Introduction to Lamentations[1]
Why Should I Care?
march 25 Palm Sunday
Lamentations,
Chapter 3, Verse 57
You
drew near on the day I called you; you said, “Do not fear!”
This chapter[2]
is focused less on the destruction of Jerusalem and more on the suffering of an
individual. The identity of the individual is never given. The figure of the sufferer
makes concrete the pain of the people and gives way to a communal voice to
suffering.
·
The
Poet has seen all this awful stuff with his own eyes. He's personally
experienced it, too. We sense he's speaking on behalf of all Judah.
·
Trust
us. The Poet knows what God's wrath is. God has abandoned him in times of
trouble and left him to find his way out in the dark. God has also filled the Poet's heart with
bitterness and then trapped him there like a prisoner.
·
The
Poet cried out for God to help him, but the Big Guy wouldn't listen. God
ignored his prayer requests and returned all his fan mail, too. Stone cold.
·
God
was like a lion pacing outside of the Poet's prison cell. He was just waiting
to tear the Poet to pieces as soon as he stuck his head out. Or maybe he was
like an archer just itching to use the Poet as target practice. The poor Poet!
Poor Jerusalem!
Keeping the Faith
·
But
even in all this misery and horribleness, the Poet doesn't lose heart. Really? Yup.
He just remembers one really important thing—God can't stay mad at him forever.
That's right. God is loving. God is merciful. So, at some point he's gonna have
to come around and start helping the Poet again, right? Every morning the Poet
wakes up is a chance for him to renew his relationship with God. If he has
patience, God will be good to him in the end.
·
And
if in the meantime God asks him to go through a couple of trials (like watching
his city be destroyed, his friends and family murdered, and his children starve
to death) then he'll deal with it. Sure, God causes all kinds of trouble for
people, but he's also compassionate.
·
And
in any case, it's not like God enjoys making all this bad stuff happen. His
heart's just not in it. When there's evil stuff happening in the world—God sees
it and takes copious notes for later. But no one can do anything—good or
bad—unless God says it's okay. Everything comes from God. You can't complain
when God is just giving you what you deserve, right?
·
That's
why the people of Judah need to take a good look at themselves and return to
God. They were sinful and disobedient, so he got angry and destroyed them. He
ignored their prayers, left them for dead, and watched as their enemies crushed
them. Note: this is not an overreaction. Judah's enemies have hunted him down
and captured him for no good reason. But luckily, when he complained to God
about it, God heard him.
·
God
told the Poet not to be afraid. He said he would help him and make things
better. Now, all the Poet wants is for God to right the wrongs that have been
done to him. God saw all the horrible things these enemies have done. Now, all
he has to do is smite the heck out of them. It's payback time, God. Get angry.
Curse them. Destroy the Poet's enemies because they've done so many awful
things. Come on. You know you want to. They never were your special people.
“Behold, the eye of
the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, to
deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine.” (Ps.
33:18-19)
Everyone deserves to experience some unconditional
love and many go to great lengths to find it and do not. We were created for
love but not earthly love. Earthly love is but a foretaste of the love God has
for you. Today love someone with no conditions; just love them. For love alone
holds the secret to life. There is hope in the midst of calamity.
"To
love someone is to desire that person's good, AND to take effective steps to
secure it"-
Benedict XVI'
Christ's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the
account of His Passion according to St. Matthew.
Why is this day
called Palm Sunday?
1. In memory of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem,
when He was received by the devout people with palms.
2. Because the Church to-day blesses palms, with
which a solemn procession is held.
Why are the palms
blessed?
1. To protect in body and soul those who carry them
with devotion.
2. To bless the dwellings into which the palms are brought.
3. To bring before us how God, by the entrance into
Jerusalem with palms, has represented the victory of Jesus over the prince of
darkness. Our Savior says, “O Lord, remove not Thy help to a distance from me,
look towards my defense, save me from the lion’s mouth, and my lowness from the
horn of the unicorn. O God, my God, look upon me; why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my salvation are the words of my sin.” (Ps. xxi.)
Why did Jesus enter
with so much solemnity into Jerusalem? To present Himself as the promised Messiah and King
of the Jews, Whose triumphant entry into Jerusalem the prophet Zachariah had
predicted.
Why did the people
go to meet Jesus with palms in their hands? It was done by a divine inspiration, to show that
Jesus, as the victor over death, Satan, and hell, would gain for us the palm of
peace with God, our neighbor, and ourselves, and that He would open to us the
heavenly Jerusalem. And yet these same people, five days later, desired His
death, crying out, “Crucify Him!” Learn, therefore, to confide in God alone,
and not in man for he who is with you today may be against you tomorrow. Be
cautious, therefore, and watchful, lest, imitating the changeableness of the
people, you at Easter receive your Savior with joy, and then after a little by
new sins crucify Him again (Heb. vi. 6).
Prayer
O almighty and eternal God, Who wouldst have Our
Savior take flesh and undergo the cross, for man to imitate the example of His
humility, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may both deserve the instruction of
His patience and the fellowship of His resurrection. Through the same Jesus
Christ, etc.
·
WHY is this week
called holy week? It
is because during this week we celebrate the most important mysteries of our
religion with touching and holy ceremonies.
·
How should we spend this week? According to the
intention of the Church, by meditating on the sufferings and death of Our
Savior, by fasting more strictly, by praying often and devoutly, and leading a
holy life.
Daily Devotions
·
Manhood of
the Master-Day 1 week 9
·
Do
60 min. in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
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