Holy Saturday

“Rejoice now, all you heavenly choirs of angels; rejoice now, all creation; Sound forth, trumpet of salvation, and proclaim the triumph of our King. Rejoice too, all the earth, in the radiance of the light now poured upon you and made brilliant by the brightness of the everlasting King; know that the ancient darkness has been forever banished.  Rejoice, O Church of Christ, clothed in the brightness of this light; let all this house of God ring out with rejoicing, with the praises of all God's faithful people. It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places, with all our heart and mind and voice, praise You, O Lord, Holy Father, almighty everlasting God, and your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. For He is the very Paschal Lamb Who offered Himself for the sin of the world, who has cleansed us by the shedding of His precious blood.  This is the night when You brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry ground. This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from bondage to sin and are restored to life and immortality. This is the night when Christ, the Life, rose from the dead. The seal of the grave is broken and the morning of a new creation breaks forth out of night. How wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to redeem a slave You gave Your Son. How holy is this night when all wickedness is put to flight and sin is washed away. How holy is this night when innocence is restored to the fallen and joy is given to those downcast. How blessed is this night when man is reconciled to God in Christ.  Holy Father, Accept now the evening sacrifices of our thanksgiving and praise. Let Christ, the true light and morning star, shine in our hearts, He who gives light to all creation, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.” (The Exsultet)

Blessed Easter,

Manny Tovar

Good Friday

Good Friday. The day when the Church commemorates the Passion and death of our Lord. If you have the opportunity to attend a Good Friday Divine Service, it will change how you view Good Friday. Why is it that the day is called "Good" Friday? Jesus dies today, and that is anything but good. But it is good, for it is in Jesus' death that He overcame sin, death, and the devil. The Gospel reading for Good Friday, according to the LSB (Lutheran Service Book, the most used hymnal in LCMS churches) is the Passion account according to John's Gospel. It is too long to put here, so I'll include a link to the entire account below.

You'll realize that the title of today's post does not include the prefix "Lenten Journey". Why is that? Because yesterday, Holy (Maundy) Thursday, oficially ended Lent and began what is called the Triduum, or the Three Days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. As I contemplate the holy life and bitter sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am nearly brought to tears. For I am just as guilty of putting Jesus to death as the Romans are, for it was for MY sins that He died!

Christ on the Cross by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Blessed Good Friday,

Emmanuel Tovar


(The Passion of our Lord according to St. John)

Lenten Journey 2014: Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday. The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin word Mandatum, which means "commandment". It comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of John 13:34 in which Jesus gives the apostles the new commandment to love one another: "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem." It is on this day that the Church commemorates Christ instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist, otherwise known as the Lord's Supper. The prayers, hymns, and sermon all center on the Lord's Supper. Here is the account from St. Mark's Gospel about the institution of the Lord's Supper:
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:22-26)

Now, while the Sacrament is the main thing emphasized tonight, it is not the only thing happening tonight. Amidst all of the excitement and anticipation for the reception and celebration of the Blessed Sacrament, this is also the night when our Lord agonized in the Gethsemane. Here to relate the account is the apostle St. Matthew.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 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.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.  Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Matt. 26:36-46)

 

 And we are there too, agonizing with our Lord. But we are also there when the disciples abandon Him. And we too, unfortunately, abandon Him as well, so that the Son of Man must suffer alone. And it only worsens. To see the next part, come back tomorrow for my reflections on Good Friday.

Blessed Holy Week
Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Wednesday of Holy Week

Good evening, Internet. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, the day when the Church commemorates the institution of the Lord's Supper. It is something that I am excited to participate in. But I want to focus on today. Again, today's lectionary Epistle reading is one that grabbed my attention. 

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one  will scarcely die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die– but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:6-8) Humans are reluctant to sacrifice for others. A few people might die for one who seemed particularly righteous or for one who had done them some good, but those are rare occurrences. Christ died, not for righteous people or for those who had helped Him, but for sinners. This is grace. 

Blessed Holy Week,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Monday of Holy Week

Good evening, internet. Today was a good day. As we draw closer to the Easter Triiduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday), the work of the cross is become an ever-present reality. I have been reading the lectionary readings devotionally for some time now, and the Epistle reading for today really struck me. It's Hebrews 9:11-15 (I won't quote it here, but it is worth it to look it up for yourselves). But in this section, the author makes the argument that Christ's sacrifice excels far greater than the Old Testament animal sacrifices. This verse really caught my attention: “... He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (italics mine). With His sacrifice, Christ freed us from our imprisonment. Because His sacrifice is eternal, it needs no repetition like the Old Testament sacrifices. When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He meant it. 

Blessed  Holy Week,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: Palm Sunday

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matt. 21:1-11)
 

 Good evening, Internet. Today is Palm Sunday (also known as the Sunday of the Passion), the first day of what is called Holy Week. The passage quoted above is taken from Matthew's account of the Triumphal Entry, which marked Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. This day, as I mentioned, is also referred to as the Sunday of the Passion, for this week culminates on Good Friday, when the Church commemorates the redemptive sacrifice that Christ made on sinful man's behalf. All throughout Lent, we are invited to join Jesus on the via dolorosa, or sorrowful way. This is somehow more intensified during Holy Week, when the days count down until Good Friday, when we behold our Savior enduring the sorrowful way to the end. But Good Friday is not the end of the story. But it is a necessary stop on our journey with Jesus. For without Good Friday there cannot be an Easter Sunday, and vice versa. But I fear I am getting too far ahead of myself, so I will attempt to focus back on today's events. Matthew says that what has been spoken by the prophet has been fulfilled. Which of the numerous prophets is he referring to? He is referring to a prophecy made by Zechariah, in which he describes the way in which the coming King is to come. Not as the people envisioned him, high and mighty, but low and humble (see Zechariah 9).

So, on this Palm Sunday 2014, here is a promise from God's word: Your King is coming. He came before, as the babe of Bethlehem, and He is coming again, but this time as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Blessed Holy Week,
Manny Tovar