Man of sorrows and familiar with suffering
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 Hebrews 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.
THE PASSION Of OUR LORD'
The Beauty of our Faith: Thank you Lord Jesus. Jesus I trust in you. Father in heaven I thank you for your Son Jesus Christ.Thank you Father for your mercy, compassion and faithfulness. Father I love you. Jesus I love. Mother, Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. Angels of God pray for me. Saints of God pray for me. My Angel Guardian pray for me.
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