Palm Sunday and Holy Week Reflection

Mt. Irenaeus Reflections for Palm Sunday and Holy Week 2010:

Voices from the Mountain and from the Valley

This year, Palm Sunday arrives at a time when many friends of Mt. Irenaeus feel the acute stab of grief at the passing of our beloved brother and friend, Dan Hurley, ofm. Perhaps it is a special blessing that we have the opportunity to grieve our loss during these prayerful days of Holy Week.

We invite you to join us in our remembering and in our contemplation. Let us pray together and teach one another as we walk the journey that leads to the cross and to the exquisite sweetness of Easter morning. Father Lou begins with a reflection rooted in the readings from the Palm Sunday liturgy. Having listened to Father Lou’s gentle teaching, several members of mountain Sojourners offer responses.

Reflections for Palm Sunday, 2010

Lou McCormack, ofm

The readings for Palm Sunday this year are from Isaiah (50:4-7), Paul’s letter to the Phillipians (2: 6-11), and from Luke’s account of the Passion of Jesus (22: 14 – 23: 56).

Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday since the Gospel is the reading of the passion of Jesus) brings us to the end of our Lenten journey. It is also the threshold of the holiest week in the year for Christians.

Part of our share in the passion of Jesus this year is the absence of our brother Dan Hurley,ofm who died on March 13^th. Dan loved the meaning and memory of Holy Week; he will be with us in a powerful way this Holy Week.

Paul in the letter to the Phillipians encourages us to have the same mind in us that was in Jesus. That mind of Jesus is total self-giving as He became one of us for our salvation. Jesus is the love of God the Father poured out on the earth for all time.

In an attempt to help us enter into the mind of Christ, the evangelists - Luke this year - have told His story. It was their hope that believers could move beyond logic to understand the love that moved Jesus. It was the desire of the evangelists that readers put aside their objections and allow themselves to be taught by this great mystery.

In narrating Jesus’ passion, Luke brings his own insight by repeatedly affirming the Lord’s innocence. Only in Luke does the centurion declare that Jesus was an innocent man, does Pilate issue a triple verdict of “innocent” upon the falsely accused Jesus, and does the trial before Herod get mentioned when Jesus is again declared innocent. Luke shows us through these declarations of innocence that Jesus is the suffering servant of Isaiah who willingly suffered and died, but in the end was vindicated by God in the resurrection.

The passion of Jesus continues today in so many ways and people. We do not open ourselves again to hear the word to mainly engage in some form of sympathetic catharsis. We open ourselves to this living message of love and sacrifice and pain and dying and sin and unjustice so as to be changed by it, graced by it and moved by it to ease the ongoing suffering of the Body of Christ.

Let’s not just weep for Jesus on the way, but give ourselves over to those whose lives continue to be painful. We are called, like Simon of Cyrene, to help alleviate suffering by shouldering some of another person’s cross. Following Jesus means seeking solidarity with the suffering of others and working for their liberation.

Peace and Joy!

Sojourner Reflection for Palm Sunday, 2010

Mike Fenn offers the following memory of Father Dan Hurley:

“I had the great blessing of spending a good amount of time with Father Dan over the past twenty years and I carry many vivid memories in my heart. The one I recall most powerfully now, during our time of grieving, is from this past January when I was sharing evening prayer with him and the rest of the Friar community. Fr. Dan's eyesight had become very poor, yet his desire to open himself to God's word never diminished. There he sat with his glasses on, using a large magnifying glass and holding a psalm book as close to his face as he could. It was as if he was reading for the first time, not wanting to miss a word. Fr. Dan lived his life, as Fr Lou speaks above, listening to Gods message, constantly being changed by it, graced by it, and moved by it.”

Kate Nolan Clemens reflects on the power of service:

Lou's reflections help to focus my thinking and perspective around keeping others in mind and under our care. Jesus sacrificed His life for us... what can we do for others in our daily lives that might lessen the suffering of others? What can we do on a human level that might make even the smallest impact, possibly multiplied by doing it every day? Yesterday was Bona Responds Day. I spent a few hours with one of our sons at a soup kitchen/shelter. We had the humbling experience of witnessing - first-hand - the suffering of our fellow neighbors, the innocent -- so close, yet so very far away from what we know in our own lives. I'm thankful today for so much and glad for the inspiration of the Gospel and Lou's words that help to re-focus us.

Paul Kline responds:

Kate’s story teaches me that service, rooted in humility, can open my eyes and heart to God’s presence in those we are privileged to feed, clothe, and comfort. We are reminded by Father Lou that, as we approach the Gospel with an open heart, we experience a deeper awareness of Jesus’ love for us. Mike’s simple and beautiful story helps us to remember Father Dan Hurley as a man whose hunger to hear God’s voice could not be restrained by the limitations of age or infirmity. We see the humility of our friar-friend at evening prayer and, encouraged by his example and by Father Lou’s teaching, we open ourselves to the simple beauty and power of the stories of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We see Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a colt - an itinerant preacher with no home, no wealth, and no earthly power. We see Jesus bending low in love for his friends, tenderly washing their feet. We hear the voice of Jesus on the cross offering forgiveness to the criminal who dies next to him. Perhaps we, too, ache with hunger to hear God speak tender words of love and mercy to us? I pray that I am open to hear God’s voice in the words and actions of those I meet this week – and in those moments of silence and contemplation that Holy Week offers to me.

We welcome your voice!

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Easter Reflection

Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM, and Bridget Walsh share their thoughts about Easter. Please share your reflections below.

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Easter Sunday Readings


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By Br. Kevin Kriso, OFM

A few weeks ago the SBU campus had a three hour “lockdown” drill. A simulated gunman took a class “hostage” in Plassmann Hall. The whole campus had to stay behind locked doors in darkened rooms listening to updates over speaker phones. No traffic was allowed in or out of campus. Emergency service personnel, including a SWAT team walked through their protocol, resolved the situation over a three hour period and afterward deemed the drill “a success.”

Most of us felt very uneasy and creeped out by the “realness” of the drill. While it is important to know what to do in such situations, there was a sick feeling that even here a gunman could take over the campus and a sadness that this is the world in which we live. In a macabre coincidence, just a week and a half later a gunman killed 13 and himself at an immigration service center in Binghamton, NY and other shootings happened in several other locations. That sick feeling and sadness returned again.

Like many people, I had to think to myself, “Why this sudden spate of violence?” The newspapers report that many Americans are “on the edge” in this poor economy. Countries around the world are taking America to task for its poor leadership of the world economy. Many, many people are finding that the identity they cultivated as a home owner and in a good field of employment has vanished. How many more will find themselves in this same situation before until we hit the economic bottom? Are we in for another Great Depression? If so, will people be able to adjust to a new status or will there be ever increasing despair, anger, and violence?

In the Gospel reading for Easter Sunday (Luke 24:13-35), two of Jesus’ very confused disciples are walking along to Emmaus trying to figure out what is going on in the world. They have seen the bottom drop out. As they walked along, they meet up with the risen Jesus but fail to recognize him. Jesus asks them what sort of things they are talking about. They reply “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel…”

The whole point of the story is that they have misplaced their hopes. They had hoped that through mighty deeds Jesus would “redeem” Israel (a word we use to take things out of hock, or pay a fine to have set free). Perhaps they wanted Israel to become the premier nation in the world and replace Rome as the Imperial power. The true answer is that power and wealth are not the road to salvation. Unfortunately, in our country this is where many have placed our hope and have found an identity. However, when the expectations and feelings of entitlement for power and wealth wane, people are left frightened, angry and in despair. Violence easily erupts.

The question the two Emmaus-bound disciples had to answer is the same question we have to answer. Where do we find our power and identity? In a God who puts us in power and control or in a God allows himself to suffer, be abused and killed. Naturally we would like the first God. However, that is not God’s plan. God’s plan is that by putting our hands in God’s and facing things such as abuse, suffering and death and not running from them, we overcome these situations. New life comes when the bottom falls out and this new life may not be what we hoped for, but is what we need.

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By Bridget Walsh

My mother always put her family first and opened her caring heart to everyone she met. She went to mass regularly, volunteered when she could at the local Catholic School and was a Eucharistic Minister. Twelve years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer and it metastasized three years later. Multiple treatments were required for most of the time she had cancer. She had some good days and some really bad ones. There were days that she spent bent over in pain. All she would ask for was her cross to wear around her neck (the cross she received in Lourdes, France) and sit quietly until the pain subsided. On good days, I would ask how she was doing. Her reply would be, “today is a good day.” She always let the good moments carry her through the painful ones. My mother had such a faith in God and it remained with her even through her final days. I see how faith gave her strength and peace in her life; allowing her to really live each day she was given.

As Easter approaches, I think of my mother and how she endured the pain of cancer for so many years. Putting her faith in God, she chose not to be bitter about her life circumstances. She has helped me to understand why Jesus died on the cross not only to save us but to be our example. No matter what happens in life, God will help us to carry our pain. He will give us the strength to not only endure life, but to live with peace and hope. I feel grateful to be left with such an extraordinary example in my life. I have tried to live by her example and have found times of peace with the pain of loss. May this Easter mark a time of hope and closer relationship with God.


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(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)

Holy Week Reflection

Mike Fenn and Fr. Dan Riley, OFM, offer us the gift of their reflections for this Holy Week.
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By Mike Fenn

Our sojourner group recently spent a weekend in reflection on Francis’ celebration of the Incarnation – of God coming to earth in the form of Man. We learned that Francis considered Christmas “The Feast of all Feasts” because it meant that the divine is here on Earth, not just up in the heavens. With this perspective, I sit here on Palm Sunday thinking about the upcoming week Jesus endured. The jubilation of his entrance in Jerusalem, the bittersweet mix of companionship and betrayal experienced with His Brothers at the Last Supper, the incredible angst He endured in dialogue with His Father in the garden. And the humiliation, pain and suffering that took place on the day of His death.

From my own experience I know life can bring emotional ups and downs as well - the jubilation of living in a house filled with love to the angst of raising a family in times of moral indifference and economic uncertainty. The companionship of being blessed with good friends made over the years, to the difficulty of watching our adolescents find their way, their identity, and sometimes experience rejection from others. Finally the pain and suffering we are witnessing this very day – a teenager we know passing over after battling cancer for years; someone close to us admitted to the hospital with heart problems.

It can be easy to focus on this Holy Week and – using words Fr. Dan shared with me while collaborating on our reflections – “get lost in the dark.” Jesus experienced sin in many ways on the day of his death. Yet we know what happened by week’s end; the glory of the resurrection, Jesus conquering death.

The primary message of this week is not one of pain and suffering, but of hope. Hope that comes from Resurrection after the darkest of all days. This hope helps me through the darkness in my life and gives me strength to walk with each other through this great gift of life on Earth.

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By Fr. Dan Riley, OFM

While I was reading Mike Fenn’s reflections (above) for the Triduum, the three Holy Days – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, through Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday morning – I thought again and again, about how much I admire him, his wife Julie and their children. I am so grateful that they share their life with us at the Mountain and that a number of us have had a chance to see them grow as a family over the years. This year the celebration of the incarnation, the time when we hear the Christmas story and the story of the Holy Family, has been closer now to this Holy Week and these two great Christian Feasts will be again for almost 100 years.

We come so quickly this year from the "stable," "the flight into Egypt," the early days of Jesus' ministry and now intimate lessons of "the upper room," the deep getting-down foot washing love of Jesus for each of us. His example I see in mothers for children, the great concerns that Bona Dads have for their families. Jesus tells us and then shows us as he washes the feet of Peter, that he "came to serve, not be served" - and I am blessed to watch some of you understand this as you reach down and care for your children and lift them up in love ... care for a sometimes dark and cold world.

The "ups and downs" of family life and daily life and the challenges that we all have, including parents with children (and yes, sometimes children with their parents!), shows me the great example that reflects the love of Jesus who suffered so much to show us love, ultimate love. Jesus' own struggle with his Father that we heard on Palm Sunday in the reading of the Passion in Matthew's Gospel is not unlike our own uncertain struggles with parental figures, with our own uncertainties occasionally about God. Jesus' own words, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; ..." suggests an inner dialogue that wants to grow within us all.

It is Christ's struggle for all of us and an invitation for us to enter more deeply into our own struggles with hope.

I have always had a special love for the Easter Vigil, which is to be celebrated when darkness has come over the whole earth and when we long, not only for the light of day, but the light of Christ. The Vigil takes time and takes us through many passages of Scripture which tell us of God's covenant with us. I find myself turning tonight to close these reflections with some words from Isaiah.

Much of our country has been thirsty this year and some of it still is in drought. In other parts of the world hunger is still a great problem, here and elsewhere money is a confusion and at our Easter Vigil this year Isaiah the prophet proclaims, "Thus says the Lord, all you who are thirsty come to the water. You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread, your wages for what fails to satisfy. Heed me, and you shall eat well, ..."

Tonight in Devereux Hall a student from another country, one of our Bona athletes, told me he thought he would go back to his native country after graduating here because, "Americans worry too much about spending their money and finding some more."

Bona families and God's "Bona word" invite me not to be preoccupied with "what fails to satisfy," but turn my thirsts to the Living Water and to the Light of Christ that blazes in this Easter Vigil. The love that has bent down to wash our feet and lift up our faces so that we can see each other, love each other and bring peace to our world in these coming days.

Feel free, if you wish, to join into this conversation. You might want to read Isaiah 55: 1-11, any of the other Vigil readings, Romans 6: 3-11 is a wonderful reading that comes just before the Easter Vigil Gospel for this year, Matthew 28: 1-10. There we are told by the Lord after he has risen and speaks to two of the Mary's, "Do not be afraid, go tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me."

We too will see the Lord when we enter the world with the courage he gives us and the love he has planted in our hearts to serve others.

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