The Missionary Discourse

¹Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. ²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. ⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ⁹"Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts- ¹⁰no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹²As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. ¹⁶"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²²You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴"The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! ²⁶"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ³²"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. ³⁴"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- ³⁶a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' ³⁷"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ⁴⁰"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. ⁴²And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." (Matthew 10:1-32)

This, the second major discourse of Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 10:1–42), is often referred to as the “Missionary Discourse.” It contains instructions from Jesus to his Twelve Apostles. The special focus of the current passage sets forth some of the difficulties the apostles can expect to encounter in their missionary endeavors.

 1) Divisions and sufferings. Jesus warns his apostles that the kind of commitment required for a person to follow him can easily lead to divisions that reach even into one’s family members. Suffering is also part of the life of an apostle. Thus, an apostle of Jesus must be willing to “take up the cross” and follow him. This reference to “taking up the cross” implies embracing cruel and often unjust suffering. Crucifixion was a harsh punishment that was in existence at least 300 years before the time of Jesus. Of course, there is also a connection here to the way Jesus himself suffered and died. Real life is following Jesus authentically. This might cost one his or her physical life, but it will lead to a greater life than the one lost. 

2) The grace of receiving. Many Theologians think that the reference to receiving Jesus as being equal to receiving God who sent him is the key point of this whole passage. Certainly, it is the Christological high point. An apostle, by being commissioned by Jesus, carries with him a presence of Jesus. Jesus is the earthly revelation of God. Therefore, to receive an apostle is, in effect, receiving God made manifest in and through Jesus. This interrelationship between apostle, Jesus, and God is sometimes referred to as “divine mutuality.” It is a favorite theme in John’s Gospel. 

3) Rewards. Matthew clearly believes that God bestows rewards on those who believe the Gospel message and put it into practice. The final section of today’s Gospel combines receiving with rewards. There is no logical connection between a prophet, a righteous person, and one in need of a cup of cold water. These describe activities carried out by the apostles. The cost of being called by Jesus, and of being sent by him to engage in apostolic activity, is high. While it will involve suffering and divisions, it will also reap great rewards for the apostles.

We are called by the Lord to do great things in our lives. Let us resolve to follow Jesus no matter the personal cost. While we will have sufferings and persecutions Jesus will always be with us to loving guide us. Let us build our faith by studying Holy Scriptures, prayer and receiving the Eucharist most of all. If we remain faithful, we will become like the master of our souls and spread the gospel.

By Rev. Dcn. Joe Pasquella

The Worst That Can Happen Has Already Happened

 There is nothing like a little bad news in the media to make people start talking about the end of the world. When we read the Apostle Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, we can only guess Paul’s times were not too different from ours.

We always think we are living in the worst of times and that the Lord must be planning to fix things by bringing the world to an end. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, guess what? They do!!!

And when they do, the trick is to keep our focus on God and His faithfulness to the covenant. It is by clinging steadfastly to faith in God that we will find shelter from the distressing times we live in. By remaining centered on the Word of God, we will find the guidance we need to run along the path of God’s commandments and discover that our hearts have been expanded with the unspeakable sweetness of love. Our security in times of adversity depends on the provident care of God who is in control of everything that happens to us.

Our faith tells us that the worst that can happen has already happened. God was impaled on a tree. The event was so outrageous that the sun refused to shine that day.

But the story does not end there. On the third day, Christ rose from the dead. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus said: “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Through the paschal mystery we have peace with God and in Christ we find a peace that the world as we know it cannot give. Jesus gives us the reason for our confidence. “Take courage! I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mat. 28:20).

This means that the Lord is in charge, no matter who else says otherwise.

Only by holding fast to the Gospel, can we hope to find courage and strength when facing adversity. When the Lord returns in glory, may He bring us all into everlasting life.

--Fr. Jerome Macher, OSCO

Our Lady of Sorrows

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows celebrates the Woman who stood beneath the Cross. We acknowledge her as the Mother of Life who won the martyr’s crown as she stood beneath the Cross of her Son.

Saint John presents the scene of Christ providing for His mother. In this action, we see how God sometimes removes one comfort from us, only to provide another.

Watching her Son die a most hideous death, she finds herself the mother of many sons and daughters who have been adopted by means of that death.

Through His sacred passion, Christ made an end of sin and death. Hanging on the Tree of Life, Jesus makes Mary the Mother of the New Creation.

In the person of John, all Christ’s beloved disciples are to show Mary filial affection, honor and respect. As she embraced the beloved disciple, Mary initiated her new mission as universal Mother, establishing a special relationship between her and all the members of the Body of Christ.

As she stood near her Son during His hours of agony and pain, so too, does she stand by all the members of the body of Christ when they are in need.

As universal Mother, Mary stands before us as the first fruits of Christ’s promise not to leave us orphans. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, Mary could serve as the glue holding together the family of Faith.

Nurtured by this Woman of Faith we will develop a sincere love for her Son. Under her watchful eye, love will become the guiding principle of our lives.

Whenever we stray from the path, she will draw us closer to herself at the foot of the Cross.

May each one of us, precisely through the concrete reality of Mary's universal motherhood, fully acknowledge her as our own Mother, and trustingly commend ourselves to her maternal love.


Saint John Paul II

Let me stand and mourn with you, O Mother. Permit me to mingle my tears with yours. Allow me to share your grief. Let me learn to feel as you do. Help me understand the depth of His love for me, a sinner. Foster in me the urgency to reach out to those in anguish. Remove the complacency in me so that I become sensitive to the needs of others. Let me hear these words everyday: “Woman, behold your son.” For he died for me. And you stood by Him. Even as your tears fell. 

--Father Jerome Machar OSCO

Holy Week: Week of Decision

Through the liturgical rites of this week we will walk with Jesus in His sorrow, His fear, His death and His Paschal Victory. On Palm Sunday, we reenact His entry into Jerusalem where He encountered the growing hostility of the religious authorities.  While preparing for Passover, He attempted to open the minds of His disciples to the message of the Law and Prophets so they would understand that His death was the healing balm for a broken world and that He was about to offer His Father the ultimate sacrifice of praise.  This sacrifice is offered for us, for you and for me. He became a curse so that we might receive a blessing. He was condemned so we might be forgiven. He died so that we might have eternal life. If we humbly gaze upon the blood-stained cross and the abandoned burial clothes, we will be enabled to lay claim to the glory that is ours as the Children of God and heirs to the Heavenly Kingdom. 

Throughout Holy Week the Church re-proposes to the world the mysteries of salvation with the hope that we might renew our relationship with Christ. With the eyes of faith, we shall look upon Him Who was pierced for our sakes and come to know the depth of Divine Love that alone can fill the longing of our soul. Christ holds up to our gaze the cross with this understanding: If we embrace it with love, as He did, we will find the fullness of life. Jesus embraced the cross, and in His great love he transformed it into an instrument of grace and power with which He would recreate the world. By the blood of the cross he won for us our salvation. Now He invites us to surrender our own sufferings, our own limitations, disabilities and distress to Him and thereby share in His own redemptive love. 

Moved with pity by the miserable condition of His people, the Beloved Son of God came down from His majestic throne to seek out and find all who were lost. We have heard the phrase, “He died for us,” so many times that we tend to nod our heads and mumble, "Yah! I know." For some reason, the gospel message no longer shocks us. Because of our sophistication and technical advancements we are not overawed by the news that we are delivered from the power of death. It is important that we turn our gaze beyond the superficial and mundane. There we will enter into the broader realm of wonder and awe. Allowing ourselves to stand at the foot of Christ's cross, as if for the first time, we shall enter into the mystery of redeeming love and transforming grace.  

The Apostle Paul reminds us, God never ceases to show the richness of His mercy throughout the ages. The transformation of the heart that leads to the confession of sins is “God's gift”, it is “His work” (cf. Eph 2:8-10). To be touched with tenderness by His hand and shaped by His grace allows us to acknowledge our sins and to receive Divine Mercy. The Cross of Christ shows God's judgment on sin and His compassion towards sinners. Divine mercy, expressed at the terrible cost of the violent death of God’s Only Begotten Son, is worthily received when we choose to repent of our sins. The proof that God’s mercy was not wasted upon us is shown when we live our gratitude for mercy by striving after holiness with zeal and joy.  

On the cross Jesus took our guilt upon Himself. He bore the full consequences of our sin and set us free. With a tenderness that never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and start afresh. Jesus not only accompanies us but actually carries us on His shoulders, making it possible for us to imitate Him in carrying our cross. Rejected by the people, condemned by the religious leaders, executed by the civil authorities, naked and degraded, Jesus entered once and for all through the veil to become the sacrifice of atonement. The people who were defiled by the blood poured out in violence and unlawful sacrifice were purified by the blood of the Lamb that was slain. No one is excluded from the mercy of God. Everyone is offered access to it. The Church is the Household of God that welcomes all and refuses no one. The doors of the Church are wide open, so that all who desire it can find acceptance and forgiveness.  

Through the mystery of the Incarnation, the human race is united and, as it were, enfolded within the cloak of divine blessing, a blessing that permeates, sustains, redeems and sanctifies all things. In the face of saving grace, we cannot stand idly by. But we have respond to the call of divine love with our whole being. Only then can we enter into a profound communion of love with Christ Who suffered, died and rose for us and be transformed into Sons and Daughters of God in the Son. 

Holy Week was Jesus week of decision. It is also a week of decision for us. As disciples of the Lamb that was slain we must decide to love our enemies, count as our neighbors those who we think little of. Because Jesus is our Lord and Savior we must decide to give up the material things that offer us nothing but only drain us of real life. Because Jesus is our Lord and Redeemer we must decide to go where God calls us, follow where God leads us, no matter how inconvenient it is, how difficult it is, how painful it might be. We must decide to live life to the full and not as mere spectators. Lord Jesus you died and rose for love of us, help us to live and die for love of You. Amen. 

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Christ's Ascension, Holy Spirit's Descent: Sacrifice Accepted, First Fruit Given

There is a parallel between Christ being raised up on the Cross, when the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom giving the people access to the Throne of Mercy; and Jesus being taken up into heaven, when the heavens were torn open giving the people ready access to the heavenly homeland. We have only to recall the words recounted in the Gospel of John: “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later” (Jn. 13:36). We have the Lord's assurance that we will, one day, follow Him into His heavenly dwelling place. As we journey towards the Kingdom, we have the assurance of God's boundless mercy for any of our misguided steps.

Jesus' Ascension into Heaven by John Singleton Copley, 1775

For the weeks after Easter, the Mass liturgy directed our attention to the Farewell Discourse of Jesus recounted in the Gospel of John. These words were addressed to the apostles as Jesus was preparing for the events of His great Passover. With these words He instructed the disciples to peer through the veil and approach the Throne of Mercy. While the prospects of boundless mercy were awe inspiring, the price the Master was about to pay was heart wrenching. Seeing their distress at the thought of His absence, Jesus sought to console them by promising to send a Helper to accompany them in all their undertakings. The promise Jesus made to the disciples, He likewise makes to us.

Even though we are deprived of physical contact with the Risen Lord, we are not left without a Guide and Companion for the journey. Jesus reminds us that His departure is necessary. His Ascension into heaven proved that the ransom was accepted. In His flesh, Jesus demonstrated that the children of Adam and Eve once again had access into Paradise. The descent of the Holy Spirit was to be the first fruit of Christ’s return to the Father’s right hand. The coming of the Spirit is the sign that the Father had, in fact, looked upon the sacrificial offering of His only-begotten Son with a serene and kindly countenance. More than that, He actually received it on His altar on high in the sight of His divine majesty.

The Lamb that was slain, lives now in the presence of the Father to intercede for us so that we may be open to the promptings of the Spirit Who is our Advocate and Guide. By breathing forth the life-creating Spirit, the Son Who is nearest the Father’s heart gives us access to the community of Love and the glory of universal harmony that is the Trinity. When you stop and think about it, there really is nothing more wonderful and great as this life hidden with Christ in God.

--Fr. Jerome Machar OSCO

Into the Desert

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. (Numbers 21: 4-9)

Moses and the Bronze Serpent

This reading recounts the story of our ancestors' pilgrimage through the desert. They were worn out by the long journey under the burning heat of the sun. They grumbled about what God had done for them and were not sure they wanted to trust Him in the days ahead. Once the novelty of eating the bread of angels wore off, they became bored with the manna that God graciously provided them each day. Like our ancestors in the faith, we tend to grow tired of our faith journey. We lose our enthusiasm for the kingdom, and the Gospel no longer fills us with joy. Because of the humdrum of day-to-day living, we no longer have a burning desire to press on to make our own that for which Christ has made us His own. Now is a time of grace for us. Today we are given an opportunity catch a second wind and recommit ourselves to the journey.

Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dali (1951)

During moments of boredom, doubt and even despair, we find ourselves wandering aimlessly in the valley of darkness and death. Here, in the hour of greatest distress, The Lord grants us the grace to call out to Him that He might heal us. Impaled upon the cross, Christ calls to all who are groveling in the dust. He encourages us to lift up our heads and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him. Christ became the Lamb that died so that we might live as children of Light. Just as the bronze serpent raised up on a staff became an instrument of life for the Hebrews, so too Christ raised up on the cross became the instrument of life for us. When commenting on the bronze serpent, the rabbis observe that it was not the sight of the bronze serpent that cured those who were stricken, but the act of looking up towards the uplifted serpent that opened each individual to the healing power of God.

When  we approach the altar to receive Holy Communion, let us look upon the Lamb Who did not know sin but made Himself to be sin so that we who are sinners might be made holy. Let us humbly acknowledge our sinfulness and open our hearts to receive the gifts God offers us so that we might walk in the Light of Life as Children of God and heirs of the heavenly kingdom. May He who conquered sin and death set us free from our sins and the effects that they have on our lives. When the Lord returns on glory, may He bring us all together into everlasting life.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Meditation on the Cross of Christ

We adore you O Christ and we praise You because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. The readings of Good Friday's liturgy tell us of the life-consuming love of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Through them we are given an opportunity to ponder the scandal of the Cross. Through them, we recall the day when the human race renounced its Savior and condemned the immortal Son of God to an ignominious death. The Master of the Universe allowed himself to be stripped of all dignity and respect. He who was shown no compassion was moved by compassion and love for the human race. He who was lifted up on the cross chose to lay down His life to redeem us from our bondage to sin and death. By His death on the cross Christ has conquered death and granted eternal life to all who were consigned to the land of great darkness and gloom. The people who dwelt in darkness were bathed in the light of life that radiated from the wood of Christ's blood-stained cross. By means of the cross and His glorious wounds our divine Master brought newness of life to all the children of Adam and Eve.

We venerate your cross, O Lord, and we glorify Your resurrection. Through the cross you have brought joy to the whole world.   On Good Friday, the cross of Christ is presented to us to refresh our souls and to renew our hope. The cross teaches us that through humiliation, rejection and suffering we shall see the fulfillment of our hopes. Having toiled and endured the heat of the day, we are invited to sit in the shade of the life-giving Cross and there find comfort, refreshment and rejuvenation. Christ, who suffered for us and died on the cross, invites us to lay our burdens down and to drink deeply from springs of salvation. He stretches out His nail-pierced hands and gathers us close to His heart so He can carry us into the presence of the Eternal Father. By His sufferings and fidelity unto death Christ has purchased us and made of us a priestly people for the worship of His Father.

Behold the wood of the cross on which has hung the salvation of the world. Come let us adore! The cross is the sign that marks all of creation as restored by God’s redeeming love. Our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of all mankind. He endured His passion and death to cleanse us from our sins and to clothe us in the garment of righteousness. Through the mystery of the Incarnation Jesus took to Himself all our grief and all our iniquities. He willingly entered into the depths of our affliction and trouble. Our Lord Jesus Christ yielded up His last breath on the cross and made his soul a free-will offering for our sins. He offered satisfaction for our sins by His sufferings and death, casting them into the abyss never to be seen again. In His humiliation we have been exalted. Through His ultimate act of surrender Jesus offered to the Father the first fruits of the new creation. The Immortal One died so that mortal men live in the light of life. The Holy One of Israel was condemned as a sinner so that the sinful offspring of Adam and Eve might be redeemed. He entered into the Holy of Holies on our behalf, Jesus has become the source of eternal salvation for all who believe in Him. Because He was rejected, we have become “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that we might announce the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Lofty tree, bend down your branches, to embrace your sacred load; oh relax the native tension of that all too rigid wood; gently bear the members of your dying king and God. The cross of Christ is a powerful sign of the infinite love and passionate desire God has for us. The apostle Paul wrote these words to the Church at Rome. "God has shown us how much He loves us. It was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). At about three o’clock the One who has once offered to satisfy the thirst of all who labored asked for a drink. Scarcely able to lift up His head and with parched lips, He whispered: "I thirst." As the soldier raised the moistened sponge to His lips, Jesus looked into the eyes of His heavenly Father and said, “It is finished!” With those words, He bowed his head and died. The Beloved Son had fulfilled the task for which He was sent. Like a faithful servant returning to his master, Jesus reported his progress: “I have overcome all the difficulties. I have done the job to the best of my ability. It is finished.” According to Jewish tradition, when the priest accepted a sacrificial offering would say to the congregant, “Your offering is accepted; the sacrifice is complete.” Jesus has accomplished all that He had come to do. Sinful humanity had returned to its Maker in total obedience, and the gap that sin caused between God and man was closed. As Jesus’ lifeless body hung on the cross, we can imagine the Father saying to Jesus, “Well done, my good and faithful Son … Come and share your Father’s joy” (Cf. Mat. 25:21). And to the people who looked upon the scene, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 3:17). The cross tells us that the task for which the Son came into the world is finished.

O faithful cross! O worthy tree! You alone are loftier than all cedars, on you hung the life of the world, on you Christ triumphed, and death conquered death forever.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Last Words of Christ from the Cross

The Church begins the Palm Sunday Mass with a procession of Palms. The singing and the reading of the Gospel bring us jubilantly into the Church, and then we read the Passion of Christ. And we feel the full thrust of Christ’s sufferings. The Church does this because it wants us to enter into the experience of the apostles who were at first elated by Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and then struck to despair by His crucifixion.

All four Gospels mention the crucifixion of Christ. Matthew and Mark’s Gospels are practically the same in the crucifixion accounts. Let us compare the words of Christ in the Gospels.

St. Luke talks about Christ as being the great advocate before the Father. The first words that Jesus spoke from the cross in Luke’s gospel are, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Here Jesus is advocating for those who crucified him. His second words in St. Luke’s Gospel are to the repentant thief. “This day you will be with me in paradise.” Luke is showing that Jesus did not come just for the faithful but for the outcasts as well. The first one to go to heaven after Jesus’ death was a thief. The last words that Jesus speaks in St. Luke’s Gospel are, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus is offering himself to the very mercy of God. He goes to the Father to plead for humanity.

In John’s gospel, we hear three other utterances of Christ. John talks about us being adopted children of God and about being in the family of God. The first words that Jesus speaks in John’s account of the crucifixion are to Mary and to the disciple John. “Woman, behold thy son.” And “Behold thy mother.” Jesus is saying, “I give you my Mother. I am going to my Father. We are a family. You are part of that family. The one who sees me sees the Father. Now I am giving you my Mother.” Jesus’ second words are, “I thirst.” This statement brings us back to Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well where he says to her that he is thirsty and asks for a drink. She says to him, “Why are you asking me for a drink? You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan. You should not even be talking to me.” But Jesus makes her realize that she is the one who is thirsty, she is thirsty for God. Now Jesus on the cross is thirsting for souls. He wants us to understand that if we go to him we will never be thirsty again. The final words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John are, “It is consummated.” It is accomplished. Our salvation is accomplished. Now the world knows that God loves it unto death. God gave himself totally. He handed himself to the Father and accomplished what he had been sent to do. Jesus poured out on us the love of God.

In Matthew and Mark’s Gospel account of the crucifixion Jesus says only one sentence. But what a sentence it is. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus wants us to listen carefully and to think about what he is saying. He wants us to realize how close God has come to us. Here he is speaking as one of us. Having borne our guilt and shame. he cries out as one of us, for he knows our suffering, our pain, and he shows us the empathy of God for us. This cry is a cry of humanity. It is the voice of every human being from Adam and Eve down to our times, a beautiful cry to the Father that draws the Father close to us. God heard that cry and made the Word flesh. Bible scholars tell us that Jesus, by speaking the first words of Psalm 22, was in fact speaking the entire Psalm to the people who were listening. The Psalm is a prophecy about the suffering Messiah and ends with his eventual glory. Matthew foretells this glory when he indicates that, after Jesus gave his spirit back to God, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent.” God came close to us and now there is no curtain veil between us and God. God’s mercy entered the human race and peace was made with it through the scapegoat of Christ; the veil in the temple is torn in two because God has not abandoned his people who betrayed them. God has come to them through the veil.

So let us pick up our cross and follow Christ, remembering his words from the cross. Let us follow him to our Father’s house where he is, where he has redeemed us and sanctified us and where we will live forever.

Transcribed as closely as possible from a homily by Father David Engo, FFM