Let us reflect on and pray for the special and abundant graces to “enter” and “embrace” more deeply the reality of the core of our Christian faith: “The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus”.  May these brief pointers be of some help.

Palm Sunday

Jesus, the “King of all kings”, enters Jerusalem with great humility.  He rides on a donkey; instead of galloping on a “victory horse”.  His “victory” is not of this world; but, of His Obedience to His Father’s Will for the Eternal Salvation of all peoples. 

Great crowds were laying down palm leaves along Jesus’ path and cheering Him on as their “Messiah”.  However, their “cheers” were “hollow and empty of sincerity”.  In three days, they would chant, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”  And be demanding that He be condemned to Death as a criminal. 

To reflect on:

1. Have we experienced receiving . . . superficial and insincere praises that turned into divisive and destructive gossips, behind our backs”? 
2. Pray for such “wounded persons of the crowd”; surrender them and unite our pain with Jesus’ Persecutions and Betrayal.

Holy Thursday

Jesus gathered and shared “His Last and Farewell Meal of the Passover” with His apostles.  They were with Jesus for three years, in His Pastoral Mission.  They were His closest companions.  He “loved them personally; He formed them with Divine Wisdom; He witnessed to them the Gospel Truth of the Eternal Salvation of His Father’s Will. 

Jesus was to Die the next day.  He, the Son of God; was to be condemned unjustly as a criminal in the cruelest Death of the Crucifixion.  He wanted to impart His Last Words of Farewell to His Disciples; as a dying person would at the moment of death.  In this “Solemn Farewell” Jesus celebrated the “Last Supper.”  In His Compassionate Love Jesus wants to strengthen us to face the challenges of living the earthly journey of our faith.  So, He instituted the “Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.”  He Gives Himself; His Real Body and Blood (Jn 6: 53-58) to His apostles and to us believers. 

To reflect on:

1. Do we value the Eucharist deeply or do we take Jesus’ Gift of the Eucharist for granted? 
2. Do we rush through the Eucharist in a routine and superficial manner that “cheapens” the Infinite Suffering that Jesus embraced out of His Merciful Love for us? 

Good Friday

Jesus, the “King of all kings” is being arrested, scourged, crowned with thorns, and crucified cruelly as a criminal.  Jesus’ only “crime” was to have proclaimed the Truth that He is “The Messiah”, the Son of God!  St Ignatius’ Exercises invites us to pray for the grace to “experience” what Jesus experienced . . .

To reflect on:

1. Were there times when we or our loved ones faced crises because, of betrayal and persecutions . . . including from people, whom we “trusted” deeply and personally?  What were our responses?  Did we remain deeply committed to God’s Will like Jesus?  Or did we “weaken and compromised and even “denied and betrayed” Jesus through our “cowardice” and “self-protective love” because of our fears, insecurities, anger? 
2. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for the do not know what they are doing.”  Are these words directed to us . . . How? When? Why?

Holy Saturday

These are the “Three days of waiting”: after Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death; and before His Resurrection. On this day, we are invited to pray for the grace and “wisdom of waiting with fidelity” with Mary His Mother.  We hold on to Jesus’ Promise that He will Rise again on the Third Day. . . We wait . . . we trust . . . we believe that Jesus will never fail us. . . as He had Promised; that He will Rise from His Death; three days later . . .

Easter Sunday

This is the Day of our greatest Joy in our life!  Jesus has Risen from His Death!  He has conquered sin and death.  Jesus has “won” for us the Divine Gift of Eternal Salvation.  St Ignatius’ Exercises also invite us to experience the grace of “great joy” because Jesus has Risen.  We are to live forever with Jesus, His Father, in the Holy Spirit!  And with Mary, our Mother, and all the saints, and our families for all eternity in the divine Happiness for all Eternity!  Is this not our “greatest Joy of our live?” 

Imagine:

If there is “no Easter” and “no Eternal Life of Happiness”?! What would our present life be like? . . .

We will immediately lose our “true identity” of who we are.  Our lives’ purpose, direction and destination would immediately vanish!  “Death” would “destroy” everything we have owned: our successes and our memories of our earthly living would be erased; and we would be plunged into an abyss of eternal darkness!!!  What would such “existence for all Eternity be like?” 

Celebrate this “Joy of Easter”!  Celebrate this Divine Gift of Jesus’ Victory; particularly with Mary, Jesus’ Mother.  the Joy of Eternal Happiness!  Jesus has won this at an infinite Price!  We are sinners, yet we are to live for all Eternity in Divine Happiness. . .

Author

Fr. Philip Heng, SJ

Novice Director – Jesuit Novitiate in Timor-Leste