March 29 – GOOD FRIDAY – Passion of the Lord

The Word of the Lord (John 18, 1- 19, 42) – THE PASSION OF THE LORD

– They captured Jesus and tied him
At that time, Jesus went out with his disciples beyond the Kidron stream, where there was a garden, which he entered with his disciples. Even Judas, the traitor, knew that place, because Jesus had often found himself there with his disciples. Judas therefore went there, after having taken a group of soldiers and some guards provided by the chief priests and the Pharisees, with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus then, knowing everything that was to happen to him, came forward and said to them: “Who are you looking for?”. They answered him: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them: “It is I!”. Judas, the traitor, was also with them. As soon as he said to them, “It’s me,” they backed away and fell to the ground. He asked them again: “Who are you looking for?” They replied: “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied: «I told you: it is I. If therefore you are looking for me, let these go away”, so that the word he had said might be fulfilled: “I have not lost any of those you gave me”. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, took it out and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. That servant was called Malchus. Jesus then said to Peter: «Put the sword back into its sheath: shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?».

– They took him first to Anna
Then the soldiers, with the commander and the guards of the Jews, captured Jesus, tied him and took him first to Annas: in fact he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews: “It is fitting that only one man should die for the people.”

Meanwhile Simon Peter followed Jesus together with another disciple. This disciple was known to the high priest and entered the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Pietro instead stopped outside, near the door. Then that other disciple, known to the high priest, went back out, spoke to the doorkeeper and let Peter in. And the young doorkeeper said to Peter: “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” He replied, “I am not.” Meanwhile the servants and guards had lit a fire, because it was cold, and were warming themselves; Peter also stayed with them and warmed himself.

The high priest, therefore, questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him: «I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews gather, and I have never said anything in secret. Why are you questioning me? Question those who heard what I said to them; behold, they know what I said.” As soon as he said this, one of the guards present gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying: “Do you answer the high priest like this?”. Jesus answered him: «If I have spoken badly, show me where the evil is. But if I spoke well, why do you strike me?”. Then Annas sent him, with his hands tied, to Caiaphas, the high priest.

-Aren’t you also one of his disciples? I’m not!
Meanwhile Simon Pietro was there warming himself. They said to him, “Are you not also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” But one of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said: “Did I not see you with him in the garden?” Peter denied again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

– My kingdom is not of this world
They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas into the praetorium. It was dawn and they did not want to enter the praetorium, so as not to contaminate themselves and be able to eat Easter. Pilate then went out to them and asked: “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Then Pilate said to them: “Take him and judge him according to your law!”. The Jews answered him: “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.” Thus the words that Jesus had said were fulfilled, indicating the kind of death he was to die.

Pilate then returned to the praetorium, called Jesus and said to him: “Are you the king of the Jews?”. Jesus replied: “Do you say this on your own, or have others told you about me?”. Pilate said: «Am I a Jew? Your people and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”. Jesus answered: «My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought so that I was not handed over to the Jews; but my kingdom is not from down here.” Then Pilate said to him: “So you are king?”. Jesus replied: «You say it: I am a king. This is why I was born and this is why I came into the world: to bear witness to the truth. Whoever is of the truth, listen to my voice.” Pilate says to him: “What is truth?”.

And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them: «I find no fault in him. There is a custom among you that, on the occasion of the Passover, I release someone for you: do you therefore want me to release the king of the Jews for you? Then they shouted again: “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a brigand.

– Hail, King of the Jews!
Then Pilate had Jesus taken and flogged. And the soldiers, having woven a crown of thorns, placed it on his head and put a purple cloak on him. Then they approached him and said: «Greetings, King of the Jews!». And they gave him slaps.

Pilate went out again and said to them: “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And Pilate said to them: “Behold the man!”.

When the chief priests and the guards saw him, they shouted: «Crucify him! Crucify him! Pilate said to them: «Take him and crucify him; I find no fault in him.” The Jews replied to him: “We have a Law and according to the Law he must die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Upon hearing these words, Pilate was even more afraid. He entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus: «Where are you from?». But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate then said to him: «Aren’t you speaking to me? Don’t you know that I have the power to set you free and the power to crucify you?”. Jesus answered him: “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason, whoever handed me over to you has a greater sin.”

– Street! Street! Crucify him!
From that moment Pilate tried to set him free. But the Jews shouted: «If you free this man, you are not Caesar’s friend! Whoever makes himself king goes against Caesar.” Having heard these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out and sat in court, in the place called Litòstroto, in Hebrew Gabbatà. It was Easter Easter Eve, around midday. Pilate said to the Jews: “Behold your king!”. But they shouted: «Away! Street! Crucify him! Pilate said to them: “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests replied: “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

– They crucified him and two others with him
They took Jesus and he, carrying the cross, went towards the place called the Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha, where they crucified him and with him two others, one on one side and one on the other, and Jesus in the middle. Pilate also composed the inscription and had it placed on the cross; it was written: “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.” Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate: «Do not write: “The king of the Jews”, but: “This man said: I am the king of the Jews”». Pilate replied: “What I have written, I have written.”

– They divided my clothes among themselves
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his clothes, made them into four parts – one for each soldier – and the tunic. But that tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. Therefore they said to each other, “Let us not tear it up, but let us cast lots whose turn it will be.” Thus the Scripture was fulfilled, which says: “They divided my clothes among themselves and cast lots on my tunic.” And the soldiers did so.

– Here is your son! Here’s your mother!
They stood near the cross of Jesus, his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary, mother of Cleopas, and Mary of Magdala. Jesus then, seeing her mother and the disciple whom he loved next to her, said to her mother: “Woman, here is your son!”. Then he said to the disciple: “Here is your mother!”. And from that hour the disciple welcomed her with him.
After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said: “I am thirsty.” There was a jar full of vinegar there; they therefore placed a sponge, soaked in vinegar, on the top of a reed and held it to his mouth. After taking the vinegar, Jesus said: “It is finished!”. And, bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

(Here he kneels and takes a short pause)

– And immediately blood and water came out
It was the day of Parascève and the Jews, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath – that Sabbath was in fact a solemn day – asked Pilate to have their legs broken and taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of one and the other who had been crucified with him. However, when they came to Jesus, seeing that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers hit his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. He who has seen bears witness, and his testimony is true; he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you too may believe. In fact, this happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not a bone of his will be broken.” And another passage of Scripture says: “They will look at him whom they have pierced.”

– They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in cloths together with spices
After these events Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate granted it. Then he went and took the body of Jesus. Nicodemus – the one who had previously come to him at night – also went and brought about thirty kilos of a mixture of myrrh and aloe. They then took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in cloths, together with spices, as the Jews used to do to prepare for burial. Now, in the place where he had been crucified, there was a garden and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been placed. There therefore, since it was the day of the Jews’ Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus.