In today’s Gospel – Luke 22:14-23:56 – we hear Luke’s account of the passion and death of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, as in the other three Gospels, the passion and death of Jesus is climactic. Cardinal Kasper writes: “The Gospels are passion narratives with extended introductions” (Walter Kasper, The God of Jesus Christ, Crossroad, 1986, 189). Kasper goes on to point out the centrality of the cross in the Good News: “The cross is then not simply the consequence of the earthly ministry of Jesus but the very goal of the incarnation; …. God would not have become truly a human being had he not entered fully into the abyss and night of death” (Ibid).
The mission of Jesus is not accomplished by giving us a moral program, a project of right behaviour. It is accomplished by Jesus taking us with him into the fulness of our being-in-the-flesh. This means going with him into “the abyss and night of death.” It is in that “abyss” that the wound of our humanity, the very source of our alienation from God, ourselves, other people and the natural world, is found and healed.
We resist going with Jesus into that “abyss.” It terrifies us, probably more than the brutality of the cross. Each year the liturgy of the Passion invites us to address that resistance. “Ecce homo! Here is our freedom!” He is “the Way” (John 14:6) to our becoming human. “For only in the desert is man confronted with the elusive and terrifying truth that his existence is not circumscribed by his own power, that finding himself always entails losing himself” (William Frazier MM, “Death and Incarnation” in J Donald Bane et al, editors, Death and Ministry: Pastoral Care of the Dying and the Bereaved, Seabury Press, 1975, 270).
The Passion narrative opens with Jesus taking “his place at the table.” The Passover meal is shared. God’s liberation of the people is remembered. That leads to the new Passover meal and the new Covenant in which the liberation of humanity through the saving death and resurrection of Jesus is remembered. Henceforth, each time the disciples of Jesus break the bread and share the cup, they proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes (see 1Corinthians 11:26). “Salvation is the freedom of our freedom, its redemption and liberation to be itself” (Walter Kasper, An Introduction to Christian Faith, Paulist Press, 1980, 125-126).
Entering fully into the “abyss” of our humanity is of a piece with us entering fully into the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we participate in Jesus’ saving death on the Cross. We say together: “Lord I am not worthy … say but the word and my soul shall be healed.” The Church does not utter idle words in the liturgy! To participate fully in the Eucharist is to say “Yes!” to God and “Yes!” to the wonderful truth of our being-in-the-flesh, creatures made in God’s image and likeness.
Journal and reflect on the following questions
What does it mean for you personally to follow Jesus into the “abyss” of human suffering and vulnerability?How do you resist this call in your daily life?
In what ways have you encountered healing in the midst of pain or struggle?Can you identify moments when God met you in your darkest hours?
The Eucharist is described as a participation in Jesus' saving death.How can you more intentionally enter into the mystery of the Eucharist each time you receive it?
What does the idea of 'salvation as the freedom of our freedom' mean to you?How does that reshape your understanding of sin, grace, and liberation?
“Ecce homo – here is our freedom.”What does true freedom look like when we behold Christ crucified?
Jesus took his place at the table, even knowing what was to come.How are you called to be present and faithful in moments of uncertainty, betrayal, or sacrifice?
How might embracing your “being-in-the-flesh” – your full humanity – draw you closer to the image of God?What practices or prayers help you say “Yes” to this truth?
Discuss
Song - Taize - Jesus Remember Me
Song - How Deep the Father's Love
Final Prayer
Loving and Merciful God,As we stand at the foot of the Cross and witness the mystery of Your Son’s Passion, we are humbled by the depth of Your love and the cost of our redemption. In the silence of suffering and the seeming darkness of death, help us to trust in the hope of resurrection. Awaken in us the courage to enter the “abyss” of our humanity, knowing that You are already there, healing, transforming, and calling us to fullness of life. May the Eucharist we celebrate be not only a ritual, but a lived “Yes” to Your invitation to become fully human in Christ. Let our hearts burn with love, and our lives proclaim, not just with words but with compassion and action, that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.
(Audio Available)
