Gospel for Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

The Gospel for Palm Sunday is from: Matthew 26:14-27:66

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

Judas Betrays Jesus
[14] Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests [15] and said, "What will you give me if I deliver Him (Jesus) to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. [16] And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray Him.

Preparations for the Last Supper
[17] Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will You have us prepare for You to eat the Passover?" [18] He said, "Go into the city to such a one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.'" [19] And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared for the Passover.

[20] When it was evening, He sat at table with the twelve disciples; [21] and as they were eating, He said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." [22] And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to Him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" [23] He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me, will betray Me. [24] The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." [25] Judas, who betrayed Him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so."

The Institution of the Eucharist
[26] Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." [27] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; [28] for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. [29] I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

The Disciples' Desertion Foretold
[30] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. [31] Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' [32] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." [33] Peter declared to him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." [34] Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." [35] Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." And so did all the disciples.

Gethsemane: The Agony in the Garden
[36] Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go yonder and pray." [37] And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." [39] And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." [40] And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? [41] Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." [42] Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done." [43] And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. [44] So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. [45] Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. [46] Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."

The Arrest
[47] While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and club: from the chief priests and the elders of the people. [48] Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him." [49] And he came up to Jesus once and said, "Hail, Master!" And he kissed him. [50] Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. [51] And behold one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. [52] Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. [53] Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" [55] At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, 'Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. [56] But all this has taken place, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
[57] Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. [58] But Peter followed him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. [59] Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, [60] but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward [61] and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.' [62] And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" [63] But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." [64] Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." [65] Then the high priest tore his robes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. [66] What is your judgment?' They answered, "He deserves death." [67] Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, [68] saying "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"

Peter's Denials
[69] Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And maid came up to him, and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." [70] But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean." [71] And when he went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." [72] And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." [73] After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you." [74] Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the cock crowed. [75] And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus is Delivered to Pilate
[1] When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; [2] and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.

Judas' Despair and Death
[3] When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, [4] saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." [5] And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. [6] But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money." [7] So they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. [8] Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. [9] Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, [10] and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."

Jesus Before Pilate
[11] Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "You have said so." [12] But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. [13] Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" [14] But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge; so that the governor wondered greatly.

[15] Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. [16] And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. [17] So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" [18] For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. [19] Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream." [20] Now the chief priest and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. [21] The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." [22] Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified." [23] And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified."

[24] So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this righteous man's blood; see to it yourselves." [25] And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" [26] Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

The Crowning with Thorns
[27] Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. [28] And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, [29] and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" [30] And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. [31] And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
[32] As they were marching out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross. [33] And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), [34] they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. [35] And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; [36] then they sat down and kept watch over him there. [37] And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." [38] Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. [39] And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads [40] and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." [41] So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, [42] "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. [43] He trusts in God, let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' [44] And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

[45] Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land'" until the ninth hour. [46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" that is, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [47] And some of the bystanders hearing it said, "This man is calling Elijah." [48] And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. [49] But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." [50] And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

[51] And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; [52] the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, [53] and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. [54] When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

[55] There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; [56] among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial
[57] When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. [58] He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. [59] And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, [60] and laid in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. [61] Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.

[62] Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate [63] and said, "Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' [64] Therefore order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." [65] Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." [66] So they went and made the sepulchre secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
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Commentary:

15. It is disconcerting and sobering to realize that Judas Iscariot actually went as far as to sell the man whom he had believed to be the Messiah and who had called him to be one of the Apostles. Thirty shekels or pieces of silver were the price of a slave (cf. Exodus 21:32), the same value as Judas put on his Master.

17. This unleavened bread, azymes, took the form of loaves which had to be eaten over a seven-day period, in commemoration of the unleavened bread which the Israelites had to take with them in their hurry to leave Egypt (cf. Exodus 12:34). In Jesus' time the Passover supper was celebrated on the first day of the week of the Unleavened Bread.

18. Although the reference is to an unnamed person, probably our Lord gave the person's actual name. In any event, from what other evangelists tell us (Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10), Jesus gave the disciples enough information to enable them to find the house.

22. Although the glorious events of Easter have yet to occur (which will teach the Apostles much more about Jesus), their faith has been steadily fortified and deepened in the course of Jesus' public ministry (cf. John 2:11; 6:68-69) through their contact with Him and the divine grace they have been given (cf. Matthew 16:17). At this point they are quite convinced that our Lord knows their internal attitudes and how they are going to act: each asks in a concerned way whether he will prove to be loyal in the time ahead.

24. Jesus is referring to the fact that He will give Himself up freely to suffering and death. In so doing He would fulfill the Will of God, as proclaimed centuries before (cf. Psalm 41:10; Isaiah 53:7). Although our Lord goes to His death voluntarily, this does not reduce the seriousness of Judas' treachery.

25. This advance indication that Judas is the traitor is not noticed by the other Apostles (cf. John 13:26-29).

26-29. This short scene, covered also in Mk 14:22-25, Lk 22: 19-20 and 1 Cor 11:23-26, contains the essential truths of faith about the sublime mystery of the Eucharist--1) the institution of this sacrament and Jesus' real presence in it; 2) the institution of the Christian priesthood; and 3) the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the New Testament or the Holy Mass.

1) In the first place, we can see the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ, when he says, "This is my body..., this is my blood...". What up to this point was nothing but unleavened bread and wine, now--through the words and by the will of Jesus Christ, true God and true Man--becomes the true body and true blood of the Savior. His words, which have such a realism about them, cannot be interpreted as being merely symbolic or explained in a way which obscures the mysterious fact that Christ is really present in the Eucharist: all we can do is humbly subscribe to the faith "which the Catholic Church has always held and which she will hold until the end of the world" (Council of Trent, "De SS. Eucharistia"). Paul VI expresses this faith in these words in his encyclical letter "Mysterium Fidei", 5: "The continuous teaching of the Catholic Church, the traditions delivered to catechumens, the perception of the Christian people, the doctrine defined by the Council of Trent, and the very words of Christ as he instituted the most holy Eucharist, all insist that we profess: 'The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ; the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, of his kindness, brought to life.' To these words of St Ignatius of Antioch may be added the statement addressed to the people by Theodore of Mopsuestia. a faithful witness of the Church's belief on this subject: "The Lord did not say: "This is the symbol of my body and this the symbol of my blood." He said: "This is my body and my blood"."'

This sacrament, which not only has the power to sanctify but actually contains the very Author of holiness, was instituted by Jesus Christ to be spiritual nourishment of the soul, to strengthen it in its struggle to attain salvation. The Church teaches that it also confers pardon of venial sins and helps the Christian not to fall into mortal sin: it unites us to God and thereby is a pledge of future glory.

2) In instituting the Blessed Eucharist our Lord laid down that it should be repeated until the end of time (cf. 1 Cor 11:24-25; Lk 22:19) by giving the Apostles the power to perform it. From this passage, and the accounts in St Paul and St Luke ("loc. cit".), we can see that Christ also instituted the priesthood, giving the Apostles the power to confect the Eucharist, a power which they in turn passed on to their successors. This making of the Eucharist takes place at Mass when the priest, with the intention of doing what the Church does, says Christ's words of consecration over the bread and the wine. At this very moment, "a change takes place in which the whole substance of bread is changed into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood" ("De SS. Eucharistia"). This amazing change is given the name of "transubstantiation". Through transubstantiation the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine disappear, becoming the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Christ's real presence is to be found also in any little particles which become detached from the host, or the smallest drop from the chalice, after the consecration. It continues when the sacred species are reserved in the tabernacle, as long as the appearances (of bread and wine) last.

3) At the Last Supper, Christ--miraculously, in an unbloody manner--brought forward his passion and death. Every Mass celebrated from then on renews the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross--Jesus once again giving his body and blood, offering himself to God the Father as a sacrifice on man's behalf, as he did on Calvary--with this clear difference: on the cross he gave himself shedding his blood, whereas on the altar he does so in an unbloody manner. "He, then, our Lord and our God, was once and for all to offer himself by his death on the altar of the cross to God the Father, to accomplish for them an everlasting redemption. But death was not to end his priesthood. And so, at the Last Supper, [...] in order to leave for his beloved spouse, the Church, a sacrifice that was visible, [...] he offered his body and blood under the species of bread and wine to God the Father and he gave his body and blood under the same species to the Apostles to receive, making them priests of the New Testament at that time. This sacrifice was to represent the bloody sacrifice which he accomplished on the cross once and for all" (Council of Trent, "De SS. Missae Sacrficio", chap. 1).

The expression, "which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" means the same as "which is poured out for all" (cf. now on Mt 20:27-28). Here we have the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah (chapter 53), which spoke of the atoning death of Christ for all men. Only Christ's sacrifice is capable of atoning to the Father; the Mass has this power because it is that very sacrifice: "The priest offers the Holy Sacrifice "in persona Christi"; this means more than offering "in the name of" or "in the place of" Christ. "In persona" means in specific sacramental identification with the eternal High Priest who is the Author and principal Subject of this sacrifice of his, a sacrifice in which, in truth, nobody can take his place. Only he-- only Christ--was able and is always able to be the true and effective 'expiation for our sins and...for the sins of the whole world' (1 Jn 2:2; cf. 4:10)" (John Paul II, "Letter to All Bishops", on the Eucharist, 24 November 1980).

Finally, we should notice that this sublime sacrament should be received with proper dispositions of soul and body--in the state of grace, in a spirit of adoration, respect and recollection, for it is God himself whom one is receiving. "Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself" (1 Cor 11:28-29).

30-35. At the celebration of the Passover, Psalms 113-118 were recited: this is what the reference to the "hymn" means. Our Lord knows what is going to happen --the main events (his death and resurrection) and the lesser ones (such as Peter's denials).

Peter becomes so afraid that he denies his Master three times--a fall which Jesus allowed to happen in order to teach him humility. "Here we learn a great truth: that a man's resolution is not sufficient unless he relies on the help of God" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom, on St Matthew", 83).

36-46. Here our Lord allows us to glimpse the full reality and exquisite sensitivity of his human nature. Strictly speaking, Christ, because he had complete self- control, could have avoided showing these limitations. However, by letting them express themselves, we are better able to understand the mystery of his genuine humanness--and to that extent, better able to imitate it. After tempting Jesus in the wilderness, the devil "departed from him until an opportune time" (Lk 4:13). Now, with the passion, he attacks again, using the flesh's natural repugnance to suffering; this is his hour "and the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53).

"Remain here": as if he did not want them to be depressed by seeing his agony; and "watch with me": to keep him company and to prepare themselves by prayer for the temptations that will follow. He goes a little farther away--about a stone's throw, St Luke tells us (22:41). Because there was a full moon, the Apostles may have been able to see Jesus; they may also have heard some words of his prayers; but that could hardly explain how they were able to report this scene in such detail. It is more likely that our Lord, after his resurrection, told his disciples about his agony (cf. Acts 1:3), as he must also have told them about the time he was tempted in the wilderness (Mt 4:1).

47-56. Jesus again demonstrates that he is giving himself up of his own free will. He could have asked his Father to send angels to defend him, but he does not do so. He knows why this is all happening and he wants to make it quit clear that in the last analysis it is not force which puts him to death but his own love and his desire to fulfill his Father's Will.

His opponents fail to grasp Jesus' supernatural way of doing things; he had done his best to teach them but their hardness of heart came in the way and prevented them from accepting his teaching.

50. To effect his betrayal Judas uses a sign of friendship and trust. Although he knows what Judas is about, Jesus treats him with great gentleness: he gives him a chance to open his heart and repent. This is a lesson to show us that we should respect even people who harm us and should treat them with a refined charity.

61. As we know from St John's Gospel (2:19), Jesus had said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up", referring to the destruction of his own body, that is, his death and resurrection. They misunderstood him (Jn 2:20), thinking he referred to the temple of Jerusalem.

69. The houses of well-to-do Jews had a front lobby or porter's office; going through the lobby one came into a patio and by crossing the patio one could enter the rooms proper. Peter goes through the lobby but he is afraid to buoy the mill of people around Jesus, so he stays in the patio, with the servants.

70-75. When they went to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Olives, Peter set about defending him and, sword in hand, he struck at the head of the first to lay a hand on his Master, but he only succeeded in cutting off his ear. Our Lord's reaction ("Put your sword back into its place": Mt 26:52) disconcerts Peter. His faith is not in doubt--Jesus himself had praised him above the other Apostles (Mt 16:17) --but it is still too human and needs a profound purification. On Jesus' arrest, all the disciples flee in disarray; thereby the prophecy is fulfilled which says "Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered" (Zech 13:7). However, Peter keeps following our Lord, though at a distance (Mt 26:58); he is quite demoralized and disconcerted yet brave enough to enter Caiaphas house, where Malchus, the man whose ear he cut off, works (Jn 18:10-11).

Peter's faith is put to the supreme test. A few hours before Jesus' arrest Peter had assured him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death" (Lk 22:33); and now, as Jesus predicted, he three times denies that he ever knew him. In the midst of his confusion, our Lord's serene glance reinforces his faith (Lk 22:61) and Peter's tears purify it. What our Lord had said a few hours earlier, in the intimacy of the Last Supper, has come true: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren" (Lk 22:31-32).

Peter has committed a grave sin, but his repentance also is deep. His faith, now put to the test, will become the basis on which Christ will build his Church (Mt 16:18).

As regards our own lives we should remember that no matter how low we may have fallen. God in his mercy, which is infinite, is ever ready to forgive us, because he does not despise a broken and contrite heart (Ps 51:19). If we sincerely repent, God will use us, sinners though we be, as his faithful instruments.

2. During this period the governor or procurator was the senior official in Judea. Although he was subordinate to the Roman legate in Syria, he had the "ius gladii", the authority to condemn a criminal to death--which was why the Jewish leaders brought Jesus before Pilate: they were seeking a public sentence of death, to counteract Jesus' reputation and erase his teaching from people' minds.

3-5. Judas' remorse does not lead him to repent his sins and be converted; he cannot bring himself to turn trustingly to God and be forgiven. He despairs mistrusting God's infinite mercy, and takes his own life.

6. Once again the chief priests and elders show their hypocrisy. They behave inconsistently: they worry about exact fulfillment of a precept of the Law--not to put into the temple treasury money resulting from an evil action--yet they themselves have instigated that action.

9. By recalling the prophecy of Jeremiah (cf. Jer 18:2; 19:1; 32:6-15) and completing it with that of Zechariah (Zech 11:12-13), the Gospel shows that this incident was foreseen by God.

14. The evangelist possibly wishes to indicate that this silence was foretold in the Old Testament when Is 53:7 speaks of his being "afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb."

Sometimes the right thing for a Christian to do is to remain silent, bearing out what Isaiah says elsewhere: 'in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" (Is 30:15).

"'Jesus remained silent. "Jesus autem tacebat."' Why do you speak, to console yourself or to excuse yourself? Say nothing. Seek joy in contempt; you will always receive less than you deserve. Can you, by any chance, ask: '"Quid enim mali feci?" What evil have I done?"' (J. Escriva, "The Way", 671).

18. The chief priests and elders had seen how the crowd followed Jesus. This caused them to be envious of him, an envy which grew into a hatred that sought his death (Jn 11:47). St Thomas observes that just as at the beginning it was envy that caused man's death (Wis 2:24), so it was envy that condemned Christ (cf. "Commentary on St Matthew", 27:18). Envy is indeed one of the causes of hatred (Gen 37:8). "So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander" (1 Pet 2:1).

23. "It is hard to read that question of Pilate's in the holy Gospel: 'Whom do you wish me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?'--lt is more painful to hear the answer: 'Barabbas!' And more terrible still when I realize that very often by going astray I too have said 'Barabbas' and added 'Christ?... "Crucifige eum!" Crucify him!"' (J. Escriva, "The Way", 296).

24. Pilate tries publicly to justify his lack of courage, even though he has all the material necessary for giving an honest verdict.

His cowardice, which he disguises by this external gesture, ends up condemning Christ to death.

26-50. Meditation on the passion of our Lord has made many saints in the course of Church history. Few things are of more benefit to a Christian than contemplation --slow and devout, to the point of being amazed--of the saving events surrounding the death of the Son of God made man. Our mind and heart will be overwhelmed to see the suffering of him who created the angels, men, heaven and earth; who is the Lord of all creation; the Almighty who humbles himself to this extent (something quite unimaginable, were it not that it happened). He suffers in this way because of sin--the original sin of our first parents, the personal sins of all men, of those who have gone before us and those who will come after us, and each one's own sins. Christ's terrible sufferings spell out for us, as nothing else can, the infinite gravity of sin, which has called for the death of God himself made man; moreover, this physical and moral suffering which Jesus undergoes is also the most eloquent proof of his love for the Father, which seeks to atone to him for man's incredible rebellion by the punishment inflicted on his own innocent humanity; and of his love for mankind, his brothers and sisters; he suffers what we deserve to suffer in just punishment for our sins. Our Lord's desire to atone was so great that there was no part of his body that he did not permit to be inflicted with pain--his hands and feet pierced by the nails; his head torn by the crown of thorns; his face battered and spat upon; his back pitted by the terrible scourging he received; his chest pierced by the lance; finally, his arms and legs utterly exhausted by such pain and weariness that he dies. His spirit, also, is saturated with suffering--the pain caused by his being abandoned and betrayed by his disciples, the hatred his own people turn on him, the jeers and brutality of the Gentiles, the mysterious way his divinity permits his soul to suffer.

Only one thing can explain why Christ undergoes this redemptive passion--Love, immense, infinite, indescribable love. As he himself taught, the entire Law of God and the Prophets are summed up in the divine commandment of love (cf. Mt 22:36-40).

The four evangelists have filled many pages with their account of the sufferings of our Lord. Contemplation of Jesus' passion, identification with the suffering Christ, should play a key role in the life of every Christian, if he is to share later in the resurrection of his Lord: "Don't hinder the work of the Paraclete: seek union with Christ, so as to be purified, and feel with him the insults, the spits, and the blows, and the thorns, and the weight of the Cross..., and the nails tearing through your flesh, and the agony of a forsaken death.

"And enter through our Lord's open side until you find sure refuge there in his wounded Heart" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 58).

27. A cohort, or battalion, consisted of some 625 soldiers. In Jesus' time there was always a cohort garrisoned in Jerusalem, quartered in the Antonia Tower, adjoining the temple. This reported to the governor and was recruited from non-Jewish inhabitants of the region.

28-31. The Gospel describes very soberly how Jesus puts up no resistance to being beaten and ridiculed; the facts are allowed to speak for themselves. He takes upon himself, out of love for the Father and for us, the punishment we deserve to suffer for our sins. This should make us very grateful and, at the same time, cause us to have sorrow for sin, to desire to suffer in silence at Jesus' side and atone for our sins and those of others: Lord, I want never to sin again: but you must help me to stay true to you.

32. Seeing how much Jesus has suffered, the soldiers realize that he is incapable of carrying the Cross on his own as far as the top of Golgotha. There he is, in the center of the crowd, with not a friend in sight. Where are all the people who benefitted from his preaching and healing and miracles? None of them is there to help him. He had said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24). But cowardice and fear have taken over. The soldiers resort to laying hold of a stranger and forcing him to carry the Cross. Our Lord will reward this favor done to him: God's grace will come down on "Simon of Cyrene,...the father of Alexander and Rufus" (Mk 15:21), who will soon be prominent members of the early Church. The experience of pain proves to be the best route to Christian discipleship.

Christ's disciples must try to ensure that cowardice does not undermine their commitment: "See how lovingly he embraces the Cross. Learn from him. Jesus carries the Cross for you: you...carry it for Jesus. But don't drag the Cross... Carry it squarely an your shoulder, because your Cross, if you carry it like that, will not be just any Cross.... It will be the Holy Cross. Don't carry your Cross with resignation: resignation is not a generous word. Love the Cross. When you really love it, your Cross will be...a Cross without a Cross" (J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", fourth sorrowful mystery).

33. On the outskirts of Jerusalem there was a little hill called "Golgotha", or "the place of a skull", as the evangelist expressly states. It was used as a site for executing criminals. The name "Golgotha" comes from a transcription of an Aramaic word meaning "head". The name "Calvary" comes from a Latin word with the same meaning.

34. They offered Jesus a drink consisting of a mixture of wine, honey and myrrh (cf. Mk 15:23); this was usually given to people condemned to death, as a narcotic to lessen the pain. Our Lord chooses not to take it, because he wants to suffer the full rigor of his passion.

"Let us drink to the last drop the chalice of pain in this poor present life. What does it matter to suffer for ten years, twenty, fifty...if afterwards there is heaven forever, forever...forever? And, above all--rather than because of the reward, "propter retributionem"--what does suffering matter if we suffer to console, to please God our Father, in a spirit of reparation, united to him on his Cross; in a word: if we suffer for Love?..." (J. Escriva, "The Way", 182).

35. Some manuscripts add to this verse the following words taken from Jn 19:24: "This was to fulfill the scripture, 'They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots"' (cf. Ps 22:19).

45. Approximately from twelve midday to three o'clock in the afternoon. See the note on Mt 20:3.

46. Words from Psalm 22:2, which our Lord uses to show the physical and moral pain he is suffering. In no sense should these words be taken as complaint against God's plans. "Suffering does not consist in not feeling since that is proper to those who have no feelings; nor does it lie in not showing that one feels pain: rather, suffering means that in spite of pain one does not set aside the law or obedience to God. For feeling is natural to the flesh, which is not like bronze; and so reason does not remove it, because reason gives to everything what its nature demands; and our sensitivity is very soft and tender; when it is wounded it of necessity feels, and when it feels it has to cry out" (Fray Luis de Leon, "Exposicisn del Libro de Job").

In his agony in the garden (cf. note on Mt 26:36-46), Jesus experienced a kind of anticipation of the pain and abandonment he feels at this point in his Passion. In the context of the mystery of Jesus Christ, God-and-Man, we should notice how his Humanity - body and soul - suffers without his Divinity assuaging that suffering, as it could have done. "Here before the Cross, we should have sorrow for our sins and for those of all men, for they are responsible for Jesus' death. We should have faith to penetrate deep into this sublime truth which surpasses our understanding and to fill ourselves with amazement at God's love. And we should pray so that Christ's life and death may become the model and motivation for our own life and self-giving. Only thus will we earn the name of conquerors: for the risen Christ will conquer in us, and death will be changed into life" (J. Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 101).

50. The phrase "yielded up his spirit" (literally, "released, exhaled") is a way of saying that Christ really died; like any other man, his death meant the separation of soul and body. The fact that he genuinely did die--something which everyone, even his enemies, acknowledged--will show that his Resurrection was a real resurrection, a miraculous, divine fact.

This is the climax of Christ's surrender to the Will of the Father. Here he accomplishes the salvation of mankind (Mt 26:27-28; Mk 10:45; Heb 9:14) and gives us the greatest proof of God's love for us (Jn 3:16). The saints usually explain the expiatory value of Christ's sacrifice by underlining that he voluntarily "yielded up his Spirit". "Our Savior's death was a sacrifice of holocaust which he himself offered to his Father for our redemption; for though the pains and sufferings of his passion were so great and violent that anyone else would have died of them, Jesus would not have died of them unless he so chose and unless the fire of his infinite charity had consumed his life. He was, then, himself the sacrificer who offered himself to the Father and immolated himself, dying in love, to love, by love, for love and of love" (St Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 10, Chap. 17). This fidelity of Christ to the point of dying should be a permanent encouragement to us to persevere until the end, conscious of the fact that only he who is true until death will receive the crown of life (cf. Rev 2:10).

51-53. The rending of the veil of the temple indicates that the way to God the Father has been opened up to all men (cf. Heb 9:15) and that the New Covenant, sealed with the blood of Christ, has begun to operate. The other portents which attend Jesus' death are signs of the divine character of that event: it was not just one more man who was dying, but the Son of God.

52-53. These events are undoubtedly difficult to understand. No explanation should say what the text does not say. Nor does any other part of sacred Scripture, or the Magisterium of the Church, help to clarify what actually happened.

The great Church writers have suggested three possible explanations. First: that it was not a matter of resurrections in the strict sense, but of apparitions of these dead people. Second: they would have been dead people who arose in the way Lazarus did, and then died again. Third: their resurrection would have been definitive, that is glorious, in this way anticipating the final universal resurrection of the dead.

The first explanation does not seem to be very faithful to the text, which does use the words "were raised" ("surrexenint"). The third is difficult to reconcile with the clear assertion of Scripture that Christ was the first-born from the dead (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Col 1:18). St Augustine, St Jerome and St Thomas are inclined towards the second explanation because they feel it fits in best with the sacred text and does not present the theological difficulties which the third does (cf. "Summa Theologiae", III,q. 53, a. 3). his also in keeping with the solution proposed by the "St Pius V Catechism", I, 6, 9.

55-56. The presence of the holy women beside Christ on the Cross gives an example of stoutheartedness to all Christians.

"Woman is stronger than man, and more faithful, in the hour of suffering: Mary of Magdala and Mary Cleophas and Salome! With a group of valiant women like these, closely united to our Lady of Sorrows, what work for souls could be done in the world!" (J. Escriva. "The Way", 982).

60. It was customary for well-to-do Jews to build tombs for themselves on their own property. Most of these tombs were excavated out of rock, in the form of a cavern; they would have had a small hall or vestibule leading to the tomb proper. At the end of the hall, which would only have been a few meters long, a very low doorway gave access to the burial chamber. The first entrance door, which was at ground level, was closed off by a huge stone which could be rolled (it was called a "gobel"), fitted into a groove to make rolling easier.

62. The Day of Preparation (the Greek word "parasceve" means "preparation") was the day prior to the sabbath (cf. Lk 23:54). It derived its name from the fact that it was the day when everything needed for the sabbath was prepared, the sabbath being a day of rest, consecrated to God, on which no work was permitted.

66. All these preventative measures (sealing the entrance to the tomb, placing the guard there, etc)--measures taken by Christ's enemies--became factors which helped people believe in his resurrection.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.