Lenten Reflections

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Then they threw their cloaks over the animal and helped Jesus get on. As He rode on, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives, the large crowd of His disciples began to thank God and praise Him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen. “God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory to God”

This is the story of Jesus as He enters Jerusalem in triumph. Yet this very crowd which praises Him now will soon be shouting “crucify Him, crucify Him!” Why did they change their mind so quickly? Was it because of fear of the Romans and the power of the high priests? Or were they just fooled to believe and shout what others wanted them to?

How about us today? Do we shy away from proclaiming our Christianity? Do we set a good example by the way we live?

While they were eating Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it and gave it to His disciples, “take it,” He said, “this is my body”. Then He took the cup, gave thanks to God and handed it to them, and they all drank from it. Jesus said, “this is my blood which is poured out for many. My blood which seals God's covenant”.

It was at this very meal that Jesus predicted that one of His disciples would betray Him. Later He tells Peter that he too will deny ever knowing him.

Today we face so many temptations which can lead us astray from God. Let us pray that we do not give in to these temptations and in so doing we betray Jesus once again.

He went a little farther on, threw Himself face downwards on the ground and prayed, “My Father if it is possible take this cup of suffering from me; yet not what I want but what you want”.

Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him and although He asked His Father to take away all the suffering and the cruel death He was facing, He then accepted His Father's will for our sake. How often do we pray, “Thy will be done”? Do we really mean it or do we mean, “Thy will be done as long as it is what I want”?

Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus and kissed Him. But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”

Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. But how about us? Do we too not betray Him when we miss an opportunity to proclaim our Christian beliefs? When we shy away because we're too frightened that people will mock us and laugh at us when we witness for Jesus.

When they had finished mocking Him they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

On His way to His Crucifixion the most pain that Jesus felt and suffered was on His shoulder. That's because where the heavy wooden cross rubbed on his skin and hurt and cut into his skin all the way to the bone. It was a very heavy cross indeed because it carried all of our sins.

Jesus said, “forgive them Father, they don't know what they are doing”.

It is very difficult when we're hurt to forget and forgive. The memories linger on, they don't go away, and we often remember the pain and hurt caused to us. When Jesus sees the scars in His hands, in His feet, and in His side, He too remembers and He forgives once again.

“I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here. He has been raised.”

“He has been raised”. This is the central message of Christianity and no matter what gloss or interpretation modern society wants to put on it, they may say it was all symbolism, it's not meant to be believed as it was written, it's just a story; the reality of Christianity is that Jesus, the Son of God, came on earth as a human being, He died and He was raised again.

“And I will be with you always to the end of the age.”

These words are very meaningful to me and they should be meaningful to all Christians because this is the promise made to us by Jesus when He was raised to Heaven after his Resurrection. He did not leave us. He is with us here today now. He is only a prayer away if we believe Him and trust Him.