Monday, March 21 2016 - Monday of Holy Week

Reading 1 Is 42:1-7

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Verse Before the Gospel 

Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our faults.

Gospel Jn 12:1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.

REFLECTION

BEYOND PERSONALITIES

"Here is my Servant Whom I uphold, My Chosen One with Whom I am pleased, upon Whom I have put My Spirit." –Isaiah 42:1

Jesus comes to us this Holy Week "not crying out, not shouting, not making His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He shall not break, and a smoldering wick He shall not quench" (Is 42:2-3). Jesus comes quietly and gently.
Jesus calls us to respond to Him this Holy Week as did Mary of Bethany. He wants us to passionately, boldly, and extravagantly throw ourselves at His feet and anoint Him with the perfume of our love (Jn 12:3).
Jesus comes unassumingly, and we should respond passionately. This is an unusual combination, for those who relate to a quiet Messiah are usually quiet themselves; while the extravagant seldom notice the gentle Jesus.
In this Holy Week, the Lord wants to take us beyond our personalities and backgrounds. By God's grace, we can respond to Jesus as never before. We can transcend our human limitations. The extrovert can be contemplative. The silent type can be effusive in witnessing to Jesus' love. The cerebral can be emotional, while the emotional can be tranquil.
This is Holy Week. It is different than any other week. By God's grace, you can be different. The spectrum of your personality can be stretched. You can express your love to the Lord in new ways. Throw yourself at Jesus' feet.

PRAYER:	Jesus, give me the discipline and freedom to express my love for You in new ways.
PROMISE:	"The great crowd of Jews discovered He was there and came out, not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead." –Jn 12:9
PRAISE:	Rose went to Chrism Mass and it changed her Holy Week, Easter, and life.

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