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

Lenten Journey 2014: The Friday before Holy Week

Good evening, Internet. This evening I would like to talk about repentance. It's a pretty important theme in Lent, I mean, after the passion of Christ, repentance is one of the central themes in the season of Lent. I want to look at a well-known prayer of repentance found in the Scriptures. Psalm 51 (50 in the Latin Vulgate), is King David's most well-known Psalm, having to do with his repentance and detest of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.

Traditionally, this Psalm has been referred to as the Miserere, taken from the opening words of the Psalm in Latin: Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. This prayer has been a source of consolation and contrition for millions of Christians in the entire world, for it deals with something that we as humans know all too well: sin. This Psalm strikes to the heart of our issue and forces us to accept something we wish were not true; namely that we will never be perfect in this earthly life. From the time we are born, we are destined for judgment, for we are born sinners (Ps. 51:5). When we sin, we offend God with what we have done, and have two options. Either we can remain in our sin and live in rebellion to God, or we can acknowledge our sin, and repent for having commited it. It really is up to the person. Scripture is filled with warnings and admonitions for both of these outcomes.

Let's take a look at both scenarios, one by one. Let's say that you, a Christian, commit a sin. You know full well that what you have done has offended God, but you are unwilling to repent and turn away from your sin, instead choosing to live a life in rebellion to God, continuing in a sinful lifestyle. What is the outcome? The author of Hebrews gives us this sombering admonition: "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31) But let's say that you, after having commited the sin, recognize what you have done, feel contrition for your actions, and repent to God, asking for His forgiveness and mercy. What can that person expect? The apostle St. John, in his first letter, gives us this assurance: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Repentance. It is a scary thing, for it forces us to have to deal with the monster that dwells within us, sin. And sin always brings death and separation from God. How much more blessed our lives could be if, when we commit a sin of any kind, realized that we have sinned against almighty God Himself, and pray for His mercy and forgiveness? So, as the days dwindle down until the beginning of Holy Week, let us remember the wonderful Gospel message: that Christ died to bring forgiveness of sins and everlasting life to all who would receive it. Christ died for you, dear reader, to forgive you of your sins. There is not one sin that Christ did not die for.

God bless,
Manny Tovar

(Here is a link to the Latin Vulgate's translation of Psalm 51: Psalm 50 in the Latin Vulgate)

         (Here is a beautiful rendition of Psalm 51 set to music)

Lenten Journey 2014: The Wednesday before Holy Week

Good evening, Internet. Lent will soon draw to a close, and with it, these chronicles of my journey through my first Lent. It truly has been an honor to share my thoughts and reflections with you all these past forty days, but alas, all good things must come to an end. (We're not done yet, so don't fret!) I had the opportunity today to talk to two of my guy friends who I truly respect and admire. Both conversations were absolutely amazing. One of them is a sort of accountability partner, while my other friend is someone who I hadn't talked to in a while, and we just took the time to catch up and talked about pretty much whatever came to our minds. It truly made me thank God for friendship. Sure not all people will be your friend, but the people who are, and especially those who you consider good friends, are people you need to thank God for, for it is He who gave you them in the first place. It made me consider and ponder on the diversity in the Body of Christ. All of us (Christians) are in different walks of life; we all come from different ethnic backgrounds, from different countries, and from different cultures. But God is able to take a bunch of people, who in normal circumstances, wouldn't even give a second look at a person in Spain, for example. But because of Christ and what He has done for us, those of us in His Body are able to relate to each other on one thing we hold in common, which is the most important link of all: Christ. Like any family, we have our disagreements, and we may even argue sometimes. But realizing that we are all in this together and to give room for our disagreements is something that is crucial if we want to live as Christ would have us live.

"Now you [all] are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27).

God bless,
Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Tuesday of the fifth week of Lent

Good evening, internet. This post will be fairly short: God is faithful. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: the Monday of the fifth week of Lent

Good evening, Internet. It's Monday. Another start to yet another week. And at times, it gets boring. University life is not all it is cracked up to be. I love reading as much as the next guy (ok, maybe a bit too much), but even I have my limit. Being at a Christian university, you would think that would lighten the load. It doesn't. There is just as much pressure at a Christian university than at a secular one. It's awesome having Jesus at every corner, but that doesn't help deal with the agony of papers. As Holy Week draws ever so closer, I seem to be appreciating the little things a bit more. For what Christ did was no little thing, but through that, I can appreciate and thank God for the little things He does in my life, like giving me breath thus far. Christ has paid the price, my friend. Nothing and no one else can take that place. And that includes you. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Sunday of the fifth week of Lent

Good evening, Internet. This week next Sunday begins Holy Week, the culmination of what Lent has been preparing us for: the cross of Christ. During this week before, we prepare our hearts in advance to ponder anew the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf. I have learned much about myself this past week, and I pray to the Lord that what I learn this week will help me to recognize my need of Him even more. I have realized what a sinner I am without Christ, and what a sinner I am with Him. You may say, how are you a sinner with Christ. Just because I received Christ doesn't mean that I stop being a sinner. This is what Luther referred to as simul iustus et peccator: Simultaneously saint and sinner. And to be honest, it is one of the most freeing concepts I have ever learned about.

God bless,
Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Thursday of the fifth week of Lent

Good evening, internet. Tomorrow is Friday. That makes me SO happy. I am SO excited for this week to be over. It has been a long week, and I cannot wait for Holy Week to arrive! But, alas, I must wait. God is still working on my heart, and from the looks of it, He'll be working on it long after Lent is over. But that is fine. I've come to realize lately how much I need God. Which is a good realization, right? I pray for continued perseverance in the faith, and for God to give me the strength to love Him with all my heart, strength, and mind, and to love my neighbor as myself. That will take awhile. I want to leave you with this: dear reader, Christ has died for YOU. Whoever you are that is reading this, Jesus Christ bled and shed His blood on the cross for you. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: the Tuesday of the fourth week of Lent

Good evening, internet. Today has been a great day. I find myself in anticipation for Easter Sunday, when the Church proclaims the fulcrum of the Christian faith: “Alleluia, the Lord is risen!” But to get to Easter Sunday, we must traverse through Good Friday, when the salvation for all mankind was obtained by a Man upon a cross. A cross that changed the course of history forever. For Christ in that second was able to undo the curse which took only a second in the Garden. Christ, no matter which way you look at Him, is the Paradox of paradoxes. And that's perfectly fine with me. 

God bless, 

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Monday of the fourth week of Lent

Good evening, internet. Today began the Lenten struggle yet again. But today, it felt different. It was a struggle that I embraced wholeheartedly. Realizing that there is no magic formula, no brownie point you get for fasting, but simply spending extra time with the One who built the earth's foundation, is reward enough for me. As Holy Week draws closer and closer, so does the cross. The cross, which has become a universal sign for the Christian faith, didn't start out that way. But Jesus redefined the cross. And am I glad that He did. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Saturday of the fourth week of Lent

As I lay here writing this, I find myself reflecting on my Lenten journey thus far. Having reached the halfway point of this season, I realize the work God has done so far and will continue to do in this penitential season. With three weeks remaining until the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, I find myself being more and more directed toward the cross of Christ and finding relief and comfort in this cross. This cross, in a sense, becomes the new tree of life, and those who partake of its Fruit receive eternal life. These beautiful anti types are truly one of the most beautiful images in scripture. The fruit that Adam and Eve partook of brought death and sin to all, so the Fruit on the cross offer life and salvation to all. And with this I shall leave you tonight. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Friday of the fourth week of Lent

Good afternoon, Internet. Today marks 4 weeks until the end of my spring semester. It is so exciting, yet bittersweet. I have made many friends here and three and a half months away from them seems impossible for me to handle at the moment. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. Today also marks two weeks until Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday on April 13th. That will be quite a week for me, one that I am anticipating with utmost joy. This post will be short, but my thoughts today are short indeed.

In Christ,
Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Thursday of the fourth week of Lent

Good evening, Internet. Today has been a marvelous day. I wanted to share with you all a quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a great man of God. "Suffering must be borne, so that it will pass. Either the world must bear it and go down because of it, or it falls on Christ and is overcome in Him. So Christ suffers vicariously for the world. The Son of God bore our flesh, and for that reason He bore the cross; He bore all our sins and through His bearing achieved reconciliation. So too are disciples called to be bearers. Being a Christian consists in bearing." Christ has experienced suffering. This is something that brings nothing but hope to my life. When I stumble and experience temptation, Christ understands. Whenever I feel betrayed by a close friend, Christ understands. When I lose a loved one, Christ understands. Christ understands what makes humans human. And I'm sure He saw the fallen side of humanity during His sojourn here on this earth. He must have seen how brother can betray brother and friend defraud friend. He saw the absolute evil in people. But what blows my mind is that Christ, on the cross, took that evil He saw and placed it upon Himself. He died for those who didn't even give Him a second look. If you're a sinner like me, then do I have good news for you. You are exactly the person that Christ died for.

" For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19, ESV)


God Bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent

Good evening, internet. Today was a wonderful day all around. I learned some interesting things in my New Testament Survey class. I went to a midday Lent service and got to hear one of my pastor friends preach, so that was pretty sweet. And now I am in bed, ready to shut my eyes and sleep, thankful for all the Lord has given to me today. 

God bless,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Tuesday of the third week of Lent

Good evening, internet. Please forgive me for not updating you all these past three days. This weekend was extremely busy as well as yesterday. But I'm back now, and I am here to catch you all up. Saturday was a glorious day. I did absolutely nothing school-related, and hung out at the pool with some friends and then hung out with some more friends in the evening. Sunday was equally glorious, in which I went to church, heard a very good sermon, then hung out with my parents almost all afternoon since they came to visit me. Yesterday began the torture yet again as classes began with a boom. I've been meditating on Christ's temptation lately, and how He was able to resist it. Christ is the example for how humanity originally was supposed to be. It helps to have an example, but what's more is that Jesus understands me at all! In my theology class, we are discussing the various misunderstandings about the natures of Jesus. The fact that Jesus is both divine and human takes a huge burden off my shoulder. I don't have to do anything. Jesus has done it all for me. That, my friends, is good news indeed.

In Christ,
Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Friday of the third week of Lent

Good evening, internet. I am sitting outside of my campus coffeeshop while I am writing this. I wish you were here. There's a wonderful breeze here in Lakeland. It truly is beautiful, and just reminds me of the creativity of God in creation. I have recently discovered the wonderful world of Lutheran podcasts. There certainly are a plethora of good, sound doctrine and witty humor of Lutheran podcasters. (I'm actually listening to the Boars in the Vineyard podcast while I'm writing this!) I'll give some links to some of my favorite Lutheran podcasters. But today, I wanted to talk to you about something that I have been reflecting on this week of Lent: the crucifix. I have heard many objections about the use of a crucifix either in churches or for personal use in the home. One of the biggest objections is that because the Roman Catholic Church uses crucifixes, we shouldn't use them. I, as a Lutheran, cannot jump on that bandwagon. I actually thank the Roman church for many things. First of all, they preserved the historic liturgy of the Church. Second, they also preserved the ancient writings of the Church Fathers and some early Christians. Thirdly, they have shown me what a church should look like. Does the Roman church have some errors in their theology? Absolutely. But am I going to throw out something simply because it is used in the Roman Church? Of course not! The second objection I hear is "The cross is empty, so we shouldn't use the crucifix." I'm sorry, but this is not a good argument. If you're going to argue that because Jesus is not on the cross we should refrain from using crucifixes, then we have to apply that logic to our dear, dear nativity scenes with the infant Jesus because Jesus is not an infant anymore. The third argument used is that the use of a crucifix is contrary to one of the Ten Commandments. The only response I have to that is: context. The prohibition of graven images is affiliated with making graven images in order to worship them. No Lutheran that has a crucifix would ever worship it. We may be similar to our Catholic brothers and sisters, but there is a reason why we're Lutherans. I've probably bored you with this, but I feel like its something that needs to be addressed. If you have comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to email me or leave me a comment. In closing, I shall leave you with this image.
God bless,
Manny

Lenten Journey 2014: The Thursday of the third week of Lent

Good evening, internet. I'm sitting in bed reading Luther's Small Catechism on the Apostles' Creed. This part just stuck out to me: "All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true." I leave that with you tonight. 

God bless you,

Manny Tovar

Lenten Journey 2014: The Wednesday of the third week of Lent

I am a sinner. This is something that God has shown me many times as of late. I think that I'm not as bad as others. This is not true. I'm just as worse as that guy down the street being unfaithful to his wife. But that's not the end of the story. I'm just the kind of person that Christ died for. "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." (Romans 5:6-8) Simul iustus et peccator. Latin for "At the same time just and sinner." Martin Luther said that. I'm a sinner, but before God through the work of Christ I am a saint. It truly is a paradox. But that's usually how God works. Just look at the death of Jesus. The cross was meant to be an act of torture for victims. But the apostle John refers to the cross as the hour of Christ's glorification.

God bless,
Manny Tovar