Before the procession the Gospel of the Entry into Jerusalem is read from Luke 19:28-40.
The first reading, responsorial psalm and second reading are from Year A.
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (22:14 – 23:56)
When the time came he took his place at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have ardently longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and share it among you, because from now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’
Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ And the cup similarly after supper saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you.
‘But look, here with me on the table is the hand of the man who is betraying me. The Son of man is indeed going as it is decreed, only alas for that man by whom he is betrayed!’ And they began to question one another which of them it could be who intended to do this.
An argument also began between them about who of them should be reckoned the greatest; but he said to them, ‘The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. Not so with you, but the greatest among you must be as the youngest, the leader as the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet I am among you as one who serves!
‘You are those who have endured with me in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me. You may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
‘Simon, Simon! Look, Satan has been granted to sift you all like wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail; and sometime you must turn back and strengthen your brothers.’ He answered, ‘Lord, with you I am ready to go to prison and to death.’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow today before you have denied three times that you know me.’
He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, were you short of anything?’ They answered, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now anyone who has a purse, should take it, and the same with a bag; anyone who has no sword, should sell his tunic and buy one, for I say to you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, He was reckoned as one of the lawless. And indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ They said, ‘Lord, here are two swords.’ He said to them, ‘That is enough!’
He then left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, with the disciples following. When he reached the place he said to them, ‘Pray that you do not enter into temptation.’
Then he withdrew from them, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Standing up from prayer and going to the disciples he found them sleeping from grief.
And he said to them, ‘Why are you asleep? Get up and pray that you do not enter into temptation.’
While he was still speaking, a crowd suddenly appeared, and the one called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. And he approached Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?’ Those around him, seeing what was going to happen, said, ‘Lord, shall we strike with the sword?’ And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But at this Jesus said, ‘Leave it at that!’ And touching his ear he healed him.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the guard and elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come with swords and clubs as though I were a bandit? When I was with you in the Temple day by day you did not lift a hand against me. But this is your hour and the reign of darkness.’
They seized him then and led him away, and they took him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance. When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down among them, and a servant-girl, seeing him sitting in the light, peered at him, and said, ‘This man was with him too.’ But he denied it saying. ‘I do not know him, woman.’ Shortly afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You are one of them too.’ But Peter replied, ‘Man, I am not.’ A little later another person saw him and insisted, ‘For certain this man was with him also, for he is a Galilean too.’ Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words when he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly. Meanwhile the men who were holding Jesus were mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, ‘Prophesy! Who hit you?’ And they kept heaping many other insults on him.
When day broke a meeting of the elders of the people, the chief priests and scribes was convened, and they brought him before their council, saying, ‘If you are the Messiah, tell us.’ But he said to them, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on, the Son of man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God. They all said, ‘So you are the Son of God?’ He answered, ‘You say that I am.’ Then they said, ‘Why do we still need any evidence? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.’
The whole gathering then rose and brought him before Pilate.
They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man inciting our people to revolt, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be the Messiah, a king.’ Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He replied, ‘You say so.’ Pilate then said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no case against this man.’ But they insisted, ‘He is stirring up the people, teaching all over Judaea and starting from Galilee all the way to this place.’ Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man were a Galilean; and having discovered that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was delighted to see Jesus; he had been wanting for a long time to set eyes on him; moreover, he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but without getting any reply. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes were there, vehemently pressing their accusations. Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak on him and sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends that day, though formerly they had been at enmity with each other.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests and the leading men and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought this man before me as inciting the people to revolt. See, I have examined him in your presence and found no case against this man in any of the charges you bring against him. Neither has Herod, since he has sent him back to us. See, he has done nothing that deserves death, so I shall have him beaten and release him.’ But as one man they all howled, ‘Take this man away! Release Barabbas for us!’(This man had been thrown into prison because of a riot in the city and murder.)
Again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Jesus again, but they swelled their shouting, ‘Crucify! Crucify him!’ And for a third time he spoke to them, ‘But what evil has this man done? I have found no case against him that deserves death, so I shall have him beaten and release him.’ But they insisted, demanding at the top of their voices, that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.
Pilate then gave his verdict, that their demand was to be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been imprisoned for riot and murder, and handed Jesus over to them as they wished.
As they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. A large number of the people followed him, and women, who beat their breasts and mourned for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; but weep for yourselves and for your children. For look, the days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the barren, the wombs that have not borne children, the breasts that have not given suck!” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us! For if they do this when the wood is green, what will they do when it is dry?’ Two others also, criminals, were led out to be put to death with him.
When they reached the place called The Skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ Then they cast lots to share out his clothing. The people stood watching. As for the leaders, they scoffed at him saying, ‘He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, coming up to him, offering him vinegar, and saying, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was also an inscription over him: ‘This is the King of the Jews’.
One of the criminals hanging there jeered at him: ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.’ But in reply the other rebuked him saying. ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence? And we justly, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man did nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He answered him, ‘Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until mid-afternoon, as the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the Temple was torn right down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he gave glory to God and said, ‘Truly, this was a just man.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered for the spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts. All his friends stood at a distance, and also the women who had followed with him from Galilee, watching these things.
Now a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and righteous man, had not agreed with their plan and their action. He came from Arimathaea, a Jewish town, and was awaiting the kingdom of God. This man approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning to grow light. The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed behind and saw the tomb and how the body had been laid. They went back and prepared spices and ointments. And on the Sabbath day they rested, in accordance with the commandment.
The story of the Passion in Luke begins with an extended account of the last supper, which preserves several unique sayings of Jesus, among them the words of Jesus to Simon Peter that he should strengthen his brothers. On the Mount of Olives Jesus is comforted while at prayer by an ‘angel from heaven’. Luke describes the disciples as sleeping ‘from grief’. He avoids the painful kiss of Judas and reports the healing of the ear of the high priest’s servant. Luke also reduces the vehemence of the denials of Peter and finishes that scene with the Lord turning and ‘looking straight at Peter’, as Peter breaks down and weeps. The interrogation begins at dawn and the scene then transfers to Pilate’s palace. Pilate asserts three times that he finds no guilt in Jesus, which seems to be Luke’s way of showing that the Roman power should not oppose the Christian preaching. Herod Antipas is ‘delighted’ to see Jesus and cynically clothes him with ‘a rich cloak’, but Luke reports no scourging or crowning with thorns. On the way to Calvary the women weep for Jesus, while Jesus speaks words of forgiveness to his executioners, pardons the thief who turns to him, and ends his life with words from Psalm 31: ‘Into your hands I commit my spirit.’ The aftermath of the crucifixion shows the crowds returning home ‘beating their breasts’.
Why does Luke play down the violence of the Passion story?
We pray for the gift of forgiveness for ourselves, and as a gift to be offered to others.