Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
March 23, 2011
By Colleen O’Sullivan
The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.” Heed me, O Lord, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them. (Jeremiah 18:18-20)
“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink.” (Matthew 20:22b-23a)
Piety
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.
(Psalm 31:6)
Study
How I love the characters we meet in the Scriptures! They are often so like you and me – fallible and prone to sin, yet they (and we) are the people God calls his own. Jeremiah, for example, has been a faithful prophet. He’s proclaimed the word of the Lord, but now his enemies are plotting to kill him. Bad things shouldn’t happen to good people, should they? Jeremiah complains to God that life isn’t fair. Sounds awfully familiar. How long has it been since the last time I uttered that sentiment?
In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus tells the disciples for the third time what will happen when they get to Jerusalem – he will be arrested, tried, scourged, and crucified. He will rise again on the third day. James and John (and their mother) respond to this announcement by asking if they can have the seats of honor in heaven. Jesus counters with a question of his own. “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” Oh, sure we can is the glib retort. Anything to get those right hand and left hand of God seats while they’re still to be had. How often have I promised to go all the way with Jesus without reading the map beforehand and noting that there’s only one path – by way of Calvary?
I can’t begin to fathom the mystery of suffering. I do know that grief, pain and sorrow are ours at some points in our journey no matter how faithful we are and even sometimes because of how faithful we are. No one seeks suffering, not even our Lord. We have only to read the accounts of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane to be reminded that he struggled with the impending pain and death on the Cross that were to be his fate. Does it really have to be this way? Do I really have to go through this? He came to a different conclusion from Jeremiah or James and John. He didn’t say to his Father, “I have been faithful as your Son and this isn’t fair.” Neither did he think he would rise from the dead without first dying on the Cross. He ended up by giving up his own desires and saying that he would do whatever God wanted him to do.
Every time I pray the Anima Christi prayer, the line “Passion of Christ, strengthen me” stands out. Lord Jesus, you know what it is to suffer. Stand by me in my times of trial and sorrow. Give me the grace to remain faithful to God’s will, whatever that may be.
Action
As Christians we are called to care for those who are suffering. During Lent one small way you and I are invited to minister to those suffering from poverty, hunger and starvation is to participate in Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl. Seventy-five percent of what we put in our Rice Bowls is put to work in Catholic Relief Services programs throughout the world and 25 percent of what we give goes to local diocesan programs to combat hunger and poverty. If you don’t already have your Rice Bowl, pick one up at your church this Sunday. For more information, see http://crs.org/united-states/orb-school-tour/.
