Monday of Holy Week
As today is Monday of Holy Week, it is particularly appropriate to reflect deeply on the Word. What is God saying to us? What is God revealing to us—we who claim to be followers of Jesus? I strongly suspect, if we pay close attention and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves drawn deeply into what transpires in these coming days. God places before us the opportunity to see and understand, in much greater depth, what these next 6 days mean to us as Christians. Can we finally make a decision? Can we, once and for all, let go of all that comes between us and Jesus?
The reading from the book of Isaiah, on its face, relates how Jesus approaches his life’s mission. These verses verge on being almost tender—He does not cry out or shout, nor does he trample upon the most fragile of reeds. Jesus’ mission is not about coercion, argument, or violence. His mission is to bring justice and redemption. As benign as it sounds in these verses from Isaiah, it is a call for nothing less than a sweeping change—the ultimate revolution. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is having supper with his close friends in Bethany. Mary, the sister of Martha, and Lazarus, attends to Jesus in a most symbolic manner by anointing him with precious oil. And all the while, the chief priests (along with others) make plans to murder him.
Let us think about our hearts this week. Let us reflect upon all the times our fellow disciples ‘on the way’ have anointed us during our times of need. Let us also call to mind the numerous instances each and every day that we are drawn away from who we truly are—who we are called to be” as disciples who have pledged our lives to the Christ. Even in this age, the revolution struggles to come to fruition—through you and I. “The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” declares Psalm 27. This week, this day, this Triduum, let us fearlessly make a final choice. Let us choose Christ. Let us no longer struggle with the illusion that we can belong to both God AND the world. Let us make that one and final decision. Let us choose only Jesus. Amen.
--Gail Lyman