Sunday

Luke 22:47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Prayer:  O my God I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. (Act of Faith)

Monday

Navarre Commentary on the arrest:

St Luke, who was a physician (cf. Col 4:15), here by divine inspiration records the last miracle worked by Jesus before his death. Ever merciful, Jesus restores to Malchus the ear Peter cut off (cf. Jn 18:10) — thereby showing that he is still in control of events, even in the present situation. Careless of his own safety he cures one of the people who have come to arrest him. Also, Jesus, who is giving himself up to death in obedience to his Father, refuses to have violence used in his defence. In fulfilment of the prophecies he offers no resistance, he goes like a sheep to the slaughter (cf. Is 53:7).

52-53 The “captains of the temple” were a military corps charged with guarding the Temple precincts; they reported to the high priest. To them, as well as to the priests and elders, our Lord addresses these words.

“This is your hour”, that is, the time when you the prince of darkness can unleash all your hatred against me: our Lord shows that he knows his death is at hand. Previous attempts to arrest him failed; but this one will succeed, because, as he explains, God allows it to happen. This is the hour the Father has fixed to accomplish the Redemption of mankind; therefore Jesus, freely, lets himself be taken prisoner.

Prayer:  Having risen from sleep I hasten to Thee, O Lord, Lover of men, and by Thy loving-kindness I strive to do Thy work, and I pray to Thee:  help me at all times, in everything, and deliver me from every evil thing of the world and every attack of the devil, and lead me into Thine eternal Kingdom. For Thou art my Creator, the Giver and Provider of everything good, and all my hope is in Thee, and to Thee I send up glory, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.  Amen.
*Prayer for the next day’s morning

Tuesday
Luke 22:54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”

57 But he denied [g]Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”

Immediately, while he was still speaking, ]the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster ]crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Prayer:  Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
*Salve Regina

Wednesday
Navarre Commentary on Peter’s Denial…

Peter, who has been following the throng of people hustling our Lord, enters the house of the high priest. While Jesus is undergoing his first trial the saddest event in the Apostle’s life takes place. The evangelists give vivid accounts of the scene. Peter is in a state of shock and is all confused. Inevitably, that night, people would have spoken about Jesus and his disciples a number of times. In conversation Peter says three times that he does not know Jesus, that he is not a follower of his. He does want to continue to follow our Lord; but wanting is not enough: he has a duty not to disguise the fact that he is a disciple, even though it is obviously risky to do so; that is why his denial is a grave sin. No one is justified in denying or disguising his faith, the fact that he is a Christian, a follower of Christ.

Prayer:  Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray : O God, who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant we beg Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
*Regina Coeli

Thursday
Navarre Commentary on Peter’s Denial…

After the cock crows Jesus’ glance meets Peter’s. The Apostle is moved by this silent and tender gesture. Peter realizes the seriousness of his sin and the fact that it fulfils our Lord’s prophecy about his betrayal. “He went out and wept bitterly”. Tears like these are the natural reaction of a noble heart moved by God’s grace: this love-sorrow, this contrition, when it is sincere, leads a person to make the firm resolution to do anything necessary to erase the least trace of the sin he has committed.

Prayer:  The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.   And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.

Friday
Luke 22:63 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 [j]And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.”

But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I [k]also ask you, you will by no means answer [l]Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

70 Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”

So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.”

71 And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

Prayer:   Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.

 

Saturday

Navarre Commentary on Jesus & the Jewish Trial

Our Lord’s first trial, which took place at night, was aimed at establishing the charges to be laid against him (Mt 26:59-66; Mk 14:53-64). Now, as day dawns, the Sanhedrin trial begins: this trial was required because Jewish custom forbade night trials on serious charges — which meant that any decisions taken at such trials had no legal validity. The authorities want to charge Jesus with a crime carrying the death penalty, and they decide to establish that he has committed blasphemy; but the evidence is so inconsistent that it fails to provide a pretext for condemning him. Therefore the Sanhedrin endeavours to get our Lord to say something which will compromise him. Although he knows that his reply provides the Pharisees with the pretext they are looking for, Jesus solemnly states, to the indignation of those present, not only that he is the Messiah but that he is the Son of God, equal to the Father; and he emphasizes that in him the ancient prophecies are being fulfilled (cf. Dan 7:13; Ps 110:1). The members of the Sanhedrin know exactly what our Lord’s answer means and, tearing their garments to show their horror, they call for his death: he deserves death because he has committed the blasphemy of claiming to be on the same level as God.

Recognizing Jesus would involve their doing an about-turn in their attitude towards him — which they would have found very embarrassing. They are too proud to change, and they close the door on faith — a lesson to us all not to let pride blind us to our mistakes and sins.

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