The Friend - Palm Sunday

 It is pretty moving, isn't it? -- hearing about an innocent man condemned to death, abandoned, abused -- praised one moment, cursed the next. I don't want to be cold like Pontius Pilate, thinking this Jesus is just another man, just another criminal, just another tragedy in a long string of the world's history of tragedies. I want to be moved, and even more so than I am.

This week, the Holiest of Weeks of the year, the heavenly Father gives us the opportunity to enter into the loving and sacrificial passion and death of Our Lord Jesus. Typically, we reflect upon these mysteries through the eyes and heart of Mary when we say the Rosary. But this week we are afforded the opportunity to reflect on Jesus through the eyes and hearts of many characters: Peter, or Pilate, Mary Magdalene and Veronica, or the women of Jerusalem, the crowd, the centurion, the good thief, the bad ... So many points of encounter with Jesus.

For me, I remember meeting Jesus when I was on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. I was at the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu -- this is the church where Caiaphas' house is and where Peter denied Jesus three times. Gallicantu literally means the singing of the rooster -- it is the place where the cock crowd and Jesus looked at Peter.

There, at that church, there are these amazing bronze doors with an engraved relief depicting the moment when Jesus says to Peter, "before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Many statues depict St Peter with a rooster at his feet, which I have always found interesting; here is a saint but, instead of some major accomplishment at his feet, he has the most embarrassing moment at his feet! If I am become a saint -- and I pray that I someday will be! -- I wouldn't want the most embarrassing moment of my life as part of my statuary. But, the point here is that this most embarrassing moment becomes a glorious moment: Peter's threefold repentance later on ("Lord, you know I love you") and Jesus' mercy will overcome this grave misstep.

Anyway. The bronze doors. The engraved relief is mostly flat except for one thing that is raised a few inches off the surface -- and that is the finger of Jesus. It is pointing to Peter's heart, of course, but there is something more: when you open the bronze doors and start to walk into the church, do you know what the finger points to? You.

Jesus points not to condemn. In fact, He pointed at Peter when He called Him. (I think of Caravaggio's painting, the Call of St. Matthew, where both Jesus and Peter point). Jesus points to us to say, "I have called you." And also to say, "But you have also turned away."

And that doesn't feel good. Just Jesus' look-- just a look!-- was enough to make Peter crumble in this moment.

You see, Jesus comes to meet all of us, whether we are a Peter or a centurion, a Mary or a Veronica, a good thief or a bad thief, a Pilate --

And yes, even a Judas.

That line: "It would have been better if he had never been born," is so disconcerting. Does Jesus regret having made Judas? -- No. What Jesus is doing here is reaching out, pointing out to Judas that this betrayal is so grave that it is antithetical to his very being, his very life. But even when Judas blows through that warning, Jesus says, "Friend, what you must do, do quickly."

That floors me. ... Even though Judas is about to betray Jesus, which will lead to the crucifixion, Jesus still calls him "Friend."

Jesus still loved Judas. Still wanted his heart, his conversion, his eternal salvation. He pointed this out to Judas so that, even should Judas do this horrible thing, he would still know that he could repent. There would be enough mercy for him and for his salvation.

And for Pilate's too. And for the bad thief. And the crowd.

And for you too.

He points to us as a friend, he points to your heart and says, "I want to be there. I want to be the One that fills that." If only we would just repent and receive that!

This is the last week of Lent. Jesus comes to us as our God, our Messiah, and our Friend. You are one of the people in the Gospel. He is meeting you and pointing to you... 

Respond with great love. Let yourself be moved; whether to tears like Peter, kindness like Veronica, courageous generosity like Joseph, or zealous devotion like Mary Magdalene. Holy Week is here. And Our Friend is passing by...