Yesterday, I traveled to Jackson to
attend the Chrism mass with others from the different parishes of Deanery 5 in
Northeast Mississippi. The Chrism Mass
takes place in the Cathedral of each Diocese in the Catholic Church, reminding
us of our oneness in Christ through Baptism and its holy anointing, made
possible by the ministry of the Bishop and his priests. The Chrism mass is also
a key moment in which the unity of the Bishop with his priests is manifested
and renewed. During the Chrism mass liturgy, the entire assembly is called to
renew its baptismal promises. Along with
the other deacons and priests of our diocese, I renewed my vow of obedience to
Bishop Kopacz and I renewed my commitment to serve God’s people here in St
James and in our diocese.
As I renewed my promise of obedience
last night, I thought about how many aspects of our lives concern making
choices, for renewing my obedience to the bishop was indeed a choice. There are good choices we can make, choices
that bring us closer to God. Then, there
are choices that take us away from God, choices that are like rocks that build
up in our pockets and weigh us down.
In today's Gospel, we hear how Judas
betrayed Jesus, how he shared the meal with Jesus and the rest of his disciples
in celebration of the Jewish holidays, while at the same time knowing in his heart
that he would deliver Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill
him. Judas is an example of choosing to
go down the wrong road and abandoning our faith.
Then we have Jesus, the Son of God, who
could have demanded that people serve him. But Jesus came to serve others, not
to be served. Tomorrow, on Holy
Thursday, we will remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, an
action usually performed by a slave or a servant for a guest who had just come
in from the dirty streets. Jesus came to
serve and to help others, which is so different from the attitude that Judas
had, how he would betray his friend for his own personal gain.
As we observe Holy Week this week, let
us remember all those things we need to get rid of so that we will be more like
Jesus, who came to serve, and less like Judas, who betrayed Jesus and thought
of his own gain.
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