Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
Blessed Holy Week.
I hope that your Palm Sunday was as inspiring as mine. I was blessed to celebrate Mass at St. John the Baptist parish in New Brighton and found the liturgy to be very moving. It’s a parish with a great liturgical tradition. The music was well chosen and the church meaningfully decorated. The liturgy began with an impressive procession involving lots of families carrying palms and wearing red, the liturgical color of the day. It was easy to get my “steps” in before the opening prayer of the Mass even began.
As in Catholic churches around the world, we heard the proclamation of the passion account from the Gospel of Matthew, which accentuates the high drama of the events surrounding the passion of our Lord, and not surprisingly, the apostle Judas plays a key role. I was reading the part of Jesus in the passion and was chilled as I read his words to Judas, after having been betrayed by him with a kiss: “Friend, do what you have come for.”
Indeed, Judas figures prominently in the gospel readings for Holy Week. Today, John’s Gospel recounts another incident, slightly earlier than the events recounted in the passion, involving Judas—this time in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Bethany. As would be the case at the Last Supper, Judas was at table with Jesus. But this time, his scorn was directed at Mary as she poured expensive oil on Jesus’ feet. While Jesus commends Mary for what he sees as a lavish act of faith, Judas, whom we are told “held the money bag and used to steal the contributions,” perceives only a waste of resources that he claims could have been put to better use.
While his motive was suspect, Judas seems to be right in one sense, since the costly oil could indeed have been sold to feed the poor. But Jesus sees through Judas’ critique and uses the opportunity to put things in perspective: “Leave [Mary] 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.”
We shouldn’t hear that as in any way diminishing the importance of taking care of the poor. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he emphasized the dual obligation to love God and love neighbor. Time and time again, Jesus showed his love for those who were marginalized, even teaching us that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for him (Mt 25:31-46).
It’s significant that Dilexi Te (“I have loved you” in English), the first encyclical of Pope Leo, focuses on love of the poor. While the letter brings to completion a project begun by Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, it surely resonates with the experience of a pope who had spent much of his priesthood ministering in Peru to those on the margins. Throughout the letter, Pope Leo reminds us that we can see Jesus in the face of the poor. In that context, Jesus’ comments about the poor being always with us are also a guarantee that we will always have Jesus with us as well (Dilexi Te, 5). What a reassuring affirmation in this week that leads us to Calvary.
It may be tempting, as Lent draws to a close, to “coast to the finish.” I think, however, that the Lord’s comments to Judas in today’s gospel lead us to an opposite conclusion. His comments about Mary’s loving gesture invite us to double down on our Lenten practices and to make an act of faith like Mary’s: extravagant at its heart.
As we gather later this week for the Triduum and for what are arguably the most powerful liturgies of the year, let us allow our hearts to be moved to deeper prayer and continued fasting for our Lord, as well as almsgiving, which shouldn’t end at Lent. As the poor are with us always, so our almsgiving must follow.
One way to serve the poor today in our local church is through the Minnesota Catholic Relief Fund, which helps support the parish and Catholic school communities who have been heroically serving the most vulnerable in our communities throughout the tumult of these recent months. I’m inspired when I hear about the many ways that you already have been serving Christ in your generosity to the poor this Lent, but I know that the Lord is calling us to even greater generosity.
I hope to see many of you at the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday morning, for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday evening, for our Good Friday service, and for the Easter Vigil. We’ll be praying the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer at the Cathedral on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings as well—simple but incredibly meaningful. Finally, please continue to pray for all those who will be entering our Church this Easter.
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