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By
Abbe Dom Prosper Gueranger
Missa Nos autem
Today, again, our Savior sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His disciples: "You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified." ( Matthew 26:2 ).
On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the disciples are surprised at seeing the fig-tree which their divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: 'Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away.' ( Mark 9:21 ) Jesus replies: "Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him" (1) - St. Mark xi. 22, 23
...No sooner has He ( Jesus ) entered the temple, than the chief priests, the scribes, and the ancients of the people, accost Him with these words: 'By what authority dost Thou these things? And who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?(2)- {Ibid. 28} and who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?' We shall find our Lord's answer given in the Gospel...
In today's Mass, the Church reads the history of the Passion according to [Blessed Apostle Saint] Mark, who wrote his Gospel the next after [Blessed Apostle Saint] Matthew; hence it is that the second place is assigned to him. His account of the Passion is shorter than [Blessed Apostle Saint] Matthew's, of which it would often seem to be a summary; and yet certain details peculiar to this evangelist were evidently furnished by an eye-witness. Our readers are aware that St. Mark was disciple of St. Peter, and that his Gospel was written under the very eye of the prince of the apostles.
[Comments for the Epistle] Again we have the plaintive words of Jeremias: he gives us the very words used by his enemies, when they conspired his death. It is evident, however, that the prophet is here the figure of one greater than himself. Let us, say these enemies, put wood upon his bread; that is, let us put poisonous word into what he eats that so we may cause his death. This is the literal sense of these words, as applied to the prophet; but how much more truly were they fulfilled in our Redeemer! He tells us that His divine Flesh is the true Bread that came down from Heaven. This Bread, this Body of the Man-God, is bruised, torn, and wounded; the Jews nail it to the wood; so that, it is, in a manner, made one with the wood, and the wood is all covered with Jesus' Blood. This Lamb of God was immolated on the wood of the cross; it is by His immolation, that we have given to us a Sacrifice which is worthy of God; and it is by this Sacrifice that we participate the Bread of Heaven, the Flesh of the Lamb, our true Pasch.
See Also:
Monday in Holy Week
This morning, also, Jesus goes with His disciples to Jerusalem. He is fasting,
for the Gospel, tells us that He was hungry. He approaches a fig-tree, which is
by the way-side; but finds nothing on it, save leaves only.
Wednesday in Holy Week
The figurative lamb is now to make way for the true one; the Pasch of this year
will substitute the reality for the type; and Jesus' Blood, shed by the hands of
wicked priests, is soon to flow simultaneously with that of victims which have
been hitherto acceptable to God only because they prefigured the Sacrifice of
Calvary.
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