Psalm: 22
Reading II: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56
In the early seventeenth century there was a plague in Europe from which thousands of people died. Pleading with God for protection, the people in the village of Oberammergau, Germany, made a vow that they would put on a live Passion Play every ten years to help people remember what the Lord Jesus suffered for our salvation. After this vow was made, no one died from the plague in their village.
By staging a live Passion Play, the villagers give perpetual thanks to God for saving their people. (You can view one of the videos of the passion play on YouTube by clicking here.) In 2020, the presentation will take place again. People will travel from all over the world to see a play which involves many of the villagers.
It is most appropriate that the villagers would show their gratitude by doing something to remind people of God’s great love by having Jesus come to be our redeemer. It is important to remember that Jesus took on the great sufferings willingly on our behalf. This “remembering” was actually requested by the Lord himself during the breaking of the bread and the offering of wine at the Last Supper before his Passion.
The Church through the centuries has continued to remember the Lord’s
offering of Himself each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. During the Eucharistic Prayer, we hear the priest pray:
offering of Himself each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. During the Eucharistic Prayer, we hear the priest pray:
You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly
gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the
power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and
make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure Sacrifice may be
offered to your name.
gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the
power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and
make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure Sacrifice may be
offered to your name.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you: by the same
Spirit graciously make holy these gifts (bread and wine) we have
brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and
Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ at whose command we
celebrate these mysteries.
Spirit graciously make holy these gifts (bread and wine) we have
brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and
Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ at whose command we
celebrate these mysteries.
— Eucharistic Prayer 3
Then the people respond:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death,
O Lord, until you come again.
O Lord, until you come again.
With the separate consecration of the bread and wine, we witness the renewal of the total Sacrifice of himself by Jesus for our salvation. Because of the different time zones, this is happening somewhere in the world any time day or night. Therefore, we can offer our own sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God in union with Jesus’ Sacrifice at any time.
Some Catholics daily make that offering in the following or a similar prayer:
The Morning Offering
My God, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings
of this day in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world for the salvation of souls, reparation for
sin, and the reunion of Christians. Amen.
of this day in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world for the salvation of souls, reparation for
sin, and the reunion of Christians. Amen.
Reflection Question: How can I remember, with gratitude, the Sacrifice that was offered for my salvation?
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Domingo de Palma / Pasión
A principios del siglo XVII hubo una plaga en Europa de la que murieron miles
de personas. Suplicando a Dios por protección, las personas en la aldea de Oberammergau, Alemania, hicieron una promesa de que harían un Juego de Pasión en vivo cada diez años para ayudar a las personas a recordar lo que el Señor Jesús sufrió por nuestra salvación. Después de hacer este voto, nadie murió de la plaga en su aldea.
de personas. Suplicando a Dios por protección, las personas en la aldea de Oberammergau, Alemania, hicieron una promesa de que harían un Juego de Pasión en vivo cada diez años para ayudar a las personas a recordar lo que el Señor Jesús sufrió por nuestra salvación. Después de hacer este voto, nadie murió de la plaga en su aldea.
Al organizar un Juego de pasión en vivo, los aldeanos dan gracias perpetuas a Dios por salvar a su gente. (Puedes ver uno de los videos de Passion Play en YouTube haciendo clic aquí). En 2020, la presentación tendrá lugar de nuevo. La gente viajará desde todo el mundo para ver una obra que involucra a muchos de los aldeanos.
Es más apropiado que los aldeanos muestren su gratitud al hacer algo para recordar a la gente el gran amor de Dios al hacer que Jesús venga a ser nuestro redentor. Es importante recordar que Jesús asumió los grandes sufrimientos de buena gana en nuestro nombre. Este “recuerdo” en realidad fue solicitado por el mismo Señor durante el partimiento del pan y la ofrenda de vino en la Última Cena antes de su Pasión.
La Iglesia a través de los siglos ha continuado recordando la ofrenda del Señor de Sí Mismo cada vez que se ofrece el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa. Durante la oración eucarística, escuchamos la sacerdote ora:
Ciertamente eres santo, Señor, y todo lo que has creado correctamente.
Te alabamos, porque por tu Hijo nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por el
poder y obra del Espíritu Santo, das vida a todas las cosas y
hazlos santos, y nunca dejarás de reunir un pueblo para ti mismo,
de modo que desde la salida del sol hasta su puesta en escena, puede
ser un sacrificio puro ofrecido a su nombre.
Te alabamos, porque por tu Hijo nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por el
poder y obra del Espíritu Santo, das vida a todas las cosas y
hazlos santos, y nunca dejarás de reunir un pueblo para ti mismo,
de modo que desde la salida del sol hasta su puesta en escena, puede
ser un sacrificio puro ofrecido a su nombre.
Por eso, oh Señor, te imploramos humildemente: por lo mismo
El Espíritu amablemente hace santos estos regalos (pan y vino) que
tenemos traídos a usted para su consagración, para que puedan
convertirse en el Cuerpo y Sangre de tu Hijo, nuestro Señor
Jesucristo, bajo cuyo mandato nosotros. Celebra estos misterios.
El Espíritu amablemente hace santos estos regalos (pan y vino) que
tenemos traídos a usted para su consagración, para que puedan
convertirse en el Cuerpo y Sangre de tu Hijo, nuestro Señor
Jesucristo, bajo cuyo mandato nosotros. Celebra estos misterios.
— Eucharistic Prayer 3
Entonces la gente responde:
Cuando comemos este pan y bebemos esta copa, proclamamos
tu muerte. Oh Señor, hasta que vuelvas.
Con la consagración separada del pan y el vino, somos testigos de la renovación del sacrificio total de sí mismo por Jesús para nuestra salvación. Debido a las diferentes zonas horarias, esto sucede en cualquier parte del mundo a cualquier hora del día o de la noche. Por lo tanto, podemos ofrecer nuestro propio sacrificio de alabanza y agradecimiento a Dios en unión con el Sacrificio de Jesús en cualquier momento.
Algunos católicos hacen esa ofrenda diariamente en la siguiente oración o en una oración similar:
tu muerte. Oh Señor, hasta que vuelvas.
Con la consagración separada del pan y el vino, somos testigos de la renovación del sacrificio total de sí mismo por Jesús para nuestra salvación. Debido a las diferentes zonas horarias, esto sucede en cualquier parte del mundo a cualquier hora del día o de la noche. Por lo tanto, podemos ofrecer nuestro propio sacrificio de alabanza y agradecimiento a Dios en unión con el Sacrificio de Jesús en cualquier momento.
Algunos católicos hacen esa ofrenda diariamente en la siguiente oración o en una oración similar:
La Ofrenda de la Mañana
Dios mío, te ofrezco mis oraciones, obras, alegrías y sufrimientos
de este día en unión con el santo sacrificio de la misa
en todo el mundo, la salvación de las almas, la reparación de
el pecado, y la reunión de los cristianos. Amén.
de este día en unión con el santo sacrificio de la misa
en todo el mundo, la salvación de las almas, la reparación de
el pecado, y la reunión de los cristianos. Amén.
Pregunta de refleción: ¿Cómo puedo recordar, con gratitud, el sacrificio que se ofreció por mi salvación?
One of the benefits of my longer commute to work is that I have built-in time to recite the Rosary. In pondering its mysteries on a daily basis, I have grown in appreciation of the Sacrifices made by God the Father, Jesus, and Mary, as well as the Love that motivated them. Each cluster of Mysteries: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious, provides a beautiful reflection on the life of our Savior. Each decade fills me with immense gratitude for God’s great gift to us of His Son.
ReplyDeleteThe Joyful Mysteries reveal Mary as Mother of God. Her simple “yes” was an act of faith by which she submitted herself completely to God’s plan for her life. Mary’s life was one of humility, love and self-sacrifice. Mary is recognized as one who bridges the Old and New Testaments. God’s plan for salvation is recorded in The Old Testament, and Mary was chosen from the House of David to be the conduit through which the Son would be born into the world. "Jesus took His flesh from the flesh of Mary"(quote of St. Augustine).
In the Luminous Mysteries, we glimpse the public ministry of Christ. We see Jesus, beloved of God, validated by The Father twice in this Christ-centered decade – in the Baptism of Jesus and in the Transfiguration. It is also in the context of this decade that we meditate on the Institution of the Eucharist. In an act of love beyond comprehension, Jesus gives us His Body and Blood, gifting us with His Divine Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. “Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body’." This quote of St. Augustine increases my awareness of the total gift of self that Jesus gives us and of the appropriateness of worship due Him in Holy Communion. Augustine continues his Communion meditation, "Recognize in this bread what hung on the cross, and in this chalice what flowed from His side,” ... “whatever was … announced beforehand in the sacrifices of the Old Testament pertains to this one sacrifice which is revealed in the New Testament." (Sermon 3, 2; circa A.D. 410, original translation) Here again, as with Mary, we see the continuity of the Old Testament prophesies being fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus.
Focusing on the sufferings of Jesus’ Passion I am filled with sorrow as I meditate on his scourging, crowning with thorns, carrying of the cross, being nailed to the cross, and death upon the cross. The pain of Jesus was beyond imaginable. Time spent reflecting on the passion and death of Jesus in the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary helps me choose to not sin out of love for God, rather than fear of punishment. I am grateful for the pain and suffering that Jesus endured so that I might have eternal life.
The Glorious Mysteries fill me a sense of awe and reverence – Jesus rose from the dead! I place myself in the company of the disciples to get a sense of the excitement and joy they must have felt when they encountered the Resurrected Christ. I can imagine myself trying to persuade Jesus to stay with us rather than returning Home, “For Heaven’s sake, we could do so much more with You in our midst, Lord!” I’d lose my argument, of course; along with my fellow disciples, I’d be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a new life rooted in the principles of Jesus, and to share the Good News of Christ with others. Finally, Mary, our Mother, is assumed into Heaven and reunited with her Son, Jesus. I picture her being welcomed by God the Father, “Well-done, my beloved daughter.” I pray that Mary will guide me along my journey so that I, too, will one day hear those words spoken to me by the Father.
Lord, I can never repay you for all your love. Just let me be your servant, accepting your gift of salvation in your Son, Jesus Christ, trusting you to lead me from death to eternal life. Open my heart, my voice, my life that all that I am and have may be used up in your service. Amen. (“Face to Face,” Daily Lenten Devotions for Women)