As we find ourselves confronting that hideous and blessed reality of Our Lord’s passion, we should begin to place ourselves into a deeper realization of what Passiontide is about.
We are but one week away from Holy Thursday, the day upon which Our Lord gave us Himself in the Blessed Sacrament, the day upon which He gave us the priesthood, and the day upon which He was betrayed by Judas, one of his chosen Apostles. Our Lord does not prevent evil from happening to us or to Him, for if He were to intervene in every matter, He would strip us of our free will, which is the source of the sweetest discovery of God. Judas was chosen by God, elevated to his position by His divine will. However, Judas betrayed God, leading Him to that bloody death on the cross, re-enacted each and every day, upon every altar. Evil can be found everywhere, for the Evil One, the Prince of Darkness, uses our human weaknesses to attack us, weaknesses that destroy us and the Church. However, evil cannot win, for just three days after its absolute triumph, Jesus rose from the dead and ransomed our souls.
Sin and corruption are here, yes, but they are fleeting. Our Lord will not permit sin and iniquity to reign in His stead and in His name.
Below is the opening of Bach’s masterful St. Matthew Passion, the translation of which is below the video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgurNJLivG0]
|German:
Kommt, ihr T?chter, helft mir klagen,
Sehet – Wen? – den Br?utigam,
Seht ihn – Wie? – als wie ein Lamm!
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
Am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet,
Sehet, – Was? – seht die Geduld,
Allzeit erfunden geduldig,
Wiewohl du warest verachtet.
Seht – Wohin? – auf unsre Schuld;
All S?nd hast du getragen,
Sonst m??ten wir verzagen.
Sehet ihn aus Lieb und Huld
Holz zum Kreuze selber tragen!
Erbarm dich unser, o Jesu !
English:
Come, ye daughters, share my mourning,
See ye —(Faithful) whom? — (Zion, et sim.) the bridegroom there,
See him — how? — just like a lamb!
O Lamb of God, unspotted
Upon the cross’s branch slaughtered,
See ye, — what? — see him forbear,
Alway displayed in thy patience,
How greatly wast thou despis?d.
Look — where, then? — upon our guilt;
All sin hast thou borne for us,
Else we had lost all courage.
See how he with love and grace
Wood as cross himself now beareth!
Have mercy on us, O Jesus!
You picked just the right boychoir for this, God Bless you!