3rd Sunday of Easter: 26th April, 2020

May God grant us, this Sunday, the grace to welcome the good news of Christ's resurrection wholeheartedly and that we may live in communion with the risen one and all other believers.

Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 2,14.22-33; 1 Peter 1,17-21; Luke 24, 13-35: 3rd Sunday of Easter: 26th April, 2020)

The Gospel of this third Sunday of Easter presents us with the episode of the disciples of Emmaus. This episode shows the conversions that the risen Jesus worked in the two disciples: conversions from sadness to joy, darkness to the light of faith and community life. These are all very positive conversions. Sometimes, when we talk about conversion, we only think of the painful, tiring, detachment and renunciation aspects. Rather, Christian conversion is a source of joy, hope and love. It is always the work of the risen Christ, who obtained this grace for us through his passion and communicates it to us as the Risen One. The two disciples mentioned in the Gospel are in sadness and despair, and are, therefore, moving away from the community. They went away from Jerusalem and headed towards Emmaus, a remote village. They were discussing, with sadness, about what happened because it does not correspond to their expectations. We hoped, they said. This we have been hoping, in the imperfect tense, is also a confession of despair. It means: Now we don't hope anymore. Jesus approached the two disciples and continued their conversion in different stages. The first is to listen to these desperate disciples. Jesus made them speak, because he asked: What are these talks that you are making among yourselves on the way? The disciples marvelled and said: You are the only foreigner in Jerusalem that do not know what has happened in these days; that is, the events that have been so terrible for Jesus' disciples. Then they reported that Jesus of Nazareth, who was a powerful prophet in deeds and words, before God and all the people, was delivered [by the high priests and our leaders] to be sentenced to death and was crucified. And they concluded: We have been hoping it was he who would liberate Israel. The disciples also reported the news, brought by some women, of the empty tomb: «But some of our women, have upset us; having gone to the tomb in the morning and not having found his body, they came to tell us that they also had a vision of angels, who claimed that he is alive>>. However, this testimony of the women does not seem to the disciples worthy of faith and attention. It has not been confirmed by any positive fact. The tomb is empty, yes, but this does not, necessarily, mean that Jesus is alive. The second stage of the conversion by Jesus consists of, first of all, admonishing the disciples with mild severity. He says to them: “Oh how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! To understand the events, one must resort to prophecies, to the word of God in the Old Testament. The path of faith passes through these prophetic words. We must first listen to the word of God, and after which we are ready to welcome the light of faith. Jesus said to the two disciples: Didn't Christ have to endure these sufferings to enter his glory? And starting with Moses and all the prophets, he explained, in all the scriptures, what referred to him. Jesus' passion was a necessary way to glory. For Jesus the path to glory, necessarily, passed through suffering. This reality is not so easy to accept, but it is fundamental. Why was passion necessary? Because the glory of Christ is the glory of the Redeemer; the glory of the winner of sin and death; victory over hatred, selfishness and also, complete victory over the temptations of rejection or rebellion against God.

 

It was necessary for Christ to reach the extreme point of human suffering and bring his love everywhere and transform everything into an opportunity for victory over sin and death.

In the second reading Peter reminded the faithful that they have been redeemed, freed not by the price of corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without defects and without stain. For Christ, the passion was the necessary way to enter into his glory, which is the glory of having loved to the end (cf. Jn 13: 1). We must accept this doctrine, which is very important for us. We are truly Christians only if we accept this teaching of Jesus: Christ had to endure these sufferings to enter into his glory. In the world there is suffering and sin; Christ's work consisted of making use of suffering to eliminate sin, and therefore, eliminate the deepest cause of suffering. This teaching of Christ - the explanation of the prophecies - was an unexpected, but truly luminous and comforting revelation for the disciples of Emmaus. In fact, they said: Didn't our hearts burn in our breasts as he conversed with us along the way, when he explained the Scriptures to us? When Jesus explains the scriptures to us, it is not just an illumination for our mind, but also a revelation of love that makes our hearts burn. So the disciples are already on the path of conversion, because they perceived that the things that have happened were not negative as they seemed, but served as tools for the implementation of God’s plan, which is a positive one. The victory was not brought about by evil, but by God and Christ. Having been conquered by Jesus’ words, the two disciples wanted to continue with his presence: When they were close to the village where they were going, he acted as if he had to go further. But they insisted: Stay with us, because it is evening and the day is already on the decline. Stay with us: this is the great desire that the meditation of Scripture places on our hearts. It is the desire to have the presence of Christ, live in his presence, be in intimate contact with him, live in the light, hope and love. Jesus went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them. These were the gestures that revealed Jesus, his love and showed that he accepted all his sufferings out of love, to make himself the living bread that gives life, become the winner of hatred, selfishness, violence, the winner who brings communion everywhere. Then they opened their eyes and recognised him. But he disappeared from their sight. Jesus finished his work of conversion: not only with words, but with the gestures of the gift of communion. Breaking the bread, he reminded the disciples of his passion. By giving bread, he showed them that his passion is a gift of love. The two disciples then left without delay to return to Jerusalem. It was another stage in the journey of conversion. They had rediscovered the sense of communion and solidarity in the community. Their conversion was complete when they found themselves in the community of Jesus’ disciples, when they arrived where the Eleven were gathered, and others with them too. There, they heard the news of Jesus’ apparition to Peter. And indeed, in the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reported that the risen Jesus appeared first to Peter, and then to the other apostles (cf. 1 Cor 15,5). So the conclusion of this episode is marked by joy, hope, love and the communication of the Good News: Christ is risen. His passion was not a defeat, but a victory, which is to our advantage.

This is also the message that Peter expresses with great force in the first reading. He shows that Jesus could not be held back by death. God freed him from the anxieties of death, because it was not possible for it to hold him in his power. Jesus on the cross reported the victory, which was to be manifested by a victory over death, that is, with his resurrection. Peter quotes a psalm, a prophetic scripture (since there are many prophetic words in the psalms), Psalm 15, in which David makes the Messiah speak, who said: [The Lord] is at my right hand, so that I will not falter. For this my heart rejoices and my tongue exults; and also my flesh rests in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the underworld, you will not allow your Saint to see corruption. Peter used this scripture, illuminated by the teachings of the risen Jesus, to make a strong, audacious testimony: before the Jews, who asked for the death of Jesus, he proclaims the resurrection of Jesus, and at the same time says that the risen Jesus has poured out the Holy Spirit. In this way, this victory of Jesus is very beneficial for us. The risen Jesus brings us the conversion from sadness to joy, despair to hope and from isolation to communion. We, therefore, welcome this Good News wholeheartedly, to live in communion with the Risen One and all believers. +John I. Okoye

2nd Sunday of Easter, 19th April, 2020

May God grant us the grace to have a strong faith in the risen Christ so as to come to a personal, intimate and deeper union with Him.

Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

Acts 2,42-47; 1 Peter 1,3-9; John 20, 19-31; 2nd Sunday of Easter, 19th April, 2020)

The first reading of this Sunday shows a picture of the life of the first Christian community, based on the unity and growth of the group of early Christians, and recalls the sharing of goods and miracles performed by the apostle. We see, first of all, the community gathered for worship, consisting of the teachings, fraternal meal (communion) with the Eucharist (the breaking of the bread) and prayers; worship took place in homes, in joy and simplicity. This fraternal communion is not limited to worship, but is expressed, very concretely, through the sharing of goods, according to the need of each person. The community of the believers (one of the first names given to the Christians to distinguish them from the Jews) had not broken ties with the temple, a favourable place for the preaching and miracles of the apostles, and they had no reason to keep away from God’s praise practiced by the people. The community survived and grew, through the work of the Lord, with the testimony of the unity of the group and the strength of the apostles. Read on Easter Sunday 2, this summary, certainly idealised, resounds as an invitation to our communities, renewed by Lent and the profession of faith of the Easter Vigil, to be inspired by this model for a more authentic Christian life.

Several themes emerged in the Gospel episode: the apparitions of the Lord brought the life of the primitive communities in the rhythm of eight days in eight days (Sunday to Sunday); Christ the Lord displayed his risen power transmitting them to the Apostles; finally, the resurrection of the Lord led the disciples to discover, like Thomas, the real meaning of faith. From the gospel narrative Christ is no longer a man like the others, since he passes through the walls; on the other hand, he is not a spirit, since he can be seen and touched on his hands and side (v. 20). His resurrection, therefore, gave him a new way of bodily existence. While in the gospel of Luke the Lord was entirely referred to the past to prove that his resurrection was foreseen, the gospel of John laid more emphasis on the future and worried about sending his Apostles into the world. This sending of the Apostles into the world proves what the Father has given to the Son (John 17,18). The Apostles were then empowered to complete the work that Christ has accomplished in his earthly life (John 17,11). From then on, the meetings of the disciples around the Lord took place around the Apostles themselves. Christ's concern to put the various elements that will prolong his resurrected activity on earth is an important theme of the apparitions. These various elements are: the hierarchy, sacraments, the meal and the assembly (note in the Gospel account the double mention of the "meeting" of the Apostles: vv. 19 and 26, and already its Sunday rhythm: v. 26). In the gospel narrative Jesus imparts the gift of the Spirit. How then can John describe the coming of the Spirit on the Apostles on Easter Sunday, while Luke announces it for Pentecost (Luke 24,49)? With his resurrection, Christ, therefore, became the spiritual man animated by the breath which will perdure until the ultimate times and purify humanity. By conferring on his Apostles the power to forgive sins, the Lord, not only, establishes a sacrament of penance, but makes penitents share in his triumph over evil and sin. It is, therefore, clear why John wanted to combine the transmission of the power to forgive with the story of the first appearance of the Risen. The spiritualisation that was produced in the Lord through the resurrection progresses in humanity through the purifying sacraments of the Church.

On this second Sunday of Easter we see that the resurrection of Jesus brings us many graces. Jesus did not rise only for himself, but also for us: his resurrection has considerable effects on our existence. Today's liturgy texts show us that his resurrection brings us peace, joy, love, and all this is based on faith. Jesus’ first word, when it appeared to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, is: Peace be with you! Risen Jesus brings us peace. We can find ourselves in painful and difficult situations, but Jesus brings us peace. To the timorous disciples he brings peace. In fact, Jesus obtained peace through his victory over death. This victory, manifested in the resurrection, generates peace, reconciliation, and puts us in a positive, very promising situation. Risen Jesus brings not only peace, but also joy. We read in the Gospel: The disciples rejoiced at seeing the Lord. The resurrection of Christ is a source of joy for us. The First Christian took meals with gladness and simplicity of heart, says Luke in the Acts of the Apostles. And Peter, in the second reading, speaks of Christian joy: You are full of joy …; Rejoice with unspeakable/indescribable and glorious joy. The resurrection of Jesus is the source of joy in our lives. The resurrection of Jesus is also a source of brotherly communion and love. The first Christians, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, were assiduous in listening to the teaching of the apostles and in fraternal union. This union was expressed in the complete sharing of goods: All those who had become believers were together and kept everything in common; whoever had properties and substances sold them and put them at the disposal of everyone, according to the needs of each. The resurrection of Christ frees hearts from all selfish tendencies, placing in them a generous love, a source of peace and joy. All these are based on faith. The resurrection of Jesus tells us about faith in his victory and glory. In the Gospel we see that faith was not such a foregone and spontaneous thing for the apostles. Especially Thomas, who was not with the other apostles when the risen Jesus came for the first time to the Upper Room, does not want to believe, he puts conditions to believe, conditions that he considers impossible. In fact, he says: If I do not see the sign of the nails in his hands and do not put my finger in the place of the nails and do not put my hand in his side, I will not believe. Thomas wanted to recognise the Lord from the signs of passion. In this he was well inspired: the risen Jesus was recognised, precisely, by the signs of his passion. In fact, the resurrection did not abolish passion. It is not a glorification that suppresses all that Jesus suffered before. On the contrary, it highlights the passion, showing all its effectiveness and values. It makes us understand that passion, which seemed like a defeat, is actually a wonderful victory: the victory of generous love. Jesus gave himself up to death for us with infinite love, and thus obtained the victory of the resurrection. Jesus overcame death and changed its meaning. Instead of being a breaking event, his death was an alliance event. At the Last Supper he said: This is my blood of the covenant (Matt 21,28 ff.). His death, therefore, is a victory over death, a victory over all the divisive forces, and his resurrection manifests, precisely, this aspect of his victory. Risen Jesus meets Thomas' requests. Eight days later he returned to the Upper Room, stood among the disciples and said: Peace be with you!, for the third time. Then he said to Thomas: Put your finger here and look at my hands; stretch out your hand, and put it in my side; and be no longer incredulous, but become a believer! At this point Thomas welcomed in his heart a truly complete and perfect faith, and said to Jesus: My Lord and my God! In the entire Gospel there is no expression of faith stronger than this. Thomas not only recognised Jesus as his Lord, but also as his God. Peter recognised Jesus as the Son of the living God (cf. Matt 16,16); Thomas recognised that this filial dignity meant a true divinity of Jesus. Then Jesus says: Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are those who, although they have not seen, will believe. The Gospel was written - says John - so that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by so believing, have life in his name. The life of the risen Jesus is communicated to us through faith.

In the second reading Peter makes a very beautiful eulogy of faith. He says that God regenerated us [gave us a new life] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, for a living hope, for an inheritance that is not corrupt, does not stain and does not rot away. It is preserved in the heavens for you, who by the power of God are protected by faith, for your salvation. Faith in Christ is the source of peace, joy, love and new life. To tell the truth, the source is the person of Christ, but faith is needed to draw it out. It is about faith, says Peter, that is much more precious than gold. We must ask ourselves if we really consider our faith as being more precious than gold, if we have a profound sense of the extraordinary value of our faith in Christ. All material goods are nothing compared to the great value of faith. And Peter specifies that this faith needs to be deepened through trials, which are necessary. Certainly, the trials are painful, they make us suffer; but it is the suffering that is, by no means destructive, but rather positive at best. The trials purify, deepen the faith, and this will turn out to be our praise, glory and honour at the manifestation of Jesus Christ. And Peter then affirms: You love him, even without having seen him; and now without seeing him you believe in him. Jesus said to Thomas: Blessed are those who, despite not having seen, will believe; and Peter echoes this bliss, because he says: Without seeing him you believe in him. Therefore exult in unspeakable and glorious joy as you achieve the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of souls. On this Sunday we proclaim our faith, and recognise its great value. It is a source of peace, joy and love. It is above all, a source of personal, intimate union with the risen Jesus and, through him, with the heavenly Father. Our faith is, therefore, a treasure, which we are happy to possess and must accept better and better in all circumstances. May we always pray for its growth in our lives. +John I. Okoye

(graphic by Charles) 

Easter Sunday, Year A, April 12, 2020

Christ by His resurrection destroyed sin and death, we participate in Christ's death and resurrection through our baptism; may we enjoy through this Eucharistic celebration the full powers of Christ's resurrection through our docility and generosity in doing God's will and showing love to our needy neighbours.

Happy Easter!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 10,34.37-43; Col 3,1-4; John 20: 1-9: Easter Sunday, Year A, April 12, 2020)

Today we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord. The feast of Easter is the most important of the whole liturgical year. It is a feast of light: the risen Lord illuminates us, puts immense joy, and hope in our hearts, and also fills them with love.

The Gospel tells us about the events of Easter Sunday morning. After Saturday, Mary of Magdala goes to the tomb early in the morning, when it was still dark. On Saturdays, there were no movement, according to a very strict precept of Jewish law. But the day ends in the evening; therefore, when it was still dark, Maria moves to go to the sepulchre. Mary was full of love, but also full of pain. When she got to the grave, she had a surprise: she realised that the stone has been overturned by the sepulchre. The whole passage wants us to understand that the resurrection is an unexpected event for the disciples. They thought it all ended with Jesus’ death, they did not understand Jesus’ predictions about his resurrection. Indeed, it must be recognised that these predictions, as we read in the Gospel, were not so clear. Jesus spoke of getting up, which is not necessarily interpreted as rising; he spoke of awakening, and the disciples did not understand what these words referred to. Therefore, they were completely unprepared for the event of the resurrection of the Lord. From the vision of the overturned stone, Mary of Magdala does not draw the conclusion that the Lord has risen, but that they took the Lord away from the sepulchre. For her, resurrection is a strange and unthinkable thing. The Lord is dead; he could not get out of the grave alone; so they took him away, and we don't know where they put him. It is a violation of the sepulchre. This was the conclusion reached by Mary of Magdala. Mary runs to report the matter to two disciples, who immediately went to the sepulchre, to check the story. These two disciples were Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved most. The evangelist points out that the other disciple, while running faster and arriving earlier - probably because he was younger - and full of respect for Peter, truly regards him as the head of the apostles; therefore, he does not, immediately, enter the sepulchre. Meanwhile Simon Peter also came, following him, and I entered the tomb and saw the sheets on the ground, and the shroud, which had been placed on his head, not on the ground with the sheets, but folded in a separate place. The things Peter saw testify to a truly strange fact. What do they mean? If the evil doers had taken away the body of Jesus, they, certainly, would have taken it with all the sheets and the shroud; they would not have left the sheets on the ground and folded the shroud in a separate place. When the other disciple enters the sepulchre, he also saw the sheets and the shroud, but he has an illumination and understands: the body of Jesus has not been stolen; Jesus has come back to life: a life of a specie different from the earthly one; a life in which the sheets and the shroud no longer have any use, The other disciple saw and believed. The evangelist then observes: They had not yet understood the Scripture, which he had to raise from the dead. John wants us to understand that the event of Jesus’ resurrection was not recognised from Scripture, but that, on the contrary, it was himself who illuminated the Scriptures. Only after this event did the disciples understood what the Scripture and Jesus' predictions meant. Before, they could not interpret them. Jesus’ resurrection was the event that illuminated the minds and hearts of the disciples. Risen Jesus is source of light, a very comforting and positive light. His resurrection reveals the meaning of his passion. Without the resurrection, the passion of Jesus would appear as a dramatic, negative event, like a tremendous defeat, a hopeless end. Instead, Jesus’ resurrection shows all the value of passion, that it was not a defeat, but a victory, the victory of love. The good shepherd gave his life for the sheep (cf. John 10,11). As Jesus says, no one has a love greater than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends (John 15,13). Jesus lived his passion with love; therefore, he obtained the resurrection. He got a new life, which is not earthly. He got a mysterious life, an eternal life, full of beauty and power. We welcome this message of Jesus’ resurrection. We know that we cannot understand it except through faith. Humanly speaking, it is an inexplicable event. But faith makes us aware of the divine intervention and makes us welcome this powerful light, which illuminates, not only the mystery of Jesus, but our whole existence.

In the first reading Peter proclaims the message of the resurrection. Entering the house of centurion Cornelius, he takes the floor and makes this announcement: Jesus, who passed by benefiting and healing all those who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him, was killed unjustly, cruelly, but God has him resurrected on the third day, and appeared to many. These apparitions confirm, positively, that the empty sepulchre made one guess. Peter says: God wanted [the risen Jesus] to appear not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen by God, to us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. And he has ordered us to announce to the people and to attest that he is the judge of the living and the dead constituted by God. The Risen Jesus is full of power. The first manifestation of his power, however, was not of judging, but granting remission of sins. With his passion, in fact, he has obtained forgiveness for all sins, even the most serious ones. Therefore, the first power of the risen Christ is a power of salvation. In the end there will also be the power to judge, because it is necessary that in the end men are judged on the basis of their acceptance or rejection of Jesus.

In the second reading, Paul reveals to us the consequences of the resurrection of Jesus for our life; he claims that we have risen with him. In the passage that is read in the Vigil Mass of the night (Romans 6,3-11), the Apostle explains that with baptism we were buried together with Christ in death, to be also united with him in his resurrection. We, in a certain sense, have already risen with Christ; the life of the risen Christ has already transformed us internally. We no longer simply live at the human level, carnal level, Paul would say - but we have within us a germ of new life - the life of the risen Christ - which transforms us little by little. Therefore, we have a duty to correspond to this extraordinary grace that we have received. Paul says: If you have risen with Christ, look for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; think of the things above, not those of the earth. We must understand the expression used by Paul well: the things above. It is not a matter of imaginations, or having one's head in the clouds, but rather having spiritual values. The Apostle wants us to understand that, after the resurrection of Jesus, we must not only seek earthly goods, have thoughts of greed and material satisfaction, but must also be aware that our life derives all its value from the union with Christ in love. Looking for things up there, then means living in faith, in union with the risen Christ; it means to live in the hope of God's grace every moment of our life, and of the glory of God at the end of it; it means to live in charity and divine love, which come to us from the heart of Christ. The things up there that we have to look for are very concrete things. Looking for things up there means living with generosity, spirit of service, great attention to the needs of others, a truly worthy way of Christ, who gave his life for us. And when Christ, your life, becomes manifest, you too will be manifested with him in glory. The resurrection of Christ is the source not only of faith, but also of a wonderful hope. Our hearts must be filled with gratitude to God for this extraordinary gift. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

graphics by charles

Palm Sunday and Passion of the Lord; 5th April, 2020)

May we, uniting ourselves in this Eucharistic celebration with Christ who suffered and died for us, obtain the grace, not only to be docile always to God's will, but also of being in solidarity with our brothers and sisters.

Happy Sunday! 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Isaiah 50,4-7; Philippians 2,6-11; Matt 26,14-27,66: Palm Sunday  and Passion of the Lord; 5th April, 2020)

On this Sunday we celebrate the palms (sign of victory) which anticipate the victory of Jesus, and the passion of Jesus, which in a certain sense is already his victory, but also his greatest humiliation simultaneously. In the third poem on the Servant of Yahweh (First reading), the prophet of God describes his attitude. The Servant is probably the people of Israel in relationship with the pagans; but the language used reflects a typical situation, such as that of the prophet Jeremiah. In this way it becomes easier to, personally, apply to Jesus (down to certain details of his passion) the sufferings that the Servant endures in the name of, and for, his people (v. 6; cf Matt 27,27-30). The prophet understands and announces the word of God (vv. 4-5); this is, precisely, his vocation (cf. Ps 39,8: he opened my ears), from which he does not escape despite the inner resistances and the external difficulties of all kinds. He knows that God is with him: this is the foundation of his fortress (v. 7) and of the hope in the successful outcome of his mission. The Church, and every Christian in it, is a prophet of God today: one’s testimony must be based on an ever more careful search for God's plan for our time and on an unshakable trust to resist persecution, contempt, indifference, over-sufficiency or despair of the world as she announces her message of salvation. Jesus achieved the glory of the resurrection through the humiliation of passion. Christ is the prophet of God: though despised and humiliated in his passion, he knows that the Father will not abandon him, since he does his will.

In the second reading, Paul describes the whole arc of the mystery of Christ. He, who is of a divine nature, undresses himself by taking on the condition of a servant; he humbles himself until the obedience of the cross: humbled himself by becoming obedient to death and death by the cross. But beside the aspect of filial obedience, this passage of the Letter to the Philippians also shows us another aspect: solidarity with the brothers. Christ has become similar to men, he has assumed our humble condition; indeed he became united with the most criminal people, with those condemned to death by the cross. Thus we note two aspects that show the double value of passion: it is an event full of filial docility to the Father and an event of fraternal solidarity with men.

The Passion narrative shows how Jesus was docile to the Father. We see it, especially, in agony. Here he fights against the anguish caused by the prospect of suffering and death and, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, he learns, in a certain sense, obedience (cf. Heb 5,8). In fact, at the beginning he begs the Father to let the cup of suffering and death pass away from him: (Matt 26,39). But immediately after, he adds: But not as I want, but as you want!. Thus Jesus puts docility before God first and then the desire to be preserved from suffering. And after having prayed for a long time, he repeats only this second statement: My Father, if this cup cannot pass by me without me drinking it, your will be done. This adhesion of Jesus to the will of the Father is also manifested in the moment of arrest. Peter tries to protect and save Jesus: by intervening with the sword, striking the servant of the high priest. But Jesus puts an end to this attempt at resistance, saying to Peter: Put the sword back in its scabbard .... The reason for all this is, precisely, the filial docility of Jesus, otherwise, how would the Scriptures, according to which all this must happen, be fulfilled? The will of the Father is indicated by the Scriptures, and Jesus wants to fulfil them by filial docility to the Father. He also says to the crowd: "You went out as if against a brigand, with swords and clubs, to capture me [...]. But all this happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled. Jesus is aware of having to fulfil the Scriptures, and gives his perfect adherence to the will of the Father, knowing that it is a very positive will, a will of salvation for all mankind. He, therefore, sacrifices himself so that we are saved. Thus we see that filial docility is closely linked to brotherly solidarity. By docility to the Father, Jesus sacrifices his life for the salvation of his brothers. This aspect is manifested in a particular way in the institution of the Eucharist, which shows, in advance, all the orientation of the passion of Jesus. Before being arrested, judged and sentenced, knowing that all this would happen, he takes the bread, pronounces the blessing with which he thanks the Father, then gives the bread to the disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body. Then he takes the cup and says: Drink all of them, because this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many, in remission of sins. Thus Jesus transforms his passion into a gift, makes his sufferings and his death the occasion of the total gift of himself. He offered his Body and his Blood for the salvation of all men, ordering, in addition, the repetition of this gesture, which fixes the orientation of all his passion in advance. 

Furthermore, Jesus accepts the most complete solidarity with the most disadvantaged people in the world. He accepts not only a common human destiny, but, a human destiny full of humiliations and sufferings. As Paul says, he becomes similar to men, he appears in human form to humiliate himself, until death. He accepts the fate of people falsely accused, unjustly condemned, people tortured and must die as malefactors. This is the aspect of solidarity that Jesus shows in his passion. Now, no man can find himself in such situations, no man can be condemned and executed without having Jesus at his side, crucified Jesus, who offers his life in remission of sins and for the covenant, that is, to restore deep union between men and the Heavenly Father. There can be no greater human solidarity than this.

On the other hand, Jesus knew that this acceptance of human solidarity will not have a negative result; that the strength of God will transform passion into a path to resurrection. But he also knew how to accept this path. When asked by the high priest about his identity: I beseech you, for the living God, to tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God, he replies: You said it; indeed, I say to you: from now on you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of God, and come on the clouds of heaven. Jesus knew that his passion - this complete solidarity with us, and perfect docility to the Father's will - is the way to resurrection and glorification. And it is not only the way to his personal resurrection, but also the way to rebuild the temple of God in three days. The only accusation that the Gospel reports against Jesus is that of two false witnesses who affirm: He said: I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. It was a false accusation; Jesus never said this, but - as we read in the Gospel of John - he said to the Jews: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (John 2,19). Therefore, whoever destroys the temple was not Jesus, but his adversaries. However, in this extraordinary event, Jesus raises the sanctuary of God, that is, creates a new sanctuary. This new sanctuary is the glorified, sanctified humanity, his humanity which becomes for us the place where we meet God, the place where we are intimately united with him. 

Thanks to Jesus' passion, all our trials become opportunities/occasions of filial union with God. Therefore, we can contemplate the passion of Jesus with a deep sense of thanksgiving, and at the same time with emotion, because it is truly a shocking event. It is shocking seeing Jesus, such a generous person who dedicated himself to the service of God and his brothers suffering so much, being so unjustly condemned and executed. But at the same time, since in all these events, Jesus' love for the Father and for us is manifested, we can only thank the Lord for this love. Paul says: This life that I live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me (Gal 2,20). Jesus handed himself over to the sufferings of passion and death to save each of us. In the Eucharist we receive all the fruit of Jesus' passion. He gives us, not only his Body and Blood, but also his union with the Father and, therefore, puts us on the path of a generous life and definitive union with God. By uniting ourselves with Christ who suffered and died for us, we gain the grace, not only of being docile always to the will of God but also the gift of being in solidarity with our brother

s and sisters. +John I. Okoye

(graphics by Chukwubike)