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The Catholic Family Connections Bible
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by Joanna Dailey

Winter/spring weather is hard on birds. This came to my attention via a video from last year created from a video-cam based at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. A pair of hawks (Big Red the mother and Ezra the father) made a nest and were sitting on eggs in the midst of snow, hail, ice, and rain—known to most weathercasters as "wintry mix."

(The 2013 video is typical of weather conditions and instructive! If you would like to see this video, backed by music, you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xajeASw80kU. The current 24-hour live cam is at http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/16/Red-tailed_Hawks/ The weather conditions are not much different this year!)

Wintry mix is hard on birds, especially birds in the northern hemisphere. We can assume that the birds Jesus saw and used as a metaphor for trust in our heavenly Father were native birds of the Middle East, and never had to contend with wintry mix. But they might have had other environmental obstacles to contend with—duststorms, perhaps.

What is unique in the video is that the male bird, Ezra, is protecting the mother bird, Big Red, from the worst of the weather. The fact that he is the smaller of the pair does not prevent him from sitting on top of Big Red’s head so that the ice and snow cannot touch her eyes or face, where protective feathers are few. (You can see the moisture glistening on her back feathers, hopefully thick and waterproof!) He may also be acting as a natural heating pad for Big Red, since it looks like she is surrounded by a nest of ice. Near the end of the video, one can see Ezra calmly picking out the hailstones from her feathers! Veteran birders commenting on the site remarked at this unusual evidence of compassion on the part of a bird.

And even if it is a simple acting-out of the survival instinct (if mom does not survive, neither will the eggs), it is still a touching tribute to the deep instinct we find in animals and in ourselves: the instinct to protect the ones we love.

In mid-Lent, we may be suffering through our own "wintry mix." What started out as a six-week plan for growth in devotion and in faith may now seem like a slog through icy winds and hail. Our hearts, too, may seem like they are surrounded by a nest of ice. Who is protecting us? Who is keeping the wintry mix from overwhelming us?

We can find an answer suggested in the words of Jesus: "Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?" (Matthew 6:26, NABRE).

We can also recall that Jesus compared himself to a sheltering bird (this time a mother hen) when he sat on a mountaintop and surveyed the city of Jerusalem below him:

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! . . . How many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!" (Matthew 23:37, NABRE).

We can wonder if Jesus was, in the back of his mind, thinking of a particular psalm in his consideration of the birds of the air. It is a psalm sung at Compline (the last hour of the day in the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours). These are a few of the verses from Psalm 91:

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,

Who abide in the shade of the Almighty,

Say to the Lord, "My refuge and fortress,

My God in whom I trust."

He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,

From the destroying plague,

He will shelter you with his pinions,

And under his wings you may take refuge.

His faithfulness is a protecting shield.

(Psalm 91: 1–4, NABRE)

The comparison is obvious. God is our sheltering bird, with protective wings, shielding us from every wintry mix that comes our way. We may feel the wind and the hail, but we will not be permanently harmed by the storm. Our hearts can feel surrounded by ice, but they will go on beating until the Creator brings us home. How beautiful it is, that God has left traces of himself in all of his creatures—traces through which, with the eyes of faith, we can discern the depth of God’s love and care for each of us. God protects the ones he loves.

Thank you, Cornell Lab, for hosting this live cam of a remarkable bird-pair. Thank you, Big Red and Ezra, for being such good examples to us, for bearing so faithfully the traces of your Creator.

And we can all be grateful, on behalf of Big Red and Ezra, that the weather report for Ithaca, New York, will be in the fifties this coming week (March 31, as of this writing) and the temperatures will be even warmer by the time you read this. Thank you, God, for sun and spring!

Blessings on your ministry!

Peace and joy,

Joanna

Overview
This retreat covers the entire Triduum, but you may find sections of it that will be helpful in the remaining weeks of Lent. It is designed as a one-day experience, but it can also be used as an overnight event. The retreat plan includes creative, active, and reflective activities and stories from the Scriptures to recall the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

Suggested Time
This retreat will take between 4 1/2 and 6 hours with breaks. It can be extended to an overnight experience by using some of the alternative approaches.

Group Size
This retreat is most effective with groups of 20 or fewer. However, it can be done with any number of young people, divided into small groups, each led by an older teen or adult.

Special Considerations
This retreat is best used on the day of the Easter Vigil, or at least during the period of the Triduum. However, it can be effective at any time during the season of Lent. Also, because of the serious, reflective nature of the event, it will be most effective with young teens at the higher end of the age range, such as seventh and eighth graders.

Click here to download the entire retreat "By His Cross and Resurrection: A Retreat on Triduum Themes". This retreat is an excerpt from the book Retreat Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens by Saint Mary's Press.

Palm Sunday
April 13, 2014
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' 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' 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' arrest, Passion, and death to preserve the details for future generations.

Christians today must remember that the event that strengthened the faith of Jesus' 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' 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' life as fulfilling the Mosaic Covenant. This is evident in Matthew's Passion narrative. Judas, the one to betray Jesus, negotiates a fee of 30 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' 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' 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' 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' 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' 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).

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 Jesus' 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' 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.

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.

The Mass of Easter Sunday
April 20, 2014
John 20:1-9

Opening Prayer

Jesus, your empty tomb on the first Easter morning was a challenge of faith to some of your disciples. But John, your beloved disciple, saw and believed. Help us to believe in you in the same way as John, who believed even though he had not seen your resurrected body. Amen.

Context Connection
The Easter Sunday morning Gospel is focused on the empty tomb and the reaction of three followers: Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the beloved disciple. The Gospel says this all occurred on the "first day of the week" (20:1), perhaps to express the beginning of something new. Mary Magdalene is alone when she discovers the stone has been removed from Jesus' tomb. She does not go closer to examine what happened; rather she runs to tell "Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved" (20:2). When she finds them, she proclaims to the two disciples, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him" (20:2). Mary makes this assumption based on what she saw and her lack of understanding of the Resurrection that Jesus spoke about.

Peter and the other disciple run to Jesus' tomb. The other disciple arrives first, but waits for Peter before entering. They must have expected to see a tomb in disarray based on Mary's assumption that robbers had come and stolen Jesus' body. When Peter arrives, he goes directly into the tomb. He and the other disciple encounter something very different than what they expected. The burial cloths are lying in the tomb, but the cloth that wrapped Jesus' head is rolled up and lying apart from the other cloths. If someone has stolen the body, why would they have taken the burial cloths off? Why would they have left them carefully rolled up in two different parts of the tomb?

John does not tell us Peter's thoughts or feelings, but he does share with us the impact this event has on the other disciple: "Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed" (20:8). The Gospel also speaks about the disciples' progression of faith in the Resurrection and shows it is not yet complete: "For as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (20:9). Today we look back on this event and understand that Jesus actively participated with the Father and the Holy Spirit in his Resurrection, and the empty tomb is the starting point for belief in the resurrected Christ. Mary Magdalene sees the empty tomb and concludes that it has been robbed. Peter enters the empty tomb, sees the burial clothes, and seeks to understand all the events of the past three days, and the beloved disciple sees the burial cloths and believes.

Tradition Connection
Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. In the Gospel reading from John, we see that its significance was not immediately understood by everyone. The first encounter was the empty tomb and the search to understand its meaning. "The first element we encounter in the framework of the Easter events is the empty tomb. In itself it is not a direct proof of Resurrection; the absence of Christ's body from the tomb could be explained otherwise. Nonetheless the empty tomb was still an essential sign for all. Its discovery by the disciples was the first step toward recognizing the very fact of the Resurrection" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 640).

The beloved disciple has the first insight as to the significance of the empty tomb. Throughout the Easter season we will hear more appearance stories of the risen Christ and revelations that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Through these revelations, the Resurrection takes its place as the central truth upon which Christianity is built. "The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:

Christ is risen from the dead!

Dying, he conquered death;

To the dead, he has given life"1

(Catechism, paragraph 638).

Therefore, in the Nicene Creed we confidently pray: "For our sake he [Jesus] was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures" (Catechism, page 49).

The Easter season begins with Easter Sunday and continues for 50 days, until the feast of Pentecost. During this time the Sunday readings focus on the various appearances of the risen Jesus. These 50 days are a time of hope and celebration because, through Jesus the Christ, death has been overcome and we are given the hope of eternal life with God.

Wisdom Connection
Of the three individuals who were at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning, only one gained a clear insight into what this all meant. This revelation only presented itself after the beloved disciple entered the tomb. We will hear other stories throughout the Easter season of disciples confirming their faith in Jesus only after they see and encounter the risen Christ. But the beloved disciple believes without seeing.

The beloved disciple serves as an example for future generations who come to faith in Jesus Christ without seeing Jesus. For us who live between the time of Jesus' Ascension and his Second Coming, the beloved disciple serves as a model for faith in Jesus.

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.

Endnotes cited in quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1. Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Easter.

We have a basketful of saints for this pre-Easter newsletter!

First, happy feast day to all teachers! Today, April 7, is the feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. Not only is he founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Lasallian Christian Brothers) but, in 1950, he was named patron saint of schoolteachers. Read more about him at https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/calendar/day/2014/4/7/.

On April 8, we celebrate the feast day of another teacher, Saint Julie Billiart. She was cured of paralysis and founded the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for the education of the poor and of young girls. Read more about Saint Julie Billiart at https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/calendar/day/2014/4/8/.

On April 16, we celebrate Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, following the instructions of Our Lady, asked her bishop to build a shrine at Lourdes. Lourdes has since become a center for healing. Read more about Saint Bernadette at https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/calendar/day/2014/4/16/.

On April 17, we celebrate Saint Stephen Harding, who with his friends Saints Robert and Alberic founded a reformed Benedictine community which became known as the Cistercians. This order still exists, and there are communities of Cistercians in the United States (initials O.Cist.). An offshoot of this original foundation, Cistercians known as Trappists, also have monasteries in the United States (initials O.C.S.O, Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance). This year Saint Stephen’s feast falls on Holy Thursday, but you may have time this spring to search for more information on the monastic life. Find out more about Saint Stephen at https://www.smp.org/resourcecenter/calendar/day/2014/4/17/.