As we get ready to begin the Triduum of liturgies tomorrow during Holy Week, we hear from the prophet Isaiah as he foreshadows what Jesus is to endure in his passion. Jesus made his way to the cross not by rebelling, not by turning his back. As Isaiah foreshadows, he does not give his back to those who beat him. He does not shield himself from the indignities that are heaped upon him.
Yet, Isaiah states, “The Lord God is my help – therefore I am not disgraced.” Even though Jesus was treated disgracefully during his passion, even though they tried to shame in every way, Jesus, in reality, was not disgraced due to his relationship with God. God’s reality is different from what we see on the surface. God brings grace and dignity to our lives, most especially to the moments of struggle and suffering.
God identifies with the poor, the abandoned, and those that suffer. Pope Francis has exemplified this often in his Holy Thursday liturgies as pope by visiting a prison and washing the feet of the prisoners.
God the Father did not abandon Jesus. God did not abandon the martyrs who died for our faith. In the midst of our suffering and struggles, in the midst of our daily reality, God does not abandon us. God is there.
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