{"id":13463,"date":"2017-04-02T15:35:56","date_gmt":"2017-04-02T19:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/?p=13463"},"modified":"2017-04-02T15:35:56","modified_gmt":"2017-04-02T19:35:56","slug":"preparing-well-to-enter-into-the-lords-passion-passion-sunday-ef-april-2-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/preparing-well-to-enter-into-the-lords-passion-passion-sunday-ef-april-2-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Well to Enter into the Lord’s Passion, Passion Sunday (EF), April 2, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fr. Roger J. Landry
\nSt. Agnes Church, Manhattan
\nPassion Sunday
\nApril 2, 2017
\nHeb 9:11-15, Jn 8:46-59<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The following text guided today’s homily:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Purpose of Passiontide<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today the Church celebrates with Passion Sunday the beginning of the brief liturgical season called in the extraordinary form Passiontide, during which the Church turns all of her attention more explicitly toward the betrayal of the Lord, toward his sufferings and death. It\u2019s meant to help us to prepare well to enter deeply into the mystery of the Lord\u2019s salvific death for us. Its goal is to open us up to receive more fruitfully than ever before what the Lord accomplished for us during his passion, death and resurrection. Regardless of how the Season of Lent has gone \u2014 whether it\u2019s been what it should have been, a season of more intense prayer, fasting, and sacrifice, or whether it\u2019s been a series of missed opportunities \u2014\u00a0now is the time the Church wants to help us to focus, to get serious, to change our priorities, to make sure we\u2019re not just bystanders of the sacred mysteries we\u2019re preparing to mark, but active participants, zealous recipients, and passionate sharers of Christ\u2019s saving work.<\/p>\n

Jesus’ Singular Work as Eternal High Priest<\/strong><\/p>\n

The readings today help to set our coordinates. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we see clearly what Jesus accomplished through his Passion: he obtained our \u201ceternal redemption\u201d by his blood, so that \u201cour consciences [may be cleansed] from dead works to worship the living God\u201d and we might \u201creceive the promised inheritance.\u201d The letter contrasted what Jesus did with what happened on the Jewish Day of Atonement. On Yom Kippur, there were two ritual sacrifices: a bullock and a goat that the high priest, following the Book of Leviticius (16:15,21-22) offered in the Temple for his sins and the sins of the people respectively. It also contrasted what Jesus achieved in contrast to the Jewish sacrifice of a red heifer, according to the Book of Numbers (19), when a red heifer was led outside the camp of the Jews in the desert as a scapegoat to make the Jews ceremonially pure so that they might enter tent tabernacling God\u2019s presence to worship him. The blood from the sacrificed heifer would be sprinkled in front of the tabernacle area and the ashes were placed in a clean place outside the camp. The Jews believed that those sacrifices, both the Yom Kippur ones in the Temple, and the oblation of the red heifer during the days in the desert, were sufficient for taking away their sins.<\/p>\n

The Letter to the Hebrews says, \u201cIf the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer\u2019s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ!\u201d It adds, contrasting Jesus to the Jewish High Priest, that \u201cwhen Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, \u2026 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood.\u201d The tabernacle Christ entered was ultimately the tabernacle of the holy of holies of heaven, which was anticipated in his own body, in which God \u2014 in the accurate translation of \u201cthe Word became flesh and dwelled <\/em>among us\u201d from St. John\u2019s prologue that we say at the end of every Mass \u2014\u00a0 \u201ctabernacled\u201d himself among us.<\/p>\n

And so the Letter to the Hebrews helps us to appreciate what Jesus accomplished as our high priest: he made forgiveness of sins possible for us by himself becoming not only our high priest but making himself the victim, the sacrifice, by whose blood that atonement was achieved. But it also makes clear for us what our response has to be: Jesus by his Passion has cleansed our consciences from sin, from dead works, precisely so that we might use our freedom to \u201cworship the living God.\u201d And so, as we approach Holy Week and examine our life as a whole in the light of how precious our life was that Jesus would die to save it, we need to examine whether worship of the living God is really the center of our life or just a small part of it. We\u2019ll return to this later.<\/p>\n

Jesus’ Authority, Credibility, and Self-Revelation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Gospel, we hear Jesus\u2019 contentious dialogue with many of the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, and others in the Temple area in the eighth chapter of St. John, which begins with Jesus\u2019 saving the life of the woman caught in adultery whose life they were using as a prop in order to try to entrap Jesus. The conversation only grew in intensity after that showdown, in which those who had made themselves Jesus\u2019 adversaries were going back and forth between challenging his credentials and accusing him of all sorts of the nastiest things and Jesus was responding by calling out their hyprocisy, that they were claiming to be faithfully worshipping God while they really didn\u2019t know who he was, that they claimed to be good sons of Abraham while, instead of doing the deeds of Abraham, they were plotting to kill Jesus. They were children not of Abraham, Jesus insisted, but of the devil, because they were willingly, though unwittingly, carrying out the devil\u2019s schemes. As obedient sons of the father of lies, they were stubbornly opposing the truth Jesus was witnessing and enfleshing. That sets up today\u2019s passage.<\/p>\n

Jesus asks, \u201cCan any of you charge me with sin?\u201d We can hear the pause as Jesus looked around to see if anyone had ever seen him sin, the very people who had to drop stones at the beginning of the Chapter because they knew they were not \u201cwithout sin\u201d to stone the adulterous woman. Nobody obviously could say that he had. So he continued, \u201cIf I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?\u201d Again, a long pause so that he could allow his words to sink. He added, \u201cWhoever belongs to God hears the words of God\u201d and said, \u201cfor this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.\u201d His opponents answered by accusing him of being a devil \u2014 that\u2019s what the word Samaritan means in context, because in Aramaic the Jews would refer to the devils as \u201cShomeroi,\u201d the same word for Samaritan \u2014\u00a0and being possessed. Jesus replied that he was not possessed, but in everything was honoring the Father who seeks his Son\u2019s glory and that he \u2014\u00a0not them, not Pontius Pilate, not Herod \u2014 will judge.<\/p>\n

Then Jesus upped the ante, bringing them and us squarely as to whether we will receive what he sought to accomplish during his passion: swearing an oath he said, \u201cAmen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.\u201d They found that claim ridiculous, since all of the prophets had died, since Moses had died, since Abraham had likewise breathed his last on earth. Jesus said that the Father would glorify him \u2014 through his resurrection and ours \u2014\u00a0and that Abraham rejoiced to see his day. He rejoiced to see it because Jesus would be among the sons prophesied when he counted the stars, would be the one through whom Abraham would be blessed, who would be the fulfillment of the sacrifice of Isaac, carrying his own wood as the Lamb God would provide. His adversaries argued that he was too young for to have known Abraham, who had lived 1800 years before, but then Jesus laid all his cards on the table with a statement pointing clearly to his divinity: \u201cAmen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.\u201d He used the same expression God used with Moses from the burning bush. The adversaries picked up stones to try to kill him for blasphemy, but he left the temple area to await what we will ponder next Sunday and throughout Holy Week in the reading of the Passion.<\/p>\n

Worshipping the Lord with our Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why does the Church have us ponder this passage on Passion Sunday? Not only because it shows the opposition to Jesus that would lead to his death, but also to expose within us any resistance to living by faith in Jesus. Do we resist him in any way? Do we recognize that Jesus is telling the truth and therefore believe in him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Do we listen to the words he says and obey them just like Jesus who knows the Father and keeps his word? Do we honor Jesus or dishonor him in our life? Do we rejoice to see Jesus\u2019 day?<\/p>\n

As we draw closer to the reliving of Jesus\u2019 passion, death and resurrection, the Church wants us pondering these thoughts and making choices. Choices about how we\u2019re going to spend these two weeks. Choices about whether we\u2019re going to put God first and come to each of the events of the Sacred Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Choices about whether we\u2019re going to receive the atoning fruits of his Passion in Confession. Choices about prayer, about fasting, about almsgiving. Choices about whether we\u2019ll be satisified with checking off boxes in our spiritual life or making our whole life an act of divine worship.<\/p>\n

In the Mass, we enter into the saving mysteries of the Lord\u2019s passion. We go up to Golgotha with him as he enters the sanctuary. We are not sprinkled with his blood, but receive his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity within. We not only listen to the words of the great \u201cI AM\u201d who existed before Abraham, but allow that Word-made-flesh to take on our flesh, as the down payment on our receiving through Jesus\u2019 love and sacrifice \u201ceternal redemption!\u201d As we will pray in the Communion Antiphon, Jesus tells us anew today: \u201cThis is my body, which shall be given up for you: this is the cup of the new covenant in my blood,\u201d \u2026\u00a0and \u2026 \u201cDo this as often as you receive it, in remembrance of me.\u201d This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. How proud we are to profess it and live it in Christ our eternal high priest! Amen!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The readings for today’s Mass were:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews
\n<\/strong>But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer\u2019s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.<\/p>\n

The continuation of the Gospel according to St. John
\n<\/strong>Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.\u201d The Jews answered and said to him, \u201cAre we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed?\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cI am not possessed; I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the one who judges. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.\u201d [So] the Jews said to him, \u201cNow we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, \u2018Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.\u2019 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cIf I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, \u2018He is our God.\u2019 You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, \u201cYou are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?\u201d Jesus said to them, \u201cAmen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.\u201d So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Fr. Roger J. Landry St. Agnes Church, Manhattan Passion Sunday April 2, 2017 Heb 9:11-15, Jn 8:46-59   To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:\u00a0   The following text guided today’s homily:\u00a0 The Purpose of Passiontide Today the Church celebrates with Passion Sunday the beginning of the brief liturgical season […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8143,1063,3],"tags":[1967,10331,5216,961,7675,295,10328,10326,10327,10329,6841,10330,6227],"class_list":["post-13463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1962-missal-extraordinary-form","category-audio-homily","category-homily","tag-abraham","tag-before-abraham-was-i-am","tag-day-of-atonement","tag-heb-911-15","tag-high-priest","tag-holy-week","tag-jn-846-59","tag-passion-sunday","tag-passion-tide","tag-red-heifer","tag-tabernacle","tag-word-became-flesh-and-dwelled-among-us","tag-yom-kippur"],"yoast_head":"\nPreparing Well to Enter into the Lord's Passion, Passion Sunday (EF), April 2, 2017 - Catholic Preaching<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/preparing-well-to-enter-into-the-lords-passion-passion-sunday-ef-april-2-2017\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preparing Well to Enter into the Lord's Passion, Passion Sunday (EF), April 2, 2017 - Catholic Preaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fr. 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Landry St. Agnes Church, Manhattan Passion Sunday April 2, 2017 Heb 9:11-15, Jn 8:46-59   To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:\u00a0   The following text guided today’s homily:\u00a0 The Purpose of Passiontide Today the Church celebrates with Passion Sunday the beginning of the brief liturgical season […]","og_url":"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/preparing-well-to-enter-into-the-lords-passion-passion-sunday-ef-april-2-2017\/","og_site_name":"Catholic Preaching","article_published_time":"2017-04-02T19:35:56+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/catholicpreaching.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Crossed-Covered-300x193.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Fr. Roger Landry","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Fr. 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