Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of April 11, 2011!

Congratulations to Cy Cote!

Cy will receive a copy of Everyday Justice: 365 Reflections, a $14.75 value.

Everyday Justice
Author: Alan J. Talley, Scott Holsknecht

Everyday Justice brings the principles of Catholic social teaching to teens, whether they are using it as a companion for a social justice course, to broaden their personal understanding for justice issues, or as a reflection guide while they are on a service project. But more than that, it inspires them to respond to our Gospel call. Each day begins with a quote from the Scriptures, a Church document, or an advocate of justice and is followed by a reflection, a prayer, and a call to action.

Everyday Justice
ISBN: 978-0-88489-858-0, paper, 384 pages

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Convention and Expo

The 2011 National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Convention and Expo will be taking place later this month, April 26–28, in New Orleans. This annual event is a remarkable gathering of parish and school educators from across the country. Every year there are compelling keynote presenters, informative workshops, joyful celebrations, and a true sense of unity among men and women committed to sharing the Good News with young people.

I remember the first time I attended the NCEA convention (I was a campus minister at the time). It was an amazing experience to gather with thousands of people who were experiencing many of the same joys and struggles I was encountering in my ministry. Since then I have attended this convention eight times, and it is a gathering that I look forward to every year. If you have never attended, I encourage you to look into attending this gathering in the coming years.

Each year Saint Mary’s Press is present at the NCEA Convention and Expo, and this year is no exception. Saint Mary’s Press employees will be attending the NCEA convention to share our resources with educators, connect with those involved in ministry, and learn more about what is happening in parishes, schools, and our Church from the workshops, speakers, and attendees. If you will be attending the convention, we would love to have you stop by our booth and say "Hi." I personally would like to meet as many Servant Leader readers as possible and have you share with me what you would like to see in future issues.

Special Gift for Servant Leader Readers
I am excited to let you know that Saint Mary’s Press has a special offer at the NCEA convention this year for Servant Leader readers. The first five people who come to our booth with a copy of this issue of the Servant Leader will receive a free Kindle e-book reader. In addition to the five Kindles, we will have a special gift for anyone else who stops by the booth with a copy of this issue of the Servant Leader. So if you are going to the NCEA convention this year, print this issue of the Servant Leader and get to the Saint Mary’s Press booth as quickly as you can. I look forward to seeing some of you in New Orleans, and as always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

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Bible Reflections for Teens
From Good News Day by Day

Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:23–24)

All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God— every single one of us. Nevertheless we are blessed by God’s love and salvation through Jesus Christ. This is quite amazing when you think about it. We have not earned God’s love. Through sin we have done quite the opposite. We have been given salvation anyway, an unwarranted gift of God’s love. That’s something we should be thankful for every single day.

God of all life, I know that I am a sinner, and yet you still love me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

For more: Read Psalm 51, the prayer of a sinner.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
(1 Corinthians 12:7)

To each is given their own special gifts. What gifts do your friends have that you don’t have? How about your parents, your teachers, or even those people you don’t particularly like? Have you personally benefited or grown from the gifts of others? Are groups that you belong to better because of some of those gifts? We are all given specific gifts to use for the common good. How have you grown from someone else sharing their gifts?

Giver of all gifts, may I be grateful for the special gifts that other people have been given, and for the contributions they have made to my life.

For more: Read all of the twelfth chapter of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
(1 Samuel 16:7)

Think about first impressions. They’re based mainly on appearance, aren’t they? We often judge others initially by how they look. How many times have you formed a false impression of someone? How many people have you written off because you didn’t like what you saw?

O God, it is so good to know that you go deeper than our outward appearance. Our society places so much value on what we look like. You focus on what is in our hearts. Keep our hearts close to you.

For more: To learn more about how God chose David, see First Samuel, chapter 16.

Palm Sunday
April 17, 2011
Matthew 26:14-27:66

Opening Prayer
Jesus, you freely chose to do the will of the Father, even though it led to death on a cross. We are grateful for your sacrifice because you have restored our relationship with the loving Father. Help us freely choose to do the will of God in our lives. Amen.

Context Connection
The Gospel for this Sunday is the story of Jesus's last meal with his disciples and his betrayal, Passion, and death. Therefore, Palm Sunday is sometimes called Passion Sunday. The Passion of Jesus is one of the oldest Christian traditions preserved for us in Paul's writings. Paul writes that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. Christ first appears to Peter and then to the other Apostles. Paul's account does not include many details about the actual suffering and death of Jesus. In fact, Paul's emphasis is on the Resurrection appearances of Jesus. (See 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.) Paul's audience--first-generation Christians--would have known the story of Jesus's suffering and death firsthand. However, by the time the Gospels were written, the Christian community had a great desire to know more about the succession of events that led up to the Resurrection--beginning with the Last Supper and ending with the burial of Jesus. Thus, the Gospel writers developed the elaborate narrative of Jesus's arrest, Passion, and death to preserve the details for future generations.

Christians today must remember that the event that strengthened the faith of Jesus's followers was the Resurrection. The Resurrection was the central and primary focus for the first followers of Christ. It was proof that Jesus really was the Son of God--the Messiah. The Passion story, as we know it, evolved much later. It is important not to lose sight of the Resurrection as the primary focus of Christianity. The Passion story naturally evolved to Jesus's Resurrection; however, overemphasizing and dwelling on the Passion of Jesus distorts the truth that the early disciples discovered in the Resurrection.

Throughout his Gospel, Matthew sees Jesus and the events in Jesus's life as fulfilling the Mosaic Covenant. This is evident in Matthew's Passion narrative. Judas, the one to betray Jesus, negotiates a fee of thirty pieces of silver for his services. In Zechariah, this is the sum of a shepherd's wage: "So they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver. Then the LORD said to me, 'Throw it into the treasury'--this lordly price at which I was valued by them" (11:12-13). In Matthew's narrative, Jesus tells his small group of Apostles that their faith will be shaken that very night and they will scatter. This fulfills verse 7 in chapter 13 of Zechariah: "Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered." After Jesus's arrest, the Apostles scatter and desert Jesus. On the cross, Jesus is offered wine mixed with gall. This fulfills verse 21 in Psalm 69: "And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." The division of Jesus's garments (27:35) is directly linked to verse 18 in Psalm 22: "They divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." The darkness that occurs from noon until three in the afternoon (27:45) relates to verse 9 of chapter 8 in Amos: "On that day, says the Lord GOD, I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight." For Matthew, Jesus remains the righteous sufferer on the cross until the end. Jesus's last words are taken from Psalm 22, a psalm that is a plea for deliverance from suffering: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (1). The psalmist expresses not only intense feelings of abandonment but also total trust in the faithfulness of God: "For [God] did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him" (22:24).

The Gospel of Matthew provides additional background on the death of Jesus. Pilate was the military governor of Judea during the time of Jesus's Passion. His headquarters was in Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea, but for the feast of Passover he was in Jerusalem to swiftly suppress any riot or insurrection that might occur. Only Matthew records the story of Pilate's wife's dream: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him" (27:19). Pilate's gesture of releasing a prisoner at the time of this festival is recorded only in the Gospels. It is not found in any other historical document. In verse 47, Matthew has those witnessing the Crucifixion saying, "This man [Jesus] is calling for Elijah." In Jewish tradition the prophet Elijah was considered a helper to people in distress. The bystanders use this to mock Jesus: "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him" (49). According to Matthew, three groups insult Jesus on the cross: (1) those who are passing by; (2) the chief priests, elders, and scribes; and (3) the two robbers crucified with Jesus. (The story of the repentant thief is found only in Luke.) This taunting fulfills verses 7-8 in Psalm 22: "All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; 'Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver--let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"

Matthew's Gospel stresses that Jesus really did die to emphasize the great miracle of the Resurrection. (See Matthew 27:57-66.) In Matthew, Joseph from Arimathea goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus. Pilate would not have released the corpse unless he had evidence that Jesus was dead. Likewise, Joseph would not have prepared the body in burial clothes and placed the corpse in a tomb unless Jesus was dead. The burial was not done in secret because "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb" (61). This also proves that the women did not go to the wrong tomb on Easter morning. In addition, the Pharisees and chief priests ask Pilate to post soldiers at the tomb so the disciples would not be able to steal the corpse and proclaim that he had risen. Pilate refuses their request but tells them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make [the tomb] as secure as you can" (65). Matthew ends his burial account with the Pharisees, chief priests, and the guards sealing the tomb with a stone. Matthew's account affirms that Jesus really had died and that the location of his tomb was known by many people.

Tradition Connection
Matthew's account of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane presents Jesus as the obedient Son of God, who accepts God's will that he must suffer and die. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "The sacrifice of Jesus 'for the sins of the whole world'1 expresses his loving communion with the Father. 'The Father loves me, because I lay down my life,' said the Lord, '[for] I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father'"2 (paragraph 606). Out of complete love for the Father, Jesus is able to do God's will and accept death on the cross--gaining salvation for all humankind: "The Paschal mystery of Christ's cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News that the apostles, and the Church following them, are to proclaim to the world. God's saving plan was accomplished 'once for all'3 by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ" (Catechism, paragraph 571).

The work of redemption through Jesus is possible because Jesus freely accepts God's plan for redemption; although, initially, the dialogue between Jesus and God the Father in the Garden indicates that Jesus would rather see this cup pass him by. Ultimately Jesus realizes that he is in the world to do the will of the Father: "Yet not what I want but what you want" (26:39). Jesus's acceptance of God's will is motivated by love:
By embracing in his human heart the Father's love for men, Jesus "loved them to the end," for "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."4 In suffering and death his humanity became the free and perfect instrument of his divine love which desires the salvation of men.5 Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death (Catechism, paragraph 609).
Jesus's death on the cross ushered in the New Covenant between God and humankind--a covenant born out of love and sacrifice:
Christ's death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,"6 and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the "blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."7(Catechism, paragraph 613)

Wisdom Connection
"Peter said to [Jesus], 'Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.' Jesus said to him, 'Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' Peter said to him, 'Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.' And so said all the disciples" (Matthew 26:33-35).

And when it came time for Peter to prove himself, he denied Jesus three times. Peter's cowardice under pressure stands in sharp contrast with Jesus's faithfulness to God the Father unto death. The drama of Peter's denial moves from his denying to a servant girl being seen with Jesus, to his denying to a crowd of bystanders that he knows Jesus, to his swearing on oath that he does not know Jesus. Peter's denial stands in contrast to two other Lenten readings--the woman at the well and the man born blind. Both of these individuals grew from having no knowledge of Jesus to proclaiming that he is the Messiah. Earlier in Matthew's Gospel, Peter proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah and then later denies even knowing who Jesus is. Early Christian communities were faced with persecution and death. When individual members where confronted about their faith in Jesus, even the strongest ones did the same thing as Peter--they tried to distance themselves from Jesus. Matthew wants these people to know that they can ask forgiveness and be reconciled just as Peter was. Peter's remorse is in contrast to Judas, who felt he could not be forgiven for betraying Jesus and committed suicide: "Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: 'Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly" (26:75).

Are there situations today where you deny knowing Jesus because it is safer?

Acknowledgments
The scriptural quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition. Copyright © 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The quotations labeled Catechism are from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

The Lord's Prayer is taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Copyright © 1988 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Endnotes Cited in Quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1. 1 John 2:2.
2. John 10:17; 14:31.
3. Hebrews 9:26.
4. John 13:1; 15:13.
5. Cf. Hebrews 2:10,17-18; 4:15; 5:7-9.
6. John 1:29; cf. 8:34-36; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19.
7. Matthew 26:28; cf. Exodus 24:8; Leviticus 16:15-16; 1 Corinthians 11:25.

Blessed Cesar de Bus

April 15 is the memorial for Blessed Cesar de Bus.

As a young man, Cesar de Bus lived a frivolous and wild life. After a dramatic conversion experience, he devoted his life to God and was ordained in 1582. He looked to the example of Saint Charles Borromeo for guidance on how to live his life. He especially embraced Saint Charles Borromeo’s devotion to catechesis. Today, Blessed Cesar de Bus is recognized as one of the patrons for catechists.

For more information about Blessed Cesar de Bus, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saintc3m.htm.