RBWords

     One of the great scriptural features of Holy Week may be found in the first scripture for the first three days.  These scriptures are taken from the Book of Isaiah, the prophet, and are known as the "songs of the Suffering Servant."  There will be one ore on Good Friday that is so eerily descriptive of the sufferings of Christ that one is left wondering about Isaiah!  Scripture scholars argue about who Isaiah originally had in mind since the prophecies date to hundreds of years before Jesus' time, but the early Christian community had no doubt about who the figure is, and found Jesus to be the fulfillment of the description!  The gospel scripture for today is so vivid that Isaiah might slip past us.  After all, it is not every day that we get invited to a banquet with someone who has been raised from the dead!  The anointing and the comments by Judas and Jesus' reply are more than enough material for reflection!

     Yet, the notion of a "suffering servant" is powerful.  It provides a "lens" through which we can view all of Holy Week.  Why not read all four of them - Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri - now and then again individually.  All the rest of Holy Week will take on a very different dimension than if we simply went from one scene to another.  Notice that the line I quoted above has appeared in the gospels at Jesus' baptism and at the "transfiguration!"  The power and riches of Holy Week await us all if we but make a little effort!  AMEN