Friends,
Let us praise Christ, King of eternal glory! And as we begin Holy Week, our readings take us from the joy and Hosannas of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem to a profound contemplation of his suffering and death.
In the first reading from Isaiah, we meet the suffering servant: the disciple who suffers without offering resistance but is supported by God to bring life to others. The Psalm will accompany us through the week, as well as being quoted by Matthew in our Gospel. It foreshadows Jesus’s sufferings but also hints at his future glory.
The second reading is a wonderful hymn that underlines Jesus’s divinity but also his obedience and suffering before his exaltation and glory. In the Gospel, we hear the Passion narrative of St Matthew, in which Jesus is betrayed, mocked, denied, accused, and crucified. His body is laid in the tomb, and a guard is placed to secure it.
This week, may we follow Christ in his Passion, holding each other and our suffering and tortured world in prayer. May Mary be with us in this journey and help us understand the value of following the example of her Son.
Joy and peace.
