Tag Archives: Holy Week

April 3, 2021 · 12:33 pm

Holy Saturday?

Every year, I’m asked about where Jesus was or what he was doing on Holy Saturday. This meme pretty much sums it up even if in a humorous way. Jesus descended to sheol, the place of the dead out of love for others. The primary scriptural reference is from Peter 3:18-20:

“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water” (NRSV Translation).

Christians debate what translated words to use. Did he descend into sheol, hell, or to the dead? That’s just a matter of translation. They also wonder about him coming victoriously or whether he still suffered? That is ultimately a holy mystery. What we do know is that Jesus experienced death fully, and even in death, he came to open heaven to those who trusted in God.

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April 18, 2019 · 8:31 pm

Among the Ashes

The Hub, April 17, 2019

Image (c) Mirror.com.uk find their original article here.

Perhaps like many of you, I watched the burning of Notre Dame with great sadness. Whether we have been there or not, it remains an enduring part of our shared cultural heritage. Yet, we also should ponder signs of hope among the ashes: in the bravery of the firefighters striving successfully to preserve the main structure; in the crowds gathered kneeling, praying and singing together; and among the ruins, finding a cross preserved and shining forth from the ashes.

Although we do not know the cause of the fire yet, people are already coming forward to fund the rebuilding of this cathedral. The heart of the building, its faith community (and their connection to the communion of saints reaching far beyond Paris), lives on. This all reminds me of a sacred promise, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5).

This is a statement of what was, what is and what yet shall be through the power of the ancient events of Holy Week and the first Easter. It’s a power alive and at work in our community and in all who believe. Our world needs signs of Christ’s light amidst so much ash and decay. Through our fellowship, service and worship, God is doing something new. Jesus, who shared our sorrows, will share his risen joy.

Please be with us, in prayer and in person as you are able, this Holy Week and beyond. For our decaying world needs to find such signs of hope. People need to see that Christ is truly risen and alive in us, and its likely we need to be encouraged in our faith, hope and love as well. For dust we are, and unto dust we shall return, but we remain in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Christ Lutheran’s (Fredericksburg, VA) worship schedule for the Triddum can be found at:
http://www.christ-lutheran-church.org/

Originally published in The Hub, a weekly email of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA.

© 2019 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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April 9, 2019 · 4:36 pm

Hidden Behind the Palms: The Roots of Palm Sunday

The Hub, April 10, 2019


Photo by Valentin Salja on Unsplash

Palm Sunday, the start of our Holy Week experience, is upon us. Most of us should recall the story, but do you know the ancient roots hidden behind behind the palms?

For many centuries, the palm had served as a symbol of victory in the Near East and Greco-Roman world. This especially became so for the Jewish people as they remembered their liberation from Egypt by God’s power.

Recalling the Exodus at Passover and during Sukkot (the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles each fall), palms helped the people of Israel remember their wondering ancestors who often had to build hasty tents as their dwelling place and eat quick meals. Even the Ark of the Covenant, holding the tablets given to Moses and serving as the “mercy seat” of the Lord, was housed in such a tent (also called a booth or tabernacle).

For the people of Israel, the palm became a symbol of freedom and nationalism. They were a people set apart by God, and in Jesus’ day, they fully anticipated their eventual liberation from the occupying army of the Roman Empire. Could Jesus be the one to accomplish it?

As Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, he was celebrated as a prophet known for authentic teaching and miraculous works. He came into Jerusalem on a donkey much as Solomon did to be coronated. It was also as Zechariah foretold, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

And so, Jesus was met with waving palms and shouts of hosanna, a term of adulation and praise, but it also at its root means, “Save us!” This is as in Psalm 118, “Save us, we beseech you, O Lord.” Jesus would prove a savior, but what kind?

This Holy Week, I invite us all to contemplate and encounter once again his sacred story. Join us as we consider what Jesus’ entry into our lives truly means.

Originally published in The Hub, a weekly email of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA.

© 2019 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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March 27, 2015 · 5:51 pm

In Christ’s Defeat, Our Victory: Meditation on Psalm 118

Psalm 118 is perhaps the consummate psalm for Palm Sunday and as we enter Holy Week. Throughout the Gospel According to Matthew, the gospel writer has lifted up how Jesus was the fulfillment of all God’s promises in the Jewish scriptures. For example within the text, Matthew recounts five major lessons of Jesus’ teachings; much as there are five Books of Moses. When Jesus delivers his first recorded teaching in Matthew, Jesus gives his commands called the Beatitudes from a mountaintop; much like Moses was given the Decalogue on a mountain. Fourteen prophesies are explicitly connected to the actions of Jesus; fourteen being the traditional number of generations between Abraham and the establishment of the Davidic Dynasty, fourteen from David to the exile in Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to Jesus’ birth. It isn’t much different with Psalm 118. As with many, this psalm reflects aspects of the life and death of Jesus.

Psalm 118 is often recited as part of the Hallel, a Jewish prayer consisting of a verbatim recitation of Psalms 113 through 118. The Hallel is used for praise and thanksgiving on holidays such as the Passover, when the Jews recall the Angel of death passed over Jewish homes in Moses’ time leading to their freedom from Egyptian slavery. As Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, he deliberately enters “mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This fulfills the apocalyptic prophesy of Zechariah 9 regarding the coming ruler of God’s people and the judgement of Israel’s enemies.

To an oppressed people under Rome’s authority, Jesus was considered by many a messianic figure in the political sense. They quote Psalm 118 (verses 25-26), “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Many likely expect Jesus to precipitate their freedom as Moses did long ago and reinitiate a Davidic kingship. In celebration, they will “Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar” – the way to the Temple where Jesus will come into his final conflict with his adversaries.

Yet, Jesus hasn’t come to be king in that sense. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” (v. 8-9). Like the ritual sacrifices in the Temple, Jesus will become a bloody, final sacrifice for our sake. Throughout the week, Jesus will remain in conflict until he is finally betrayed. He will be surrounded by adversaries like bees, pushed hard, and find himself crowned with thorns (v. 12).  He will die on a cross like a rebel, falsely accused of proclaiming himself king. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” The Temple will be destroyed in 70 CE, but the church, Christ’s body, will rise in its stead.

Thanks to God’s steadfast love, we will never be rejected. Through Jesus’ cross and resurrection, we have access to our Father in Heaven and forgiveness for our rebellion in sin. With Jesus, our lips and hearts can pray with confidence, “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.” Through the events of this upcoming week, we become conquerors with Christ (see Romans 8). We can rightly sing a song of victory – the victory of Jesus for our sake.

Christ’s peace be with you as we enter Holy Week together, Pastor Lou

 

Please enjoy a musical meditation on Psalm 118 from the Ecumenical Community of Taizé…

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2015 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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