Eucharistic Readings for Palm Sunday 14 April 2019 Holy Week
Isaiah 50:4-9aPsalm 31:9-16Philippians 2:5-11Luke 22:14-23:56
Luke
“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31- 32)
My Pondering
There is so much to ponder in the Passion Reading. I think in all the readings for any of the Gospel Passion readings, Peter is the significant representative of us all. He wants to be faithful, but fails. We want to be faithful but we too so often fail. Jesus never gives up on Simon Peter and Jesus never gives up on us.
Satan, or at least sin, is at work against Simon Peter and us as well to reduce us down to manageable fragments in an effort to pull us away from following the love of Jesus. But we have the prayers of Jesus himself, keeping the faith within us, to keep us strong. Jesus says in our Passion passage, “but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail.” Jesus has proclaimed throughout the Gospel that it is the faith within us that enables to overcome the sinful obstacles in life.
Luke’s Gospel is the only Gospel that has Jesus make eye contact with Peter as the roster crows. This is a painful reminder that Jesus told him it would be so. It is also a painful reminder when we too make eye contact with Jesus and are found falling short of what we should be. However, Jesus also lets Peter know that he will, at some point, turn back, and that we too, will at some point, turn back, and when we do, we, like Peter, are to strengthen our brothers and sisters in the faith.
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying through and to the people of the Creating Word and then let us “Ponder anew what the Almighty is doing.” John Thomas Frazier Sr.
onewhoponders 