MARCH 30, 2018
7:00 PM PRAYER SERVICE (ENGLISH)
John’s Gospel can be broken into four parts. At the beginning is the Prologue – covering most of the first chapter – and at the end, an Epilogue – the twenty-first, and final, chapter of this gospel.
The remaining two parts, which form the remainder of the text, are what is called The Book of Signs, which consists of seven miracles; and then what is called The Book of Glory … or The Book of Exaltation.
The Book of Glory begins with Chapter 13, which was the reading we heard last night – the washing of the feet of the Apostles. It is followed by five chapters of what are called the Farewell Discourses. These five chapters will make up the bulk of the readings during the Easter Season.
The Passion narrative, what we heard played out today, is familiar to most of us – consisting of chapters 18 and 19.
In the Prophecy of Isaiah, which was our First Reading, we heard what is called the Fourth Servant Song – which describes a Suffering Servant … the Man of Sorrows. This text predates Jesus by over 700 years.
Christians have seen the Servant described in Isaiah as a prophecy of the life and ministry of Jesus … and in this case, referring to Christ’s passion. There are five movements in this section of Isaiah.
Shock. Sorrow. Suffering. Silence. Salvation.It is not difficult to see the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and what we just heard read from John’s Gospel. And indeed, the Book of Hebrews provides a theological overlay as well.
But for now, let us reflect on the great love of God – that in the face of the fear, violence, anger and terror – God’s love remains as an unconquerable force.
St. John himself in his First Epistle tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.” And we continue to see this played out throughout Holy Week and the Triduum.
May we, through God’s grace, find the strength to unite our own sufferings with the sufferings of Christ. As members of His body, we are eternally united to Him. And by the action of the Holy Spirit … and through God’s gracious mercy, may we be filled with God’s most perfect love … that we may persevere in the total self gift of Christ … to the end.
