Welcome to this week’s Living Word!
Our Word of the Week is Passion.
This week is the most important week in the whole liturgical calendar. We follow Jesus through the events of the last week of his life, including on Friday – Good Friday – his passion and death. We often think of ‘passion’ as a word used to describe a particular hobby or interest that we are particularly invested in, but the word actually comes from the Latin passio, meaning ‘to suffer’ or ‘to endure’ and that’s what it refers to in the context of Holy Week; Jesus’ suffering and death.
Section 1: Passion as Sacrifice (The Garden of Gethsemane)
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
R./ Glory to you O Lord. +
Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
The Gospel of the Lord
R./ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
In churches around the world this Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Catholics will gather to remember the night on which Jesus celebrated his Last Supper with his friends. After sharing in this meal, Jesus and his disciples went to place called The Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed to God. He knew his life on Earth was drawing to a close.
On Maundy Thursday night, the church enters into a period of deep silence. After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist is taken to an ‘Altar of Repose’ (in SSPP church it is moved into the Lady Chapel), and we are invited to sit in silent prayer and reflection and to ‘keep watch’, just as Jesus asked his disciples to do.
This tradition mirrors the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus wasn’t asking his disciples to fix his problems or to fight his enemies; he simply asked them to stay. He wanted their presence. Often, our passion for God or for our friends is tested most when things are boring, quiet or difficult. It’s easy to be a friend when things are fun, but it takes true passion to keep watch when someone is suffering. When we sit in the silence of the watch on Thursday night, we are telling Jesus: “I won’t walk away when things get heavy.”
Discussion Questions:
Jesus asked his friends to “remain… and watch,” but they fell asleep…
- When have you ‘checked out’ or looked away because someone else’s problems felt too heavy for you?
- What is one area of your life where you are struggling to let go of control and simply trust God’s plan?
Click below to “Add Comment” and capture some of what has been said in your form for others to see or add them to your form scrapbook if you have one!
Lord, give us the passion to stay awake to the needs of others, even when we are tired or struggling ourselves. Help us to place all of our trust in you. Amen.
Section 2: Passion as Conviction (The Trial)
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Earlier this week, we reflected on Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane; today we will turn our attention to his trial before Pontius Pilate on the morning of Good Friday. Passion is often shown in quiet strength. It is the conviction to know who you are, even when the crowd is shouting against you.
Think: The crowd at the trial was influenced by peer pressure. Many of the people shouting “Crucify Him!” were likely the same people who had been cheering for him on Palm Sunday less than a week earlier. Why did they change? Because it was easier to follow the noise than to stand by the truth. In the face of this pressure, Jesus did not scream, argue or put up any kind of fight. He spoke the truth calmly. He showed us that passion is having a spine made of steel when everyone else is bending to the wind.
As this traditional Good Friday hymn plays now, think about any situations in which this mentality might be true in your own life.
As you listen, think about the following questions:
- Is there something – a joke, a trend, or an attitude toward a certain person – that you just go along with because it’s easier than being the odd one out?
- Could you find the courage to make a change today and to do what is right instead of what is easy?
Prayer: Let us pause for a moment of silence.
Loving Father, give us a passion for the truth. Help us to be people of integrity who don’t just follow the crowd, but who follow the cross even when it doesn’t feel easy. Amen.
Section 3: Passion as Total Love (The Cross)
We invite you to start with the Sign of the Cross.
Response: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
Today we reach the heart of the Passion of Christ. On the cross, we see that passion isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. It is love in motion and faith in action. Jesus shows us that there is no limit to how much God loves us.
As a member of the community at St Peter and St Paul’s Catholic Academy, you will be familiar with the sight of a crucifix. A crucifix differs from a cross because it features a representation of Jesus’s body, known as the corpus. When we look at a crucifix, we aren’t just looking at a historical execution; we are looking at the definition of love.
In our world today, we use the word passion for things we are incredibly interested and invested in – our sports teams, our gaming, our appearance or our grades. These aren’t bad things, but they are often about us. The Passion of Christ turns this upside down. His passion was for you.
The Response
Jesus gave his life for us. Our sacrifice doesn’t have to be so grand. Giving your life doesn’t mean dying; for us it might mean laying aside your pride and being the first to apologise. It means giving of your time to help someone with a subject you’re good at. It means prioritising the person who is always alone over your image or popularity. Every time we choose the good of someone else over our own comfort, we are living out the Passion.
The Activity:
Reflecting on the Word of the Week (Passion) and the events of Holy Week, every person is invited to add one word, phrase or sketch to your form scrapbook describing or highlighting something that has stood out for you this week. What summarises the immense significance of this week in your eyes?
The Challenge: Watch and Pray
This week, your challenge is to make space in your life and heart for Jesus as the world recalls his Passion.
On Good Friday, the church is stripped bare. The tabernacle is empty, the altar is uncovered and the world feels silent.
- Between the hours of 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM (the traditional hours of Jesus’ agony on the Cross) on Friday, challenge yourself to a total digital detox. No social media, no gaming, no music, no texting. Be more present with the people you care about and, if you would like to, spend some time in prayer or reflection as we recall Jesus’ passion and death.
We end our week with the words used within the prayerful tradition of The Stations of the Cross:
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.
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