Gospel Reflections for March 25 2018
Follow me!
On this Palm Sunday we receive palms just as the people in the Gospel waved palms and sang songs to celebrate the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem.
However, we also hear the long Gospel story that recounts other events of that Holy Week. They recount the last days of Jesus before His passion, death, and resurrection. The crowd that once welcomed Him …turned on Him …and even sought His crucifixion.
However, this account of His last days always reminds me of the very first days of His ministry, when He walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called His first disciples together.
He began His invitation with two simple words, and they remain today the entire summary of what it means to be Catholic. These two words encompass everything you need to know about our faith and how to live it well.
Jesus looked each person directly in the eye and simply said, “Follow me.” What else do we have to know? That is the whole summary of our faith. In every moment of our life, at work or home, or wherever we are, we seek only to follow the example of Our Lord.
As the crowd physically followed Jesus into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, let us follow Him all this week as well, by actually walking with Our Lord in the Holy Week services.
Let us follow Him on Holy Thursday, and celebrate the Last Supper He shared with His disciples. He knew they would need His presence with them after He was gone so He left His Eucharistic presence to encourage us with His love each week.
Let us follow Him on Good Friday in His Way of the Cross and His crucifixion on Calvary. We can see just how much suffering He would endure out of love for us. We can ponder His amazing words from the Cross as He asks God to “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Let us follow Him on Holy Saturday, or Easter Sunday, when we celebrate His resurrection …and the victory of the way of Christ over death when He rose from the dead.
No other person in history has ever risen from the dead so the life of Our Lord is worth taking seriously.
His way works for true and lasting happiness for those who follow Him!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Dear Father Dave,
As we enter Holy Week and follow Jesus during his passion, death, and resurrection, we’re humbled, saddened beyond belief, and joyous. All these emotions pour out of our hearts and return to us as faith in motion. It’s a remarkable impact into the depth of our souls.
God bless you now and always.
Happy Easter!
Beautifully written!
Beautifully said Father.
Thank you!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the words “Come Follow Me”!! They transformed the world in love!! I often think of the immense love and beauty of our Faith!! God creates us, man sins, our loving God sends his beloved Son to teach us to love, die for us so we can one day return to God!! It is soooo incredibly beautiful!! Jesus’ intense suffering is united with our God suffering for us so that we might have our sins forgiven and once again be with our Holy Family in heaven!!! Such sudffering, such love and we are asked to live His love!!! Sooooooo beautiful!! Dick and I so love eeeeee our faith and we want to touch others with our Jesus;’love !!!!You Father Dave live Jesus’ love for Jesus lives in precious You!!! You area blessing to us and to everyone!!
Love, franca and Dick
As usual your homilies are so full of clarity and make their point with the perfect words. Thank you, Father Dave, and I look forward to every week day evening for the Holy Rosary,
You are very welcome! I am glad you like the Family Rosary.
Happy Easter!
Thank you Fr. Dave for a reflection that says it all!
“To follow Jesus and live in His Presence is the way to everlasting happiness”
It is a beautiful meditation we can internalize and read over again to remember
the self-sacrificing love our Savior has for us.
Happy Easter!
Well, you were the period on what I have been re3ading. The Torah reflections in Leviticus and the Gospel readings for this week. talking of what Jesus has done for us. My plan is to follow your advice as I have been wanting to go to daily mass and thinking of starting at this time. Your reflection confirmed that that is what I will try to do.
When I was in Bible Collage with the 4 Square Church we studied the Pentateuch and I wanted to lean over to the girl next to me ( a Catholic who left the Church) and say that this study sounded awful catholic to me. Of course I wasn’t too happy about that. Now as I have been meditating on the Torah reflections I see that it is all there; the Priesthood, Confession, etc. Everything is all there The Old and New Testament as one book not two separate books bringing our faith alive.
Oh well… here I go again. Have a great Easter week.
Great insights! Thanks for sharing them.
I am so very grateful that we have Holy Week in the Catholic Church.
I am actually really excited about it this year due to two reasons.
1. Having been to the Holy Land 6/17
And walked in Jesus footsteps makes the gospels come alive.
2. I am in the choir now and from the musical perspective it is so very rich and the liturgy also is more meaningful.
3. Just a lot Happier and more grateful to God for everything in my life.
God Bless
Yes, the more we are involved, whether walking in the Holy Land or singing in the Choir, the more real is our faith experience!