Monday in Holy Week

Monday in Holy Week. John 12,1-23 

Antiphon (Psalm 31,9)

℣  Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
℟  my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

   

Holy Gospel 

»Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for Him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (he who was about to betray Him), said: 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said: “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me.”

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they went, not only on account of Him but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had gone to the feast heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of the LORD, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:

115 

Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming, 
    sitting on a donkey's colt!

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. 17 The crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet Him was that they heard He had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another: “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them: “The hour has arrived for the Son of Man to be glorified”«  (John 12,1-23). 

You may also want to read Matthew 26,1 - 27,66 as part of your devotions for a fuller Passion account in Holy Week. 

Homily 

On Monday of Holy Week, we hear Jesus proclaim that the hour has now arrived for the Son of Man to be glorified. As he told the crowd and the Pharisees on Palm Sunday, the hour of His glorification is His crucifixion. 

Crucifixion is a brutal punishment and agonizing way to die. It is no wonder the Jews simply cannot accept the fact that their Messiah must die such a horrible death; in fact, He isn't supposed to die at all. They expected a political Messiah who would sweep the Romans out of Judea and other historically Jewish lands. He would set up a temporal kingdom greater than that of King David. It would be a reign of peace and prosperity. 

But Jesus corrects their messianic expectations. He would not be a Son of David Messiah, but a Son of Man Messiah: it is for this reason that the Messiah entered the world; that He would suffer, be crucified and die, for in enduring such Passion as our Paschal Lamb He takes away the sin of the world. This is the path and the ministry of the Messiah. If we want to see Jesus, then we must first see Him taking up the cross as our Savior.  Amen. 

Antiphon 

℣  For with You, O God, is the fountain of life; 

℟  in Your Light do we see light.

Collect of the Day

O Almighty God, grant that in the midst of our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of Your Only-begotten Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.  Amen.