FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT

First Reading Isaiah 52:13-53:12

 The servant of the Lord, an expiatory Sacrifice

See, my servant will prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights. As the crowds were appalled on seeing him – so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human – so will the crowds be astonished at him, and kings stand speechless before him; for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before:

 

‘Who could believe what we have heard, and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’ Like a sapling he grew up in front of us, like a root in arid ground. Without beauty, without majesty we saw him, no looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces; he was despised and we took no account of him. And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low. Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.

 

On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and the Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us. Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers never opening its mouth. By force and by law he was taken; would anyone plead his cause? Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living; for our faults struck down in death. They gave him a grave with the wicked, a tomb with the rich, though he had done no wrong and there had been no perjury in his mouth.

The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering. If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life and through him what the Lord wishes will be done. His soul’s anguish over he shall see the light and be content. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself. Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner, while he was bearing the faults of many and praying all the time for sinners.

  

Responsorial Psalm

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit

 

Second Reading    Hebrew 4:14-16,5:7-9

The Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

 

Gospel   John 18-1-19,42

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ

Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.

N. Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,

  ✠ Who are you looking for?

  N. They answered,

  C. Jesus the Nazarene.

  N. He said,

  ✠ I am he.

  N. Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and         fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,

  ✠ Who are you looking for?

  N. They said,

  C. Jesus the Nazarene.

  N. Jesus replied,

  ✠ I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.........

Man of sorrows

My prayer: My merciful Father in heaven, you sent your Son Jesus Christ into the world to die as a ransom and attonement for our sins. Father looking at our world today, your creatures seems not to realize the depth of your love.  Our acations from creation to date reflects the evil in our world. So much killings, so much strive, so much hatred in our world. 

Loving  Father, merciful God, you so much love us, and you never gave up on humanity. Thank you Father for you are full of compassion and mercy. 

My Saviour and my Lord Jesus Christ, often I fall. Have mercy on me a sinner. Thank you for your sacrifice in attonement for my sins.  Thank you for delivering me from evil powers and forces of  darkness for you are my light and salvation.  Thank you for saving me from death and eternal damnation. Thank you for loving me. 

Heavenly Father take all the glory through Jesus Christ our Lord your one and only begotten Son. Accept loving Father my thanksgiving, my worship and my adoration for great it thy mercy, great is thy faithfulness Father.  May the passion and death of Christ be my true and sincere conversion.  

Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you.  Mary mother of Christ Queen of Sorrow pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me.