Sunday

Luke 19:28

28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to [g]Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”

32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”

34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.

Prayer:  We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee, for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

 

Monday

Commentary from the Navarre Bible Commentary…

Normally in the Gospels when there is mention of going to the Holy City it is in terms of “going up” to Jerusalem (cf. Mt 20:18; Jn 7:8), probably because geographically the city is located on Mount Zion. Besides, since the Temple was the religious and political centre, going up to Jerusalem had also a sacred meaning of ascending to the holy place, where sacrifices were offered to God.

Jesus makes use of a donkey for his entry into Jerusalem, thereby fulfilling an ancient prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech 9:9).

The people, and particularly the Pharisees, were quite aware of this prophecy. Therefore, despite its simplicity of form, there was a certain solemnity about the whole episode which impressed those present, stirring the hearts or the people and irritating the Pharisees. By fulfilling the prophecy our Lord was showing everyone that he was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

Prayer:

O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not.

 

Tuesday

Luke 19:37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:

“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Prayer:

But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Wednesday

Navarre Commentary:

Christ is greeted with the prophetic words referring to the enthronement of the Messiah, contained in Psalm 118:26: “Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord!” But the people also acclaim him as king. This is a great messianic demonstration, which infuriates the Pharisees. One of the acclamations, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest”, echoes the announcement made by the angel to the shepherds on Christmas night (cf. Lk 2:14).40 To the reproaches of the Pharisees, who are scandalized by the people’s shouts, our Lord replies in a phrase which sounds like a proverb: so obvious is his messiahship that if men refused to recognize it nature would proclaim it. In fact, when his friends were cowed on the hill of Calvary the earth trembled and the rocks split (cf. Mt 27:51). At other times our Lord imposed silence on those who want to proclaim him King or Messiah, but now he adopts a different attitude: the moment has come for his dignity and his mission to be made public.

Prayer:

Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

Thursday
Luke 19:41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 

Prayer:  O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Friday

Navarre Commentary on Jerusalem…

When the procession reaches a place where there is a good view of the city, they are disconcerted by Jesus’ unexpected weeping. Our Lord explains why he is weeping, by prophesying the destruction of the city which he loved so much: not one stone will remain on another, and its inhabitants will be massacred — a prophecy which was fulfilled in the year 70, when Titus razed the city and destroyed the Temple.

These historical events will be a punishment for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer. Jesus loved the Jews with a very special love: they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached (cf. Mt 10:5-6); to them he directed his ministry (cf. Mt 15:24). He showed by his word and by his miracles that he was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures. But the Jews for the most part failed to appreciate the grace the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus visits every one of us; he comes as our Saviour; he teaches us through the preaching of the Church; he gives us forgiveness and grace through the Sacraments. We should not reject our Lord, we should not remain indifferent to his visit.

Prayer:  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3X)

Saturday
Luke 19:

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who [h]bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house [i]is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Commentary:

Jesus’ indignation shows his zeal for the glory of his Father, to be recognized at this time in the Temple itself. He inveighs against the traders for engaging in business which has nothing to do with divine worship (cf. Mt 21:12; Mk 11-15). Even the priests allowed some of these abuses to go on — perhaps because they benefitted from them in the form of taxes. The traders did perform services necessary for divine worship but this was vitiated by their excessive desire for gain, turning the Temple into a market-place.

“My house shall be a house of prayer”: Jesus uses these words from Isaiah (56:7; cf. Jer 7:11) to underline the purpose of the Temple. Jesus’ behaviour shows the respect the Temple of Jerusalem deserved: how much more reverence should be shown our churches, where Jesus himself is really present in the Blessed Eucharist (cf. notes on Mt 21:12-13; and Mk 11:15-18).

 

Jesus Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have Mercy on me a sinner.