Deacon Matt's Reflection

Reflection for Palm Sunday:

Isaiah 50:4-7:  Isaiah confessing his complete dependence upon God for everything he accomplishes. He shows himself as someone who listens and pays attention to God’s instructions, thanking God for giving him a “well-trained tongue;” that speaks encouragement to others who are suffering.

Isaiah’s description of submitting to suffering caused by others’ disrespect and abuse of him, because of his service to God, is a foreshadowing of the suffering endured by the future Messiah. Let’s reflect that we all must still fully rely on God to rule our senses and our faculties; (sight, hearing, speech, thoughts and actions), so that we may serve God most effectively and fruitfully.

Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?” In this beautiful psalm of trust in God, we can imagine Jesus, Himself expressing the words of this psalm. The suffering described reminds us that Jesus is truly human, as well as divine. Jesus feels all the emotions that we feel. He is no stranger to fear, anger and sorrow; as are we. The author describes the hateful rejection that Jesus and other prophets have experienced all through salvation history. However, as we read and meditate on the rest of this psalm, Jesus is a model of faith and trust in God’s attentiveness, responsiveness and saving power.

Like Jesus Himself, we can thank and praise God, even before we feel comforted or delivered from whatever or whomever afflicts us. As suggested by Blessed Solanus Casey, we can “thank God ahead of time,” when we pray with faith; in hopeful anticipation of deliverance from our suffering.

Philippians 2:6-11: St. Paul gives us a more detailed description of Jesus’ humble “servant-leadership;” noting how Jesus’ willingness to become human, in order to suffer for us and redeem us, was the Supreme self-gift of love. Jesus’ Holy Obedience and total submission and acquiescence to God’s Will are a profound challenge for us who aspire to be His followers. Let’s take time to meditate and reflect upon how we might come closer to living out the radical self-giving and others-centered service that we are called to engage in and live, as Christian disciples.

Mark 14:1-15:47:  As we read the story of the Passion this year, let’s be alert to the virtues of patience, faithfulness, wisdom and tender love that are modeled for us by Jesus, His Mother, and the Apostles and disciples. Conversely, let’s also take note of the  rejection, abuse and contempt that others had for Jesus. Let’s take serious time to pray for the many people who have not yet accepted the faith or who have actively rejected or walked away from the principles of the faith and its practice.

After meditating on virtuous and saintly individuals, as contrasted with enemies of the faith or those indifferent to or opposed to the Church and the faith; let’s pray for both groups. Let’s pray in thanksgiving for those who have inspired us to live the faith, ourselves. Let’s pray for the conversion of those who’ve never joined the Church. In praying for both believers and unbelievers, we’re praying with an outlook of both thanksgiving and hopefulness. That’s an authentic “Easter Spirit” for us to embody!

Exultantly,
Deacon Matt