this sacrament is not consecrated” (Summa Theologica III.83.2). In other words, Good Friday, through our participation in the Lord’s Passion, communicates to us the full grace of His redemptive sacrifice, making the celebration of the Eucharist unnecessary on that day.
Similarly, Holy Saturday bestows a unique grace that draws us into the mystery of waiting with hopeful anticipation. Though no liturgical celebrations occur until the Easter Vigil, this day of silence invites us to rest in the hope of Christ’s ultimate triumph. We are called to remain with Our Lady and the disciples in their vigil, trusting that even in the stillness, God is at work and the promise of the Resurrection will soon be fulfilled.
In our lives, hopeful anticipation is an essential spiritual gift, offering the grace to persevere through trials, endure hardships patiently, and remain steadfast in hope, no matter the struggles we encounter. Hope is one of the three theological virtues, grounded in faith and inspiring us to put faith into action, which gives rise to charity—the greatest of all virtues. Without supernatural hope, we cannot fully attain or sustain charity.
Yet, hope is far more than wishful or optimistic thinking. Supernatural hope is anchored in God’s promises, received through faith, and nurtured by prayer and trust. Our Blessed Mother exemplifies this hope. On Holy Saturday, her heart was not filled with doubt but with an unshakable hope that moved her to keep vigil in prayer, awaiting the fulfillment of her Son’s promise. This hope did not end in mere anticipation but blossomed into supernatural charity—a love rooted in God’s will, bearing fruit even in the face of grief and uncertainty.
Reflect today on the silence of Holy Saturday. As you do, consider the anxieties, impatience, or hardships you might be enduring. Pray for hope in the midst of these trials, and anticipate the fulfillment of God’s saving promise in your life. Trust Him, wait on Him, and allow your faith and hope to fill you with the love of God and others, necessary to pass through Christ’s Passion into the glory of His Resurrection.
My silent Lord, as You lay in the tomb, Your body rested while Your spirit descended to those faithful souls who had died before You. For them and for all who would follow in faith, hope, and love, You opened the gates of Paradise. On this day of silent anticipation, fill me with hope, especially when I am tempted to despair. May I place all my trust in You and receive the abundance of Your grace this Holy Saturday. Jesus, I trust in You.
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