APRIL 11, 2017
8:45 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS (4TH GRADE)
Today we find ourselves ramping into Holy Week.
In many ways – liturgical colors, liturgies, and events – Holy Week can seem like a mish-mash of differing things all thrown together without much continuity.
We read the Passion on Palm Sunday – vested in red; and then the next three days look like regular Lenten weekdays – vested in violet; Holy Thursday is an evening Mass with washing of feet; and then Good Friday we hear St. John's Passion – vested again in red.
In the Gospels, we're before the Last Supper on Monday, today we're in the Last Supper, tomorrow we're before it again, and the Thursday we commemorate the Last Supper in a unique way.
But the continuity can be found in the readings from the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah is the first of the four Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel), and was written around the 6th century BC (2500 years ago!)
Isaiah has three major division called First (or Proto), Second, and Third. We're looking specifically at Second Isaiah, and in particular at what are called the Servant Songs.
There are four Servant Songs, more like poetic readings, about God's servant whom He sends to guide Israel back to God, gather the nations to God, suffer for God's people, die, and be vindicated in the end.
The first is in Isaiah 42, the second in Isaiah 49, the third is in Isaiah 50, and the last in Isaiah 52-53.
And on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Holy Week, we read the first three Servant Songs from Isaiah. We heard the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday, and then hear the prophecies in Isaiah about the Suffering Servant. On Good Friday, we will read the last Servant Song from Isaiah, and then read St. John's Passion.
So, the Passion readings are like bookends, with the Servant Songs being read in-between.
All of these Servant Songs are foreshadowings – that is, prophecies – about Jesus. And they were written 500 years before he was born!
And so, if you're looking for continuity in Holy Week – with all the busyness of the liturgical prayers and actions, and the busyness of family gatherings on Easter, and the busyness of Easter Break – look to Isaiah, and read through the four Servant Songs which are used on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week; and on Good Friday.
