For Easter Day we are privileged to be presented with the beginning of the last chapter of John’s Gospel (Jn 20:1-9).  The scene is Jesus’ burial site where we find Mary Magdalene arriving before dawn on Sunday.  Finding the tomb open she runs to Peter and John saying to them the words above.  The two men run to the tomb, John looking in and Peter entering.  Both find Jesus’ burial wrappings but no body.  When Peter leaves John enters the tomb and believes in Jesus’ resurrection as finally he comes to understand the Scripture that foretold this event.  We are fortunate today that, unlike Mary, we have no excuse to wonder where the Lord is.  He can be found really present in the tabernacles of every Catholic church.  While all churches are not open all the time, hopefully there are at least some nearby that are open or have perpetual Eucharistic adoration — we should take the time to find out where they are located and go there when we can or even when it’s inconvenient.  Certainly the weekly obligation to attend Mass gives us the opportunity to not only worship the Lord from afar, but also to receive Him into our bodies.  Frequent confession helps to ensure that we are properly disposed to receive the Eucharist and to receive the most benefit from the graces available in the Sacrament.  If weekday Mass is an option daily, or at least occasionally, count yourself blessed and take advantage of this special grace.  These are opportunities for the most intimate union with Christ available this side of heaven.  But we don’t stop there.  Our goal is to be constantly aware of Jesus’ presence and seek constant union with them.  So we recognize Him in His Word; the Church teaches that we venerate Sacred Scripture just as we do His Body in the Eucharist (Dei Verbum 21) — so read, pray, and meditate on the Bible as often as possible.  From these writings we hear from Jesus Himself that we are to see Him in every person we encounter and thus treat each one accordingly (Mt 25:31-46).  And, of course, He should reside in our hearts, so when someone asks where is this God of ours, we can point to the middle of our chests and declare that our relationship with the Lord is soul deep.  Our thoughts, words, and actions should back up this assertion so that an encounter with us is a chance for others to encounter Christ in a real way.

Going back to the very first verses of John’s account of the Last Supper (Jn 13:1-15), we find Jesus washing the feet of the apostles.  Peter initially objects, then becomes overly enthusiastic.  Jesus provides the corrective but indicates that one of them (Judas, John tells us) is unclean.  Jesus tells them that He, as their master and teacher, has provided a model for them to follow.  The question Jesus raises (above) is directed to every person who encounters this gospel.  If we do realize what Jesus has done for us, how does that affect the way we conduct ourselves?  We should have frequent recourse to Him for our personal foot washing — the wiping away of sin in the Sacrament of Confession.  We also should have an attitude toward others of humility and service.  Jesus is explicit about telling the apostles and us that this is the way we are to behave.  Consider that Jesus conveys this message just hours before the arrest, torture, and death He knew He was to endure.  Such an act was not done on a whim or to convey, before He went, some teaching He had neglected to mention to that point.  No, this is how Jesus conducted His entire life – a life of humility and service soon to be extended to all men through all time.  Jesus was sure to reinforce this in a stark and memorable way on a day that He knew would remain with the apostles and ultimately all of His followers.  May this event color our every interaction with God and neighbor so that we are always a humble, forgiving, and loving servant.

Matthew’s chronicling of the events leading up to and including the Last Supper grace us today (Mt 26:14-25).  We hear of Judas conspiring with the chief priests to facilitate Jesus’ capture (see above for the beginning of negotiations).  On a later date the disciples talk with Jesus about a location for the Passover meal; Jesus provides instructions.  That same evening, at the meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal, and after all say “Surely it is not I,” Jesus explicitly points out Judas as the one.  Carrying over an important theme from yesterday, what is our price for handing Jesus over, of betraying Him?  What temptations are too strong, what vices are too ingrained, what is just too uncomfortable too stand up for, what is so challenging that compromise is required?  For what will we betray our Lord, our Faith, our Baptism?  The time is coming, and is already here, when Christians, and all people of good will, must get off of the fence regarding the great moral issues of our time.  Pay attention, get informed, know the issues, know the Faith.  Pray, study, and live the Faith.  May we be the defenders of our Lord and His Body the Church in a time when so many desert them or are willing to give them up so easily.  May we always stand firmly on the right side of (salvation) history.

Today we hear some of the early verses of John’s account of the Last Supper (Jn 13:21-33, 36-38).  It begins with Jesus’ prediction of a betrayal (see above) followed by Peter and John collaborating to find out to whom Jesus is referring.  He points out Judas who is then instructed by Jesus to hurry and do what he intends; Judas complies.  Immediately following the hasty exit Jesus tells the remaining Eleven that His glorification has now come, that He must soon leave, and that they cannot come after Him right away.  Peter exclaims that he wishes to follow Jesus and that he would die for Him.  Jesus questions Peter’s sincerity and then predicts Peter’s threefold denial.  We find it easy to heap scorn on Judas.  He is the classic “bad guy.”  Portrayed as a conniver and thief, he seems to be the antithesis of the one who he has as his master.  In fact, Jesus refers to him as a “devil” (Jn 6:70) and says of him that “it would be better for that man if he had never been born” (Mt 26:24).  So the act he ultimately commits is an evil act, particularly as it comes against the perfect man, the Son of God.  We wonder how he could do such a thing?  Did he not have access to Jesus daily?  Didn’t he listen to His teachings, see the miracles, share in the joy of His company?  Let’s stop this litany right there.  Do we not have access to Jesus daily?  Don’t we listen to His teachings, see and experience miracles, share in the joy of His company?  Forget about Judas — what about us?  Is Jesus talking to us here?  Do we betray Jesus for our thirty pieces of silver (Mt 26:15), whatever that might be (e.g., money, possessions, illicit desires, immoral behavior, silence in the face of evil)?  Are we inclined to sell out Jesus because of personal disagreement with the teaching of the Church?  Or, maybe, does our reluctance for confrontation, lack of knowledge on moral matters, pliable spine, or desire for acceptance betray the One we purport to love and live and die for?  Don’t worry about Judas — his judgment day has come and gone.  Ours yet awaits.  When we meet the Lord, will He say He knows us or not (cf. Lk 13:22-28)?

The first reading from the gospel during Holy Week (Jn 12:1-11) gives us Jesus visiting the home of His close friends, the siblings Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  At dinner, Mary, anoints Jesus’ feet with a costly and sweet-smelling oil, wiping His feet off with her hair.  The smell pervaded the place (see above).  Judas complains that this was a waste and that the perfume could have been sold for a large amount with the money given to the poor (although John tells us of Judas’s ulterior motive to take a cut of the profits).  Jesus tells Judas not to bother Mary — she is preparing for His burial.  A large crowd comes to the house to see Jesus and Lazarus (because he was raised from the dead).  The religious leaders wish to kill both men since the people were believing in the former in larger and larger numbers because of the latter.  Mary’s action toward her revered guest affected the whole house and beyond.  Her expression of complete love and devotion to her Lord was evident to witnesses, but the results of it filled the place likely for hours afterward.  Undoubtedly her anointing of Jesus was a major topic of conversation — anyone in or near the residence would have commented on the cause of the strong but lovely smell emanating from the room in which Jesus reclined.  A lesson for us comes from this: Our devotion to the Lord should affect and be evident to all who enter our homes and all who encounter us.  The love of God and neighbor should emanate from us just so.  Just as the crowds immediately noticed something different about the house of Lazarus, so in our encounters we should evoke the sense in others that something different is happening with us.  That a supernatural love is palpable.  And that others are invited in to experience it, embrace it, and make it their own.

The processional gospel reading for Palm Sunday (Lk 19:28-40) tells us of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem just days before His Passion and death.  Upon their approach, Jesus asks two of the disciples accompanying Him to fetch a colt waiting for Him in a nearby village.  Upon returning with it, they help Jesus mount it and a whole multitude lay cloaks before Him and shout praises as He rides in.  When the Pharisees ask Jesus to rebuke these disciples, Jesus gives them the message above.  The good news of Jesus arrival, and what He will soon accomplish there in Jerusalem, cannot be contained.  The multitude literally could not help themselves in their outward expression of exuberance at the “mighty deeds” (v. 37) of the “king who comes in the name of the Lord” (v. 38).  If it wasn’t the people making this declaration at this critical time in Jesus’ ministry, then it would devolve to inanimate objects to glorify God.  We are not to wait for this miraculous occurrence in our day.  Truly, the wonders of nature give real expression to the glory and creativity of the Maker of all things.  And some people will encounter or even find God in this way.  Praise God!  But we are to proclaim for all to hear the Lord and Savior of all mankind.  “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice” (Prov 1:20).  If we believe in the Good News and have felt its impact in our lives and seen it in the lives of others, how can we possibly remain silent?  How can we not share our joy with those who may have missed it or lost it?  We must have the disposition of a prophet: “[The word of the LORD] is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding back, I cannot!” (Jer 20:9).

Jesus, speaking to His disciples, tells them that He has not come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfill them — with this fulfillment lasting until the end of time (Mt 5:17-19).  The consequences of breaking even a lesser commandment are seen above.  Keeping them all, on the other hand, makes one the greatest in the Kingdom.  Sin of any kind is abhorrent to God.  Jesus cautions all who hear His words that there are no “little” sins; we are not to get comfortable with vices we “allow” ourselves because we “don’t do anything really bad.”  All transgressions against the Lord harm His body the Church.  God knows our hearts and our actions, even if hidden from others (although not hidden forever: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” — Lk 8:17).  Those in which we actively encourage others to emulate, or those that provide scandal by our public action, are even more harmful as they may encourage others to illicit action or discourage others about the goodness of mankind and/or Christianity.  Our conduct, whether or not we believe no other human being is cognizant of it, should always be aligned with the Church, whose founder and head is Christ.  We should do this primarily out of love for God and neighbor.  We do not wish to offend either but only to draw the latter to the Lord.  May all of our thoughts, words, and deeds glorify God and serve to bring others to Him.

In an encounter between Jesus and Peter (Mt 18:21-35), the latter asks the former how often he should forgive someone who wrongs him.  Jesus responds that the number of times is unlimited and then He tells him how the kingdom of heaven is like a master who forgives an unfathomable debt to a servant who begs him to.  That servant, though, is unwilling to forgo the miniscule amount owed to him by a fellow servant.  When news of this incident comes back to the master, he angrily denounces the first servant and has him tortured (see above).  The same fate will be ours if we lack forgiveness for those who do us wrong.  Some people, including Christians, make a dichotomy between the “angry, vengeful, and spiteful God of the Old Testament and the gentle, forgiving, and loving God of the New Testament.”  Well, God is unchanging, so this is a false construction.  God is a loving Father who perfectly combines mercy and justice in dealing with His people throughout salvation history and as He does with each one of us.  The consequences are real and severe (whether in the temporary flames of purgatory or the permanent blaze of hell) for not following God’s command to “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12).  May it never come from our lips or remain in our minds that we cannot forgive someone for an evil done to us.  This is not the way of God and it is not to be our way.  Not that it is very easy to do, especially in the most egregious offenses.  But we must forgive even if we don’t feel like doing so.  And then we must continue to pray that our feelings will align with our wills so that forgiveness comes naturally.  And we must pray for those who hurt us: Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:44-45a); Paul tells us, “Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them” (Rom 12:14).  There is no getting around this requirement if we are to be God’s children and see others as our brothers and sisters.  Radical forgiveness can change the world and provides a witness of God that is unmatched in changing hearts.

Speaking in a synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus relates two Old Testament events to prove His assertion that a prophet is not accepted in his native place (Lk 4:24-30).  His reminding them of the healings of foreigners Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Zarephath bring the assembly to fury such that they drive Jesus to the brow of a hill with the intention of throwing Him off.  But He simply passes through them and goes away.  Some things don’t change.  In fact they accelerate.  Jesus, more and more, is being driven out of countries explicitly or through suppression of His Church.  We must speak out against these pogroms.  Unfortunately, attacks on religious freedom are not just in far away areas of the East and Middle East.  Even some Western countries have come against Christ hard.  We must pay attention to these issues, making our presence known forcefully by getting involved, urging elected officials to act and vote morally, and electing representatives who uphold Catholic values.  But, reform begins at home.  If we push Christ out of areas in our lives, we will not be convincing or effective in changing the culture and ultimately the world.  Is Jesus driven out of the bedroom?  Is He unwelcome in our coffee klatch?  Or maybe in the workplace?  Or when we are in public places?  We must be so immersed in the Spirit of Christ that all that we do is a clear indication to whom we pledge our allegiance.  Our joy and hope (gaudium et spes) will be an encouragement to others and reveal the light of Christ to all whom we encounter (cf. Mt 5:15, Lk 11:33).  We can change the world for the Lord, because “for God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26).

Jesus uses the reports of recent murders and accidental deaths to let it be known that these victims’ demise had nothing to do with any particularly sinful behavior on their parts.  But, Jesus tells his listeners that they will suffer death as well if they don’t repent.  Jesus then tells the parable of the fig tree that has borne no fruit in three years.  The orchard owner says to cut it down, but the gardener asks for one more year so that he can cultivate the tree more carefully so that it may yet yield fruit.  This one year reprieve granted the fruitless tree may well serve as a model for our own lives.  Wherever we may be in our relationship with Christ, now is the opportune time to tend to a better, deeper, more frequent, more steady, and more disciplined prayer and spiritual life.  Frequent, even daily, reading of Scripture (Mass is ideal for this) is rich soil in which we are called to be deeply rooted.  In addition, reading good Catholic books, magazines, and journals engage us and provide light for growth.  And, of course, our actions speak the loudest.  Frequenting Mass and Confession with a firm purpose of amendment for sins will help us till the soil of our wills so that they align with God’s will, leading us to love God and neighbor as we ought.  Let us start our one year plan today so that we begin to bear fruit immediately and will never be in a position to be cut down because of our lack of yield.