Isaiah 42: 1-7 “…Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break…”
Psalm 27: 1, 2, 3, 13-14 “…I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living....”
John 12: 1-11 “…So Jesus said, ‘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.’…”
We are now in the Monday of Holy Week, and Isaiah particularly says this beautifully, 42:3, “A bruised reed he shall not break…”. This is such a tender way to describe our Jesus our Savior. And while Isaiah may have been speaking about Jerusalem then, with Jesus living amongst us now, this passage perfectly describes Jesus.
Nearing the end of the Lenten season, we are beginning to listen at deeper levels. “Until he establishes justice on the earth, the coastlands will wait for his teaching.” This is where we come in, to keep spreading His teachings, by living the Gospel. But, how do we do that? Many people have talked about prayer and fasting to bring more peace into our world; to usher in a more collaborative culture of charity and understanding among peoples. There is no doubt that our troubles are growing and peace among people seems fleeting. This is especially true in the Philippines, we need more peace in our land, we need to grow as a country.
For now, this week we still have Jesus with us. In John’s Gospel he is visiting his good friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus (whom he’s brought back to life); and Mary is applying some aromatic nard to his feet. Judas of course is told to back off his criticism and allow Mary to keep the fine perfume to be used later for his burial. In our varied ways, we are preparing for this day as well. Let us commit to giving Jesus the royal treatment this week, by spending more time with Him especially as we visit the Blessed Sacrament, when we attend activities and praying the Stations of the Cross.
It’s not too late to ask for the special grace allotted during this Holy season to rethink our wants and needs list. How can we participate in working for the justice, spoken of in Isaiah 42:4, to include all people born and unborn? For Jesus willed it to be so; “That they may be one, as the Father and I (Christ) are one.” Have a Blessed Holy Week!
