Sixth Sunday of Lent – Holy Week begins

By Msgr Michael de Verteuil

Chair of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission

This Sunday, the focus of Lent changes. We have heard in the readings of the previous Sundays words such as covenant, repent, conversion, water, baptism, as the focus has been on preparing to say yes again to the Lord as we renew our Baptismal commitment and celebrate the Paschal Mysteries at Easter.

This Sunday, the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, is the beginning of Holy Week, so our readings today focus on the suffering of Jesus.

First Reading (Is 50:4–7): Here we have in this prophecy a foreshadowing of the suffering of Jesus, as it mentions aspects of Jesus’ suffering and His response to them, e.g. “I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheek to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle. ….. I am untouched by the insults … I set my face like flint. …. I made no resistance, neither did I turn away ……. The Lord comes to my help.”

Jesus went through it all with a determination that the Father’s will would be done – He would not despair and give up, would not be violent in return, would forgive, would not hate.

Second Reading (Phil 2:6–11):  This passage speaks to us of Jesus’ humility and exaltation. “His state was divine yet Jesus did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself …. and being as all men are he was humbler yet…”

Through His obedience and humility, He wins for us what Adam lost for us by His disobedience and pride. And so the Father raises Him high, so that all beings should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. “The one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt 23:12).

Gospel (Mk 14:1 – 15:47): This is Mark’s account of the Passion of Jesus – from Judas preparing to betray Jesus to His burial and the Pharisees attempt to secure the tomb so that the disciples could not come and carry away the body. There is so much to reflect on here for a brief article like this, but I do recommend a meditative reading on this Gospel, possibly in parts this Holy Week or in whole on Good Friday.

We can just note here the absolute commitment to fulfilling the Father’s will as Jesus remains steadfast trusting in God’s plan (as the First Reading prophesied).