An Encounter with The Living One!

(Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Easter Year C)

Divine Mercy Sunday

          If the last Sunday, Easter Day underlined the mystery of the Resurrection, this present one is more of the human response to the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection and his Absence-Presence. The “apparitions” or rather appearances of the Resurrected Christ to his apostles and disciples are not mere apparitions, but they are encounters, meetings with the person of the Risen Lord, because “apparition” tends to limit the event to an appearance of a ghost. But it is the concept of “encounter” that depicts very well the realism of the Resurrection Event. And having established the credibility of this realism, he sends his apostles out.

          As we read in the Gospel, Apostle Thomas is probably the paradigm of every man: a passage from incredulity to faith in the Risen Christ, from the search of evidence to the joyful profession of faith. In the first reading, the community of Jerusalem proclaims her faith in the Risen Lord, when they reunite every Sunday to listen to the teachings of the apostles and to celebrate in fraternal communion the breaking of the Bread, the sign of the mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection. In the second reading, the risen Lord presents himself as the Living One, the Alpha and the Omega; the Living One appears to his disciples and offered them the gift of peace, entrusted the mission and breathed the Spirit on them (Gospel). The Living One continues to perform signs and miracles in the midst of his people through the apostles (first reading), He lives!

          In the Gospel (Jn. 20:19-31) of today we are presented with the account of the two appearances of the risen Lord: first, to the disciples on Easter evening, and second to Thomas a week later, and the latter is peculiar to St. John. In this episode the purpose of the appearances of the Risen Lord is now seen as a way of establishing his identity. Prior to this, the earlier tradition presented the Risen Lord from a more spiritual dimension, here instead, we see an emphasis on the physical reality of the risen One, and this preserves the truth, the realism and the identity of the crucified – risen Christ. St. John underlines with vigor that Christ who appears and who is in the midst of his disciples is a living and real Being, the same Jesus  that was nailed on the Cross, for this he shows the hands and the side, those are the signs of martyrdom (v.20). He equally underlined the different ways of manifestation of Jesus before and after the Resurrection. There is a profound difference: He enters now unexpectedly, even when the doors are locked. Indeed, this Gospel periscope is replete with many themes, ranging from apparitions of the risen Lord, faith of the apostles, to the gifts of the Risen Lord to his people.

          However, the episode of the Gospel is equally situated in the context of a Christian community. Let us take into consideration the two great gifts that the Risen Christ brought to the first Christian community, of the apostles reunited in the cenacle: Jesus gave them the gift of peace “Peace be with you”. Peace biblically embraces all the divine promises: grace, blessing, divine benevolence, interior serenity and salvation. Secondly, he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. “He breathed on them and said: receive the Holy Spirit”. Upon this, he gave them a mandate as well: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained” (Jn. 20:23). The Holy Spirit was given to the first Christian community and to the entire church, specifically for the remission of sins, and for the regeneration of men in the life of grace. Having received this Gift are we regenerated?

          Thomas wanted to see him in his presence before he would believe in his absence. After his appearance he disappeared. Every time he was recognized off he was. In fact, in a way the Easter story is much more a story of his disappearances, than of his appearances. Indeed, it was as if he wanted to tell them something, to tell them: Now up to you, even though I am alive, but I will be absent, so it is up to you, little wonder he breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit. Anyone who has the Christ experience must have a change or transformation of life. And the attitude of Jesus towards Thomas the unbelieving apostle, reflects greatly God’s faithfulness and mercy, who condescended to accept the incredulity of man, in order to bring him to an unwavering faith, to a solid and definitive faith: “My Lord and My God”. This has become an uninterrupted confession of faith of the Church in the Resurrection of Christ.

          The evangelist wants to present Jesus to the Church in the new existential condition of the Risen, as the one to whom “every power in heaven and earth” (Mt.28:18) has been given to, and he transmits this power to his Church, the first is to forgive sins and second, the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ, and this is truly the real meaning of Easter, “It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rm. 14:9). In order to express their certainty in the presence of Jesus, the first disciples of Jesus, were using the title Lord, in Greek Kyrios, Jesus is the Lord, this was the oldest and simplest form of the profession of faith of the Christians, “if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rm.10:9). The Lordship of Jesus is founded on his resurrection, and he continues to reign. And it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to make this proclamation of faith, for “nobody is able to say, Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit” (1Cor. 12:3).

          The episode of today’s gospel relative to the two apparitions of the Risen Christ teaches us also the importance of faith in our relationship with Christ. In fact, Thomas that was not present in the first appearances, did not believe the testimony of the other apostles. He wanted to see Him personally, touch Him, he wanted to have a direct personal experience with Him. And he was satisfied when Jesus appeared the second time, after eight days. This time, Thomas was present, but Jesus does not applaud the unbelieving apostle, rather He says: “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn.20:29). As such, we should not ask for the tangible demonstration or sensible experience, as Thomas did, rather the grace to grow in a pure and genuine faith. To believe entails confiding and entrusting oneself to Christ and the testimony of the apostles: a faith that wants to see, touch, and experience is not a true faith, but distrust and diffidence to Christ and the first witnesses: the apostles. The Risen Lord declared blessedness for those who believe without seeing, and it does not mean that they (believers) will be immune to sufferings and trials.

          Indeed, the Resurrection of Jesus becomes the Yes of God to His Son Jesus Christ, Redeemer of every man. The Resurrection of Jesus is a motive of joy for us, because as St. Peter opined “Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1Pt. 1:3). God is faithful, for this He did not abandon the life of His Son to death. May the Risen Lord fortify our little faith in Him and give us joy in times of affliction!

          The first reading (Acts 5:12-16) from the Acts of the Apostles reveals the power of the risen Christ at work in the Christian community. The power of the risen Christ is manifested in the signs and wonders that were accomplished by through the apostles. Even though, no mention was made of any preaching at this passage, however, it is obvious that there cannot be signs and wonders without the proclamation of the word. Again, it was recorded that more than ever, new converts were added into an already existing community. The phrase “were added” denotes an action of God, it is a reverential passive indicating that it was God who added them.

          The second reading (Rev. 1:9-11a.12-13.17-19) presents the opening vision of the book of Revelation, in which John; the visionary sees the risen Christ and receives the messages for the seven churches. Some biblical scholars have maintained that this vision is a continuation of the resurrection appearances, however, the fact remains that the language of vision is used in the episodes of the original appearances (cf. 1Cor.15:3-8), in verse 8 St. Paul asserts that the apparition he had on his way to Damascus is the last of the apparitions. But visions of the risen Christ still continues, in fact Paul himself had a later vision of the risen Christ (cf. 2Cor. 12:1-4). Above all, the underlining factor is that the resurrection appearances were revelations that formed the Church and gave rise to her mission in the world. On the other hand, the subsequent visions, for instance in 2Cor. 12:1-4 and this passage are continuations of what was begun at Easter. The overriding message of this passage is Christ’s revelation of himself as alive!

          The climax of this proclamation, Jesus himself is presented in his heavenly royal majesty, in his vision, John said “I turned round to see who was speaking to me, and when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the middle of them, one like a Son of man, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist with a belt of gold” (Rev. 1:12-13), and He was proclaiming in first person: Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and look, I am alive for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev. 1:17b-18). The message for the recognition of the Lordship of Christ is addressed to us today, little wonder the following words were addressed to John, thus: “I heard a loud voice behind me, like the sound of a trumpet, saying, write down in a book all that you see and send it to the seven churches” (Rev. 1:10b-11a).

           And today being Divine Mercy Sunday we are called to celebrate God's Mercy, for the whole world is enveloped in and by the mercy of God. Indeed, it behooves us today to affirm and reaffirm that Mercy is the most eloquent attribute of God. Mercy is the interpretative key to all the Mysteries of God and to all the Events of our Lord Jesus. For instance:

The creation of man is a sign of God's merciful love.

The incarnation of Jesus is purely a manifestation of the Divine Mercy.

The signs and miracles performed by Jesus are equally splendid manifestation of God's mercy.

The Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ are maximum expressions of Divine Mercy.

The Resurrection doubtlessly is also an ultimate manifestation of God's mercy.

          In fact, as Pope Francis would say, Mercy is another name of God. And as we celebrate His Mercy today, let us take to heart the invitation of Jesus: "Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate" (Lk.6:36). As such, we are called to be objects and subjects of God's mercy. As daily recipients of God's mercy, we are called to be merciful to others. May God continue to show us his mercy especially in our world today, torn apart by the presages of war, violence and hatred. May the freshness of his mercy (Lam. 3:22-23) heal us and heal our world.

Jesus I trust in You!

Jesus I trust in You!!

Jesus I trust in You!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

THE RESURRECTION: AN EVENT REPLETE WITH HOPE!

(Homily For Easter Sunday Year C)

     Today we celebrate the great mystery of our redemption, and it launches us into another liturgical season. In the new calendar, Easter season is a journey of 50 days in which we are invited to reflect upon the post-resurrectional appearances of the Risen Lord, the consequences of Easter event in the life of the Church, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life. The season does not run forty days to Ascension, but now fifty days to Pentecost. This could be linked to the fifty days in which the Israelites enjoyed the fruits of the land, similarly, the church this season reflects in these fifty days on the fruits of Christ’s Resurrection. As I have opined in my previous reflections, the Event of the Resurrection is foundational to our Christian faith, for its realism gives credence to our faith. As a matter of fact, only in the New Testament we encounter about 213 references on the death and Resurrection of Christ. In fact, in Pauline letters alone we have about 81 references, this in no small way reveals the importance of this event in the life of the Church. In the first reading Peter preached to Cornelius and to all his household, that “God raised him on the third day”. While in the second reading St. Paul opines that the Resurrection of Christ and the consciousness of this mystery is the foundation of Christian ethics, for this he invites to seek and look for the things that are above. In the Gospel, St. John seems to center the whole story on the empty tomb, because it resonates the faith of the “beloved disciple” on the Resurrection, but the credibility of the event is founded on the apparitions.

     The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is an event beaming and anchored on hope. In fact, it is ad rem to affirm that the life of Jesus is a life anchored on hope. His was a life lived in a total abandonment in the hands of the Father. More than anything else, the cross is the icon par excellence of Jesus’ hope, and indeed from his cross we learn how and what it entails to hope. The Resurrection should reaffirm our faith and reanimate our hope in Jesus. The Resurrection is indeed an affirmation that the Cross is only a provisional collocation according to Don Tonino Bello, which means is not a permanent place. Even your own cross is provisional. Jesus through His Resurrection is emptying your tomb, in order to set you free from every form of bondage

     In the first reading (At.10, 34.37-43) we can see that the Easter appearances are revelatory encounters which founded the Church and launched the Christian Mission. Our Easter faith and the credibility of the Resurrection depends majorly on the testimonies of the first witnesses. Indeed, the credibility of the realism of the Resurrection is by no means an irrational leap of faith. In this passage, we heard about the formidable discourse of St. Peter, where he situated the realism of the Death and Resurrection of Christ at the centre of his preaching. The apostles too declared themselves witnesses of the Resurrection, “Chosen witnesses”. They are indeed witnesses, who ate and drank with Jesus after his Resurrection. They had a first hand and direct experience of the Risen Lord. More than that, the apostles are witnesses with their life, for the Resurrection completely changed and radically transformed them. They really demonstrated the reality and the efficacy of Christ’s Resurrection with their life, for they all paid with their blood and martyrdom.

     The Gospel of today invites us to join our voices together to that of Mary Magdalene in shouting “Christ my hope is risen”. Upon encountering the Angel, three tasks were given to the women: ●To believe in what Jesus has already said concerning his death; ●To share the message to the apostles and to others; ●And to rejoice (chairete), for the Resurrection is a message of great Joy. Today, we have to allow ourselves to be englobed and propelled by the light and joy that emanate from the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection. We have to affirm with vigour and conviction our faith in the Risen Lord. That Jesus Christ is truly risen is a given fact, a historical fact, indeed the realism of this event cannot be jettisoned. Concerning the realism of the Resurrection, the Gospel makes reference to the apparitions of the Risen Lord to the women, and to the apostles, and as St. Paul would testify, that Jesus appeared to more 500 disciples gathered together, some of whom were still alive when Paul was writing (cf. 1Cor.15:16). So, the empty tomb alone does not exhaust the question of the credibility of the Resurrection.

     Besides, in the gospel of John we have two accounts or stories on the Resurrection. The first in the twentieth chapter, while the second in the twenty-first chapter. In the second account, John shows us that the Risen Lord encounters us in our moments of fragility and in the futility of our everyday life (Jn. 21:1-14).The disciples laboured all through the night, but they didn’t catch any fish, when they were already disappointed and weary. They saw a man standing at the bank. He spoke to them in a lovely manner and invited them to go once more to cast the net. “They cast the net and could not get it in again because it was so full of fish” (Jn.21:6), then the disciples recognized that “it was the Lord” (Jn. 21:7). The Risen Lord can turn our helplessness and hopelessness into an avenue of and for blessing and favour.

     In the Second reading we have two alternative readings (Col. 3:1-4 or 1Cor. 5:6-8) and both of them accentuate the ethical implications of the Resurrection. This is evident in the imperatives: “seek” the things that are above, “set” your mind on them. Drawing the issue further, in the words of St. Paul, we too are spiritually risen with Christ and in Christ, we are buried with him and risen with him (Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12). With and through our baptism we are made partakers of the gifts of Resurrection: ●We have passed from death of sin to the life of grace. ●We have passed from the condition of death through our original sin, to the condition of being alive in Christ and for Christ. It is upon this consciousness that St. Paul invites us to walk in the newness of life, to which the Risen Christ has put us (1Cor.5:6-8). We are called now to “look up” to the Risen Christ and to where he has ascended to, at the right hand of the Father. That is our goal! Let us take to heart the words of St. Peter thus “For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver and gold, but in the precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ” (1Pt. 1:18-19).

     The passage from the epistle letters points out few existential indications on how to render the Resurrection of Christ evident in our life and actions. In the words of St. Paul “Brothers, if you are risen…” (Col. 3:1-4). Indeed, we are risen effectively with Christ in Baptism, we are risen anytime we turn from our sinful ways to the life of grace in God, through the sacraments of reconciliation. Brethren, let us pray and ask God the grace to live and to walk in the “newness of life” following the example of the Risen Christ.

     As a matter of fact, our reflection on Christ’s Resurrection cannot but draw us closer to the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus. How did Jesus die on the cross? He died with the profession of the great Hope: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Even in the midst of all these evils Jesus did his profession of hope. Little wonder, on Good Friday the Holy Mother Church proclaims the Cross “sign of hope”. Here Jesus transformed the cross to an icon of love and hope.

          Above all else however, the Resurrection of Jesus is the response of the Father to the hope of Jesus. For St. Paul, Jesus does not only teach us hope, he is our Hope (cf. 1Tm. 1:1). On the other hand, the silence of the Father reveals that the paternity of God is not a paternalistic paternity. Little wonder, his absence during the crucifixion was apparent. Why was it unshakeable the hope of Jesus?  Because it was founded on the communion with the Father. At the basis of the communion in question, there is the Holy Spirit “Vinculum comunionis”. Jesus dies abandoning himself to the Father who brings the dead to life and calls into existence what does not yet exist (Rm. 4:17).

          Dear brethren in the Resurrected Lord, even in the present economic, moral, political and religious crisis we may be experiencing, together with St. Paul it is my utmost desire to reawaken in you the knowledge of the nature of the hope founded on the God of hope (cf. Rm. 15:13). On discovering this, St. Paul averred: “Our hope will not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rm. 5:5).Therefore, “we should always have our answers ready for those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have” (1Pt. 3:15). Our Hope is Jesus and the Resurrection is the reason for that hope. Yes, Christ among us, is our hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

          Beloved in Christ, let us rejoice for Jesus has giving and consumed himself in love and out of love for humanity. He is the Love of the Trinitarian God manifested to us. Therefore in the Easter season there is no room for sadness, let us rejoice for the Faithful God has risen His Faithful Son from death. Jesus Christ the Crucified-Risen has healed our infirmity of sin. He lowered Himself so that we might rise, he lowered Himself for our salvation.

          In which ever situation we may find ourselves, I repeat there is no room for sadness and for desperation, as the Resurrection  is the response of the Father to the cry of Jesus on the cross, similarly, in the Resurrection of Christ we find the answer to all our questions for meaning. We only have to allow ourselves to be drawn and attracted by Him, as St. John affirmed “They will look to the one whom they have pierced” (Jn. 19:37). The love of the Risen Lord does not allow us indifferent, He Himself confirmed it when He said “when i am lifted up from the earth i shall draw all people to myself” (Jn. 12:32). Let us allow ourselves to be drawn and attracted by the spectacle of the Cross and the Resurrection. A wish of a Continuous Resurrection! Happy Easter to you all!

(Rev. Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

He Is Not Here! He Has Risen!!

(Homily For Holy Saturday Year C)

     This according to St. Augustine is the Mother of all vigils, because this night we Christians relive the fundamental event of our faith, the passage from death to life, to life in Christ, the passage from darkness to light, the Holiest of all nights. We celebrate the triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death. The Risen Lord is the Eternal Light that dispels the darkness of the world, the darkness that obscures our existence. The Liturgy tonight and the different texts chosen for the readings all revolve around the theme of life, of new life springing up from the power of God. The Liturgy of Light and the renewal of baptismal promises intone a hymn to the new man, risen together with Christ. The Easter proclamation focuses on three major themes: the deliverance of Israel in the Exodus, the baptismal deliverance of the new Israel (Christians); the Resurrection of Christ. The biblical readings for the Easter Vigil recall the saving acts of God like: the creation of the world and of humanity (Gen 1), the abundant blessings of Abraham (Gen 22), the liberation of Israel from slavery of Egypt (Ex 14), this is considered to be the most important reading, because the crossing of the Red sea is a type of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, the restoration of Israel (Is 54:55; Bar 3; Ez 36). In the light of all these readings, the resurrection of Jesus is presented as the climax of the proclamation that God indeed is not the God of the dead but of the living. From the New Testament, we see the text from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (6:3-11), where St. Paul invites them and us to lead a new life, because Christ is risen from the dead by the power of the Father. In the Gospel of Mark (16:1-7), we see the holy women in search of Jesus, and later the involvement of the apostles in the amazing event of the Resurrection.

     The message of the Resurrection of Jesus or better the Paschal mystery in its triple moments: of Passion, Death and Resurrection, is invariably the central nucleus and the predominant theme of the Christian faith. Through His descent into hell we reach truly that amazing and fascinating summit of the event of Jesus. An early Christian story says that Jesus entered the place of the dead with his cross, the weapon of his victory. Having released all those who were inside he decided to leave his cross standing in the centre of hell, a sign that even those who pass that way do not find themselves in a place which is unknown to him. On Holy Saturday, we see the radicality of love that offers itself, even till the extremity of the same love. This is exactly what Jesus did for us.

     Jesus in that great silence lived the solitude of the apparent absence of the Father. Here, the hot-button question resounds: “where is God?” This is the interrogative point of Holy Saturday. But interestingly, to this silence and cry of abandonment by Jesus, the Father will respond with and through the Resurrection. For St. Paul tells us that “God…brings back the dead to life and calls into existence what does not exist” (Rm. 4:17), elsewhere he affirms that God raised Him from the dead (Rm. 10:9, cf. Acts. 2:24; 1Cor. 6:14). And it is today that the unprecedented message reaches us with a profound question “why do you look for the living among the dead?” And here, we hear for the first time the mind-blowing response, “He is not here, He has risen”. Yes! Christ has risen as he said. This event reveals that there is no darkness that cannot be transformed into light, no human misery that cannot be transformed into an avenue of mercy and favor. Dear brothers and sisters, we can never have enough voice and courage to repeat or better to shout aloud that Jesus is risen, but let us allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with joy that springs from this event.

     Reflecting deeply in tonight’s Gospel narrative, according to St. Mark, it is eminent the part the three women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome) played. They made headway to the Tomb, and this fact of going to the Tomb reveals that their hope was shaky. Certainly, they must have placed their trusts in Him, but his death shook the very foundation of their hope and trust in Him. However, they had the courage to go and pay homage to the corpse. The Marcan account reports that on arrival at the grave of Jesus the women were asking themselves: “who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” Afterwards they discovered that the stone was rolled back, then they entered the tomb, and saw “a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed”. And the young man said to them: “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here”. And behold, their reaction was characterized by fear, joy and uncertainty. Here, from the theological standpoint, the white clothing of the young man is suggestive of the fact that it is an angelic figure. Indeed, the women’s response was a typical reaction to an Epiphany: fear, wonder or silence. It is interesting to note that, the young man in white rope proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ, first to the women and invited them to go and “tell the disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him”. Galilee in Mark’s symbolism indicates a place where the proclamation of the Good News begins (cf. 1:14-15).

     The phrase: “He is not here”, indicates a new presence, Jesus is alive and active. Mathew in fact, accentuates the new life of the Risen Lord. This is also seen in the book of Revelation (5:6) where the image of the crucified and risen Lord was represented with the figure of a Lamb standing that seemed to have been sacrificed. Indeed, the Crucified-Risen Christ is the Living One “Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the living One, I was dead and look, I am alive for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades” (Rev. 1:17b-18). And He alone is capable of transmitting new life to entire humanity.

     Indeed the belief in the Resurrection of Christ is not incumbent primarily upon the empty tomb. The Resurrection is by no means identical with the empty tomb, however, the fact remains that the empty tomb plays an essential role in the New Testament witness of Christ resurrection. Be that as it may, the empty tomb is a symbol that the appearances of the Risen Christ are not mere spiritualist visions. In and through His resurrection Christ overcome death and opened up man’s destiny beyond the grave and death.

     Let us pause and ponder a little while on the “Pro Nobis” of this event. In fact, in the second reading from the antique homily in the office of readings this morning, there we see that the phrase “for you” reoccurred several times. Hence let’s ponder on what Jesus has done for us. The Resurrection reveals Jesus as the Redeemer of mankind, and here subsists the “Pro Nobis” of His Death and Resurrection. For with the Resurrection of Christ, man is not only redeemed, but he has a divine destiny. He is called to a continuous resurrection, to self-transformation and social transformation.

     The Resurrection impacts the credibility seal on our faith, for without the Person of Jesus, without his death and Resurrection, our Christian faith would not have been credible. For this St. Paul affirms “we preach the crucified Christ” (1Cor. 1:23). In the same letter, he posits: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without substance, and so is your faith” (1Cor. 15:14). Yes! Because the centre of our faith is the Person and the Event of Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity without the Crucified-Risen is empty. Without Christ our life will be devoid of meaning, Christ is the reason of our existence. In all, it behoves us to reaffirm with St. Paul that, “Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1Cor. 15:20). It is because he rose that we can say “In him we live, in him we move, in him we have our being” (Acts 17:28). For the realism and credibility of His Resurrection, St. Paul questions, “who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice who can condemn? Are we not sure that it is Christ Jesus, who died, yes and more, who was raised from the dead, and is at God’s right hand, and who is adding his plea for us?...Can anything cut us off from the love of Christ?...we come through all these things triumphantly victorious, by the power of him who loved us” (Rm. 8: 34.35.37).

     Above all else however, the Easter event restores the hope of the disciples and commissions them to proclaim openly the saving works of God in Christ, through his Death and Resurrection. And this is a mission which we are called to continue today, as a Church and as individual members. The saving work of the Risen Lord is and will continue to be an ever-present reality in the Christian community.

A wish to you all of a Continuous Resurrection!

He has risen as He has said!!

Happy Easter to you all!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

His Passion: The ‘Reality-Show’ Of Our Redemption!

(Homily for Good Friday Year C)

     Jesus died to set us free, to raise the fallen humanity, and to save man created in the image and likeness of God. But to do this, something needed to be done. It was obvious that only God can save man, for man cannot save himself. Then the issue is: Can God do this by means of a gesture of benevolence from heaven? But we know that no one has ever seen God. Can it be accomplished through the angels? But the mission of angels is that of a messenger, not a savior. It was only possible through a man who is at the same time God. And behold, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to come and redeem man. For in the Cross of Christ man rediscovers his real identity, his authentic self, his origin and his destiny. He is the unique Savior, only him can save man integrally and radically, in time and in eternity. Thus demonstrating in a most radical way, the extremity of God’s love towards us.      

     In today’s liturgy the pronoun “We” and the adjective “Our” resound in an unprecedented manner, they resound as the unique and authentic motive of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first reading (Is. 53, 13-53, 12) is insistent on this, when it says: “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying…whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises…Yahweh brought the acts of rebellion of all of us to bear on him” (Is. 53:4-6). In this three verses of the prophecy of Isaiah we can see how many times the words “we and ours” reoccured. In the Passion account according to St. John (Jn. 18, 1-19,42), which has as a background the fourth song of the Servant of Yahweh, however, at the begininning and at the end, it tried to deepen the import of the Passion with two prophetic texts. The first prophecy is the one of the high Priest Caiaphas: “It is better for one man to die for the people” (Jn.18:14), and the second is taken from the prophecy of Zecharia: “They will look to the one whom they have pierced” (Jn. 19:37, cf. Zech. 12:10), this refers to the conversion and the salvation of the nations by means of the redemptive work of Jesus. It was equally at this backdrop that in the second reading (Heb.4,14-16;5,7-9), the author of the letter to the Hebrews, urges them: “Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help…he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb.4:16; 5:9).

     Furthermore, the first reading is suggestive of three important elements to the understanding of Christ’s death: his suffering was innocent, vicarious and redemptive. The second reading, instead, reveolves around the High Priesthood of Christ. The author enumerated the charatcteristics of the High Priest thus: he can sympathize with our temptations and infirmities because of his identification with man in the Incarnation; he prayed for deliverance and he was heard (at Gethsemane deliverance is not an “escape from” but to “save from”), he learned obedience. Indeed, we may well affirm that the Incarnation was so real that Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, not as an automaton, but through struggle and temptation and an experience of learning.

     Today, we reflect on the Passion narrative of St. John. And each evangelist has his own perspective of the Passion, and at the heart of John’s  narrative is the perspective that the Kingship of Jesus shines through his humiliation. Jesus sets the Passion in motion, for he voluntarily came forward to be arrested. We can see how the temple police who were terrified by his personality fell back. Peter tried to stop the arrest, but Jesus intervened. On the Cross Jesus made his last will entrusting his mother to the disciple and his disciple to his mother. In the Gospel of John, Mary is seen as the symbol of the Church. We may say that the Passion narrative of John elucidates the words of Jesus in John 10:18 “I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord”. For Jesus decides the moment of his death: “He gave  up his Spirit”.

     Today we see an expression of Love displayed on the Cross by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is on account of this that our Lord Jesus said in the Gospel of John (15:13) that “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. This is indeed what this Friday stands for. So we thank God it is Good Friday because on this day we received the highest expression of God’s love. On this day, we received superabundance of God’s love. On this day God gave us His most ‘precious possession’, namely His Son. This Friday is good because finally our redemption is accomplished and the price of our sins fully paid (tetelestai). The word “tetelestai” (it is finished, accomplished, fully paid) occurred only in two places  (Jn. 19:28.30), and these are the only two places it is found in the New Testament.

     Through his death Jesus obeyed the Father, in the sense of perdoning his enemies. He submitted whole heartedly to the will of the Father, who does not desire the death of a sinner, but that he repents and lives. Christ accepted to die, in order that his enemies that led him to the Cross might live, hence he forgave them. On the Cross Jesus revealed this profound mystery of God’s mercy and love. He emptied himself and was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross (cf. Phi. 2:7-8).

      Through his event on the Cross, Jesus conformed to the will of the Father. Little wonder, it is said of Jesus that: “He was insulted and he did not retaliate with insults; when he was suffering he made no threats but put his trust in the upright Judge” (1Pt. 2:23). He did not put his trust in the Upright Judge so that he will punish his enemies and wrongdoers, but it was for the purpose of saving them, irrespective of their freedom. “He made no threats”, for he was not harbouring in his heart words to oppose his adversaries; he was not looking or considering those that are making him to suffer, but for those he was suffering for. What a Love in its extremity! St. Peter further expressed: “He was bearing our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for uprightness; through his wounds we are healed” (1Pt. 2:24; Is. 53:5).

     At Getsemani Jesus touched suffering with his bare hands and lived it on his flesh. Suffering for him was not a hear-say experience. In fact, he “leanrt obedience through suffering” (Heb. 5:8). Jesus exclaimed “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mk. 14:34). Jesus lived the highest point of suffering, what the mystics called “the dark night of the Soul”, to the extent that He became sin, “For our sake he made the sinless one a victim for sin, so that in him we might become the uprightness of God” (2Cor. 5:21). When Jesus on the Cross cried out “My God My God why have you forsaken me” (Mt. 27:46), this was because he had the experience of the apparent disappearance of the Father. It was as if the Father left Jesus alone on the Cross, after he must have condemned sin and passed judgement on the world. However, in this traumatizing episode, man could learn what it means to do without God, to reject Him and to Sin. If Jesus could feel his apparent absence on the Cross, what more when we decisively reject or abandon Him ourselves?

     As a matter of fact, we see the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus:

-PHYSICAL EVIL: The death on a cross is the highest form of physical suffering and corporal torturing.

-PSYCOLOGICAL EVIL: Jesus was abandoned by all, he was denied and betrayed. He suffered solitude. We cannot but remember the ingratitude of those who wanted Barabbas instead of Jesus. There was the wickedness of those who gave him vinegar while he was thirst.

-MORAL EVIL: The injustice of Pilate who suffocated and sacrificed the truth at the altar of unfounded consensus. The condemnation and death of an innocent.

-SPIRITUAL EVIL: Then here comes the pertinent question: where is God? Here we see the seemingly absence of God, and Jesus feels this abandonment: My God, My God why have you forsaken me?

     To us, as we meditate and ponder on and on, on the event of Jesus on the Cross, is as if He whisppers to the ears of our heart: “I did not love you, just for joke”. Hence, our meditation on the passion of Christ has to inspire us to contriction and pains for our sins, but also to hope. A word of Hope, for us and for our brothers, for those that are humiliated, offended, oppressed and those their dignity has been dragged to the mud. This existential experiences bring us closer to the Jesus of Good Friday. However, the Cross of Christ is a Word of Hope! Let us not hide this hope from anyone. For we have this assurance of faith that: “If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his” (Rm. 6:5).

      Today being Good Friday, is not a day to express sympathy (eeee yaaaa), no room for passivity, rather his suffering and death should raise questions for meaning in our hearts, and thus lead us to conversion. Today is not the day to admire the courage of the few women that followed Him to the Cross, to condemn the acts of the Jewish religious leaders, Pilate, the crowd and the disciples, or a day to merely sympathize with Jesus, rather it is a day to empathize with Him. It is a day we should allow the reality-show of his death to inspire us like the Centurion to proclaim who He is in our life. For the Centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mk. 15:39). It is a day we are called to allow ourselves to be transformed by His saving death. The visible sign or fruit of the death of Christ in our lives should be that of transformation, in every individual and in the sinful social structures of our society.

         For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

Jesus The New Passover Lamb And The Priest For Love Of Us!

(Homily Holy Thursday Year C)

     Today marks the beginning of the Paschal triduum, and it is indeed a celebration beaming with joy and gratitude for what God has wrought for humanity. In this evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper we gather to open the Paschal Triduum in preparation for the commemoration of the Lord’s Resurrection. Today being Holy Thursday, We celebrate and remember the Last Supper, in a glaring manner we recall Jesus’ act of self-giving, orchestrated in the gift of His Body and Blood; the gift of the ministerial priesthood in the context of the Last Supper, in order to perpetuate his presence in our midst. That fulfills his promise to his disciples “I will be with you till the end of time” (Mt. 28:20). Jesus, indeed, is The Priest of the New Covenant, who unlike the priests of the old covenant offers himself and his blood, and not the blood of animals.

     Our celebration today culminates in the rediscovery of the essence of Christ’ self-giving (the institution of the Holy Eucharist), the gift of his ministerial priesthood (the institution of the Holy Orders), and in the midst of these he continues to invite us to rediscover the value of service and of fraternal love (as exemplified in the washing of feet). ●Institution of the Eucharist: Institution here does not mean enactment of a new rite. The institution is the investment of an existing rite with a new and profound meaning. This earthly banquet enacted by Jesus looks forward to the eschatological banquet. We may therefore, affirm that the Eucharist has both backward (the event of the Cross) and forward (eschatological banquet) imports. ●The establishment of the Catholic Priesthood: Be that as it may, the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the faithful derive their priestly character from the nature of the Eucharist. ●The commandment to love: this is exemplified in the episode of the washing of the feet and the words of the Lord that accompanied it.

   In the first reading (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14), we see a fascinating description of the first Jewish Passover meal. In that event it was customary that a lamb has to be sacrificed for each family. Afterwards, its blood was put on the doorposts and lintel of the house to protect and save its occupants (the Israelites). This served as an identification of the houses where the Israelites were. Then the houses without blood were for the Egyptians and when Yahweh passed over that night the firstborn of the Egyptians were massacred. Here, God promised the Israelites “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:13). The first reading therefore, is a narration of how the tradition of the banquet of Paschal Lamb began. It was a memorial sign of the passage from slavery to freedom (called the Passover). While the blood of the lamb protected and saved the Jews during the first Passover, now it is the Blood of Jesus that saves and liberates us. His Blood is the seal of the New Covenant, not the blood of an ordinary lamb. He is therefore, the New Passover Lamb. Be that as it may, we would like to make a few considerations: First, the Passover as an annual memorial of God’s great redemptive act. For a devout Jew believed that when he celebrated the Passover he was actually there coming out of Egypt with his forefathers. This indeed, is a strong realism. This type of realism tailors the Christian Eucharist. Second, the shedding of the blood of the lamb is a sort of prefiguration of the death of the Lamb of God. And for Christians, bloodshedding is more than a mere ritual or cultic act, it is above all a moral act (cf. Heb. 10:5-9). Third, the Passover was eaten in haste and expectation. In the same vein, in the course of time, this sense of urgency has been transformed into the great expectation of the Messiah. On the other hand, the responsorial Psalm emphasized on the two aspects of the Eucharist: the sacrifice of thanksgiving and the communion among believers.

     In the second reading (1 Cor. 11:23-26) St. Paul presents a detailed description of the Last Supper. Indeed, it is worthy to note that this is the oldest account of the Last Supper. It was written even before the Gospels, for St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians around the mid 50’s of the first century. Unlike in the Passover meal, in the Lord’s Supper Jesus added two more symbols (Bread and Wine). He took a loaf of bread, said the blessings and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: “Take, and eat it, this is my body which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me” (1Cor. 11:24). Similarly, he took the Chalice and said “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood, whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me” (1Cor. 11:25). And indeed, with the above words the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist was enacted. As such, Jesus anticipated the sacrifice of himself on the Cross as he handed the Bread and the Cup to his apostles. The hot button message of this old Pauline text is the fact that Jesus is the True sacrificed Lamb, not the animal of the Jewish Passover; but Jesus who is both the “Offering and the Offerer”. As it was in the tradition of the Jews to confirm covenants with blood, now Jesus declares the shedding of his Blood as a confirmation of the New Covenant. For this, St. Paul expressed with a sublime conviction, “Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God” (Eph. 5:2). Likewise in Paul (as in the Synoptics), the Eucharist looks both backward (to the salvific event on the Cross made present) and forward (to the second coming as anticipated here).

     The Gospel tonight (John 13:1-15) narrates an unexpected fact that is only seen in the gospel of St. John: the washing of feet by Jesus. During their Supper Jesus rose from the table and removed his outer garment, with a towel around his waist and He began to wash the feet of his disciples (Jn. 13: 4-5). This was an incredible scene in the sight of the disciples, for this was the task of slaves. In fact, some biblical scholars have it that, even during that time it was not the slave that washes the feet of the guest, rather the slave brings a basin with water and a towel for the guest to wash by himself. Contrarily, Jesus went lower than a slave. Afterwards, He called the attention of the disciples to the moral implication of what he has done: “I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15). As such, what should characterize our identity as Christians is the humble service rendered to our brothers and sisters in need. Our presence should be a refreshing, enlivening and cleansing presence. He did not do it just to impress the disciples or to win their admiration, rather he did it in order to show them and to show us the example to follow. The washing of his disciple’s feet is a symbolic act. First, because through it Jesus shows how he bowed down to humanity by means of his Incarnation and his death on the Cross, Christ’s self-abasement. Second, is its moral implication: “I have given you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you” (Jn. 13:15). Jesus has given them and us a model of love, serving others.

     Drawing the issue further, a deeper reflection on the foot washing reveals that this gesture of Jesus could be considered from two perspectives: Symbolic and Exemplary. First, the symbolic perspective maintains that the laying aside of his garments by Jesus is a sign of humiliation or better his self-emptying and kenosis (v.3). Second, the exemplary perspective which is seen in verse 15 “I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you”.

     On the other hand, the washing of the apostles’ feet by Jesus can also have other imports; let us pause a little on the words of Jesus: “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” (John 13:8). Now Jesus says to Peter that he will have no inheritance if He does not wash his feet, which implies that Jesus will be Peter’s inheritance but only if Peter allows Jesus to wash his feet. For instance, it can be seen as a symbol of baptism; for when we are baptized, our sins are washed away, Jesus becomes our inheritance. May we also allow Jesus to wash us, to wash our feet, that part of us that is always stained.

     In all, as we can see, within the context of the Last Supper Jesus instituted the Sacraments of the holy Eucharist and of the Priesthood (Holy Orders). He passed it on to his apostles: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk. 22:19; 1Cor 11:24). In and with those words Jesus gave us the mandate to continue to celebrate it in commemoration of Him, and that we do each time we celebrate Mass. Here we have to pay attention, for the command “do this” (plural) is addressed to the Christian community as a whole. The Eucharist is an action of the whole church and the eloquent expression of the eucharistlic priestly character (cf. 1Pt.2:1-10; Ap.1:6). He who presides at the Eucharistic celebration is the mouthpiece of the Church’s priesthood. On the other hand, the one presiding exhibits the priesthood of Christ to the Christian community. Jesus instituted this sacraments for the commemoration of his Passion and Death (The One and Living Sacrifice), so that each time we gather to celebrate it, we relive in an unbloody manner the event of Christ. It is not by chance that Jesus instituted these two sacraments in the same context, and this goes a long way to reveal that the two sacraments are intimately tied together. Indeed, Jesus is The Real Passover Lamb (the Eucharist) And The Priest (The Priest of the New Covenant) For Love of Us (He showcased this in the washing of feet).

Thank you Jesus for the Eucharist, Your Eternal Presence

Thank you Jesus for the Priesthood, That makes You present in our midst

Thank You Jesus For calling me to share in your Priesthood.

And May God help Us to serve others in love and humility!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

The Journey of His Passion: From Jerusalem to Calvary!

(Homily Palm Sunday Year C)

     Today marks the beginning of the Holy Week or the “Great Week”, which will be crowned with the Pasqual Triduum, the culminating point of the whole liturgical year. In this WEEK, the Church celebrates in her Liturgy the great mysteries of her redemption (Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord). In the Holy Week God gives us an appointment of an existential and salvific REALITY-SHOW of the ‘Man’ on the Cross. The Cross, therefore, is at the center of this week, but not just as an ordinary instrument, but because of the ‘Man’ on it, who made it a sublime and salvific image. As such, we are called to ‘re-live’ with faith and love these events of our Salvation. In our Eucharistic celebration, we read the passion of the lord, but prior to that, we celebrated his entrance into Jerusalem (His Triumphant entry), in the midst of acclamations by the people, the shouts of Hosanna that decorously accompanied Jesus, and the road that was decorated with palm fronts. In his triumphant entry we could immagine the presence of people of different calibers, the young and the old, the rich and the poor, all full of expectations, and yet they were not too sure of what was happening, they were pushing and pulling all around him, singing and dancing, shouting and ululating: “Hossana! Glory to God, hail the King, Son of God, Son of David, Alleluia”. On the other hand, there were also the scribes, friends and opponents who understood better than others where all this would lead to.

     The disciples and the crowd proclaimed Jesus King and he was accompanied majestically, they hailed him as King who comes in the name of the Lord. They hailed Him with Hosanna, because in Jesus’ public ministry, he healed their sick, fed the hungry and performed so many miracles. These wonders he wrought in their midst aroused in them the desire to crown Him King, but afterwards the whole game changed from shouts of acclamation to shouts of elimination. Who would have imagined that the crowd which welcomed Jesus with such excitement and enthusiasm during his entrance into Jerusalem would turn against him with such hostility, as to demand for his elimination and death, from the ululation of Hossanah to the demand of his crucifixion. It is now obvious that those shouts and ululations of Hossanah were superficial.

     The readings of today unify two events: the commemoration of the triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and the “reality-show” of the Passion of Christ. The first event was remembered with the rite of entrance through the procession with palm fronts; with the proclamation of the Gospel about the entrance of Jesus in the Holy City. And the second event auspicates the reality of Jesus’ Passion. The essence of our reflection and of the events we are celebrating today is not as a result of the desire to remember just the past, but rather to render present today the Event of Christ through and in the liturgical celebration and in our lives. Hence, we are called to enter with Jesus into the drama of his Passion.

     In the first reading (Is. 50:4-7) we see what could be termed the prophecy of Jesus’ Passion: “For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spite” (Is. 50, 5-6). By means of this prophetic passage we are called to reflect on the third song of the Servant of Yahweh, which serves as a prefiguration of the sufferings of the future Messiah. In this period, it is presupposed that the Israelites were still in exile, and as such were rejecting the prophecies of Isaiah. They were weary and fed up with his constant predictions of deliverance despite the fact that the exilic experience continues. However, the prophet was not discouraged, even when it causes him suffering, he had confidence in God. Even the responsorial Psalm prefigures the Passion of Jesus, in the following words, “All who see me deride me. They curl their lips, they toss their heads” (Ps. 22:7).

     The second reading (Phil. 2:6-11) presents the hymn of St. Paul in his letter to the Philipians, which in no small way illustrates the mystery of Christ’s self-emptying in his death and supreme exaltation. This hymn is often called the Carmen Christi, and the Carmen Christi situates the death of christ in its total context. St. Paul speaks of the kenosis (self-emptying) of Christ, “who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being” (Phil. 2:7). St. Paul points to his glorification thus: “And for this God raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names” (Phil. 2:9).  In this Christological presentation, the identity of Christ was revealed: Jesus is the Son of God, who in order to save man, became man, through an itinerary of suffering, humiliation and death.

     Indeed, the liturgy of the Palm Sunday presents to us a complete chart of the mystery of our salvation. Let us not forget, that we are called to be active in the whole event, because it was for the sake of man and his salvation that the Son of God passed through this heroic adventure. As such, St. Paul sets out to propose a model we all have to imitate, if man is at the center of Jesus’s Passion, he cannot remain only as a passive spectator. Little wonder, the apostle invites: “make your own the mind of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). We are invited therefore, to follow with faith and love the passion of the Lord.

          This liturgical year, we read the passion account of St. Luke (22:14-23:56), and each of the four evangelists has his own disinctive perspective on the event of the Passion. Mark emphasizes on the isolation of Christ: betrayed and denied by his apostles, forsaken, mocked and tortured by his enemies etc. Mathew dwells more on the royalty of Christ, although a royalty that manifested itself in humiliation. Likewise, John on his part dwells on the royalty of Christ, but his is a visible royalty. Luke takes a different dimension, from tragedy to pathos, therein he presents the story of the martyrdom of one who goes out in sympathy for others, for instance: “the daughters of Jerusalem”, “Father forgive them”, “Today you will be with me”.

     One of the major characteristics of Luke is the extreme consciousness with which Jesus was going towards his passion. He was not unprepared. He foresaw and desired it: “With longing have I desired to eat this Passover with you, before I suffer” (Lk. 22:15). At the Last Supper He anticipated the sacrificial offering of himself. And the Eucharist is the sign of his self-giving to death for us. His, was a pro existence, being for. “And taking bread, he gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this as a commemoration of me. Similarly also, he took the chalice after he had eaten the meal, saying: This chalice is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” (Lk. 22, 19-20). Jesus gave himself up for his sinners, as a full submission to God for love of us.

          St. Luke sees in Jesus the perfect image of the Divine Martyr. He went resolutely towards his cross, without any iota of hesitation. He appeared less worried of himself, than for others. He consoles the women of Jerusalem: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children” (Lk. 23:28). He asks for pardon on behalf of those who would crucify him, “Father forgive them, because they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34). He gave up his life in serenity and trust: “Father into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk. 23:46). St. Luke talks about the agony of Gethsemane in order to express deeply the painful experience of Jesus. “And being in agony, he prayed more intensely; and so his sweat became like drops of blood, running down to the ground” (Lk. 23:44).

          Moreover, he introduces in his account episodes of intense participation by the people, “Large numbers of people, and women too, who mourned and lamented for him” (Lk. 23:27). Those who witnessed his cruel death appeared more curious and surprised, unlike the soldiers and the Chief priests who were rather hostile. The people seem to have understood: “And the entire crowd of those who came together to see this spectacle also saw what had happened, and they returned striking their breast” (Lk. 23:48). The centurion seeing what has happened was moved and it led him to the profession of faith: “Truly, this man was the Just One” (Lk. 23:47). The most surprising episode is that of the good thief, who unlike his fellow saw in the whole incident an opportunity for repentance. And here the account of Luke differs from those of Mathew and Mark, because the two thieves in their account both insulted Jesus, but Luke tells us of a good thief who rebuked the other who spoke ill of Jesus, and then pleaded: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Lk. 23:42). And Jesus replied “Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43).

          The Passion of Jesus can be for us an opportunity for repentance (the repentant thief), an occasion to affirm His identity (the Centurion) or just as an incident that arouses hostility and indifference in us. So, are we like Judas that betrayed him? Like Peter that denied him? Like Pilate that delivered him to death? Like the stubborn thief that insulted Him? Instead let cue in in the line of Simon of Cyrene who helped him to carry his (our) Cross, of the women of Jerusalem that mourn for him, of the centurion who strikes his chest and recognizes him as the Son of God, of the good thief that believed and entrusted himself to Jesus. Does His Passion still move us today? His Passion should move and touch us because our sins inflicted those pains and sufferings on him. Let it not be a momentary touch or feelings, rather His Passion should move us to flee from our sins and abandon our old ways, for through His wounds we are healed (Is. 53:5; 1Pt.2:21) and made whole.

          In all, may His Passion lead us to the discovery of His real identity, and here the gesture and proclamation of the Centurion is superb! “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mt.27:54; Mk.15:39; Lk.23:47). The pagan Centurion did not recognize his Sonship because he saw the tomb empty, not because he saw a shining light, but he discovered this at the heart of the event of His Passion: Jesus on the Cross, the reality-show! But all does not end here, we can only read and understand this event if we start from the end. Indeed, the Scripture, the Passion of Christ like the Hebrew alphabet is to be read from the end! Happy Palm Sunday!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)