Hern P Zenarosa
THIS Holy Thursday as most of us and the Christian world spend the day reflecting on the night that Jesus was betrayed, we think of Him having supper with His friends with bread and wine proclaiming, "Here is My body, and here is My blood: It will make you free," He paused, then said, "And when you do this, remember Me."
On that same night of Holy Thursday, Jesus the Savior freed His people from the shackles of the Pharaoh.
***
In Gethsemane where they went after the Last Supper, Jesus knelt and prayed, "My Father, My Father, help Me," He said, "Help me, I’m afraid."
Gethsemane, as you know, is the garden outside of Jerusalem, the scene of the agony and arrest of Jesus Christ; it is a place and occasion of great mental and spiritual suffering.
The Garden of Gethsemane was the convergent place for the early Christian pilgrims, the place where the faithful were accustomed to go to for prayer gatherings; it is today planted with olive trees that are thought of to be descendants those from the time of Jesus Christ.
***
Jesus was in that act of prayer when Judas stealthily appeared and with supreme air of wickedness approached and kissed Him.
In chains, the soldiers took Him before Pontius Pilate who was seated at his throne and as he looked at Jesus intently as if measuring Him, thunder of voices from the crowd broke the silence chanting, "He is dangerous! Dangerous! He must die!"
And Pilate, speaking in a particular way, screeched, "Crucify Him!"
***
Pontius Pilate at the time was the Roman governor of Judea under whom Jesus Christ suffered, and who eventually ordered His execution.
According to record, Pilate was a worldly man who knew what was right and wrong but who easily yielded to pressure; and yet he was also described as inflexible, merciless, and obstinate.
***
It is said that he would have, in fact, gladly acquitted Jesus but gave way, nonetheless, to the clamor of the crowd when he felt that his position was threatened.
Thus they whipped Him and pushed Him until blood oozed from all parts of His Holy body, made worse by the most painful wound on His shoulder caused, He Himself said, by the heavy cross He carried on the way to Calvary.
"He fell sometimes, carrying the cross cut from a heavy tree."
***
JUST BRIEFLY – I remember many years back when my wife would invoke familial affection and love to persuade me to go with her visiting churches – at least 7 – on Holy Thursday.
At first, to make her happy, I would succumb to her entreaties but after sometime it became a family tradition.
Now that she is abroad with our children and grandchildren, I thought I might forego the continuity of our church "visitation."
But the other day as I was preparing to go to Boracay with some friends, I got a reminder: Monina called up that she just came from St. Patrick Cathedral and she told me I might forget our Holy Thursday "precedents."
|
