Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of March 26, 2012

Congratulations to Kristi Rogers!

Kristi will receive a copy of The Catholic Youth Bible®, a $26.95 value.

The Catholic Youth Bible®
General Editor: Virginia Halbur, MA

The Catholic Youth Bible® will be a true companion, helping you find the answers you seek and helping you make connections to Catholic beliefs and traditions.

Over 700 lively articles help you….
• Pray It! Use the Bible for personal prayer.
• Study It! Understand and make sense of what the Bible says.
• Live It! Apply the Bible to real-life situations you're facing now.

This New Edition Features:
•New 40 expanded "Catholic Connection" articles that provide a more complete presentation of those Catholic teachings that are scripturally based
• New 28 articles that address the seven principles of Catholic social teaching
• New 40 pages of 4-color inserts that help you pray, study, and live the Bible and Catholic teachings
• New Illustrations throughout to provide a visual context for the biblical stories
• New Over 275 articles updated to reflect contemporary issues and biblical scholarship

Plus:
• Introductions to the major sections of the Bible and all the books of the Bible
• Biblical connections to many different cultures, illustrating the universality of the Catholic Church
• Insights into how the Church has interpreted key Scripture passages throughout history
• A glossary of Scripture-related terms
• Five special indexes; Sunday readings for cycles A, B, and C; 10 color maps; a four-page color timeline; and three pages of full-color biblical art

The Catholic Youth Bible®
ISBN: 978-1-59982-141-2 , paper, 1802 pages

"Palm Sunday"

It was on Palm Sunday several years ago when I proposed to my wife. I must confess, the fact that it was Palm Sunday did not factor into my decision to propose that day; it was just a coincidence. In retrospect, however, I consider it a blessing that for us Palm Sunday holds a special significance in our marriage. It helps us remember the place Jesus should hold in our marriage and our family. It reminds us that we should be striving to have Jesus reign in our marriage and our family, and that all of our actions should be directed toward the building of his Kingdom. That is the theme of the following meditation that Saint John Baptist de La Salle wrote for his brothers. I invite you to spend a little time this week reflecting on this meditation and on the significance of Palm Sunday in your life. I pray that you are having a blessed Lent, and as always, I pray that God will continue to bless you and your ministry.

Peace,
Steven McGlaun

Palm Sunday Meditation 22.1
By Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Jesus Christ came to this earth to reign here, but not, says Saint Augustine, as other kings do, to raise tribute, enroll armies, and visibly do battle against his enemies, for Jesus Christ assures us that his kingdom is not of this world, but to establish his reign within our souls, according to what he himself says in the holy Gospel, that his kingdom is within us.
            So that Jesus Christ may reign over your souls, you must pay him the tribute of your actions. All of them must be consecrated to him; in them there should be nothing that is not pleasing to him; they should have no other intention than to accomplish his holy will, which should direct all of them so that there may be nothing human in them.
            Since the reign of Jesus Christ is divine, all that has any connection with it must be either divine in itself or divinized by the relationship that it has with Jesus Christ. The main purpose he had in this world was to accomplish his Father’s will, as he declares in several passages in the Gospel.
            He also wishes that you who are his members and his servants should be united with him, and should have this same purpose in your actions. Examine if this is what you actually intend.

“The Triduum: Good Friday, At What Cost?: A Session on Jesus’ Ultimate Sacrifice”
From Ministry Ideas for Celebrating Lent and Easter with Teens, Families, and Parishes

The purpose of this session is to provide an opportunity for the participants to consider Jesus's ultimate sacrifice and the impact of his mission as our Saving Lord. It also calls them to accept the mission of Jesus as their own—making God's Reign real in this time and place. The session is designed for use with any size group. It can also be adapted to intergenerational settings.

Suggested Time
60 minutes

Liturgical Connections
This session is based on the Passion narrative for Good Friday: John 18:1—19:42 and the synoptic accounts of the Last Supper.

Preparation
Gather the following items

• six sheets of card stock or poster board
• markers
• newsprint
• six envelopes
• medium-sized self-stick notes, six notes for each participant
• pens or pencils, one for each participant
• copies of resource 3, "Imaginary Money," cut apart as scored, one set of bills for each participant
• copies of handout 2, "Reflections at the Cross and Beyond"

Using the card stock or the poster board, make six signs, each labeled with one denomination of imaginary money followed by the word Store, for example, "$10 Store," "$50 Store," and so on. Post the signs around the room. Tape a sheet of newsprint and an envelope under each sign.

1. Explain to the participants that they are going on an imaginary shopping spree. Note that they will receive all the imaginary money they will need for each purchase.Distribute six self-stick notes to each person, a pen or pencil, and each of the six bills from resource 3, "Imaginary Money." Be sure that everyone has one bill to spend in each store. Begin the shopping experience by directing the group's attention to the ten-dollar store. Explain that they are to think about what they would buy with ten dollars right now. Encourage the participants to be realistic and purposeful. When they decide what they want to buy, have them write the item on a self-stick note and attach the note to the newsprint. They should also leave their ten-dollar bill at the "store" in the envelope provided. Follow the same process for every denomination. Some participants may have a difficult time choosing items in stores higher than one thousand dollars, so you may want to give examples. Comment that as the value of things increases, the decisions become more difficult.

2. Review the selections posted under each store sign. Poll the young people to see if they agree that certain items are worth the money someone risked on them. Spend the most time on the big-ticket items—the things participants were willing to pay a lot of money for.

3. Ask the participants to think about important things in life that do not require money. They are gifts from a loving God. List their responses on newsprint. Some answers might be: faith, family, friends, love, intelligence, health, and so forth. When the young people have generated a list, make the following comments in your own words:

• We rely on these gifts to be there for us whenever we need them; we sometimes take them for granted. However, if we lost one of these treasures—even though it has no monetary value—life would not be complete.

• Accepting these gifts carries a good deal of responsibility, however. For example, we must do our part to make our relationships with others healthy and life-giving. We must make the best use of our intelligence by working hard at school and sharing what we know with the world.

• Sometimes these gifts from God require sacrifice on our part. We have to give something up in order to gain something good. For example, you might have to sacrifice time with friends so that you can help out with a family project. The end result of your sacrifice is a stronger family.

• The love of God is given to us freely. Like all good things, though, there was a sacrifice involved: Jesus's life. He died so that we could live in God's love forever. All we have to do is accept this love and share it with others.

4. Invite the young people to find a place in the room where they can be alone with their thoughts. Then proclaim John 12:24–26. Allow a few seconds of reflection on each of the following statements:

• Imagine for a moment what it must have been like to hear these words from Jesus.
• Imagine what it was like to be part of the events of those last days of Jesus's life.

During this time, distribute copies of handout 2, "Reflections at the Cross and Beyond" and pens or pencils. Allow the young people about 10 minutes to think about their answers.

5. Conclude the reflection time by offering the following prayer. You may want to gather the young people together again if the movement would not be too disruptive.
Lord Jesus, you paid for our freedom from sin with your life. You opened the gates of heaven so that we may join in your glory. As we carry our crosses, we remember how much you love us.

Forgive us, Lord for the times that we wanted to be liked instead of showing what real love is.
Forgive us for the times we just wanted to stay comfortable instead of comforting others.
Forgive us for the times we denied you instead of admitting our love for you.
Help us to let our selfish ways die so that we can rise up with you to new life.
Help us to reach out to others in a way that reflects God's love and your life.
Help us to accept the gift of God's unending love and everlasting life.
And help us to do it all in your name, without counting the cost.

Amen.

Palm Sunday
April 1, 2012
Mark 15:1-39

Opening Prayer
Jesus, you assured us that where two or three of us are gathered in your name, you would be there in our midst. We recognize your presence among us as we gather today. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which marks for Christians the beginning of Holy Week. We take time this week as a Church community to reflect on your death and Resurrection through the various liturgies and through our own personal prayer. With grateful hearts, we offer thanks to you for your selfless act of love. You embraced the cross to redeem us all. We pray this in your name, Jesus. Amen.

Note: Because this week's Scripture passage is longer than usual, making it more difficult to do lectio divina in a practical way, I recommend focusing on Mark 15:25-39 as a core text for the purposes of lectio divina.

Context Connection
Mark's account of the Crucifixion includes three unique components that are important to explore. First, Mark's is the only Gospel to include chronological information detailing the time of Jesus's Crucifixion--nine o'clock in the morning (verse 25), and six hours later, at three o'clock in the afternoon (verse 33), he died (verse 37). Second, the two criminals or outlaws crucified alongside Jesus verbally abused him (Mark 15:32). Did you recall the story differently? Often when we recall the story of those crucified with Jesus, we remember the story of the repentant thief. In that version (Luke 23:39-42), one of the criminals defended Jesus from abuse and asked Jesus to remember him in the Kingdom. Third, the centurion, a Roman officer in charge of one hundred men, a man who was responsible for watching over Jesus's Crucifixion, proclaimed that Jesus was indeed the Son of God after he had watched him die (Mark 15:39). This admission is the culminating moment of the Gospel of Mark when contrasted with previous statements Jesus made asking those he had healed not to proclaim his true identity. Now it is the centurion, a non-Jew, who proclaims the true identity of Jesus, that he is the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah.

This passage also speaks of the inscription that was on Jesus's cross. It was a common practice to attach a declaration, or inscription, of the charges against the person being crucified on the cross. The hope was that a public display of the charges would deter others from committing the same crime. In Jesus's case the inscription read that Jesus was the King of the Jews (Mark 15:26). For the Romans, this charge was meant to warn others from proclaiming themselves as the long-awaited Messiah. Why would the Romans be concerned about this? The Roman rulers understood the Messiah to be the one who the Jews believed would re-establish the Davidic dynasty and again make Israel a powerful nation. Paradoxically, for Christians, the inscription became and still is a proclamation of Jesus's true identity.

Tradition Connection
"Jesus' entry into Jerusalem manifested the coming of the kingdom that the King-Messiah was going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and Resurrection. It is with the celebration of that entry on Palm Sunday that the Church's liturgy solemnly opens Holy Week" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 560).

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. It is the traditional day on which the Church remembers Jesus's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem amid a group of people worshiping him, laying down palm branches before him, and shouting his praises. This event was so significant that each of the Gospels has an account: Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38; and John 12:12-19.

How will Jerusalem welcome her Messiah? Although Jesus had always refused popular attempts to make him king, he chooses the time and prepares the details for his messianic entry into the city of "his father David."1 Acclaimed as son of David, as the one who brings salvation (Hosanna means "Save!" or "Give salvation!"), the "King of glory" enters his City "riding on an ass."2 Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion, a figure of his Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness to the truth.3 And so the subjects of his kingdom on that day are children and God's poor, who acclaim him as had the angels when they announced him to the shepherds.4 Their acclamation, "Blessed be he who comes in the name of the LORD,"5 is taken up by the Church in the "Sanctus" of the Eucharistic liturgy that introduces the memorial of the Lord's Passover. (Catechism, paragraph 559)

All four versions depict Jesus at his most glorious moment to this point in his ministry. What a sharp contrast with Good Friday! At his Crucifixion no crowds will sing his praises; instead people will hurl insults at him. An even more dynamic contrast will be that of Easter morning, when we will encounter the risen Jesus. Jesus's triumph over the grave far exceeds his entry into Jerusalem. Today it is clear, however, that the praise given to Jesus on the day he rode into Jerusalem, the day we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, did not indicate he was to be a worldly king, but rather he was to change the world profoundly and forever by bringing redemption to all people.

The inscription placed on the cross of Jesus was a short, matter-of-fact statement as it was written in the Gospel according to Mark. The Gospel according to John (19:19-20), however, has a more complete account of the inscription. The inscription stated that Jesus was from Nazareth and that he was King of the Jews. In addition, Pilate ordered that the inscription be written in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

Today on crucifixes we see people wearing around their necks, we sometimes see the letters INRI. These letters come directly from the Scripture passage in John. The letters INRI stand for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, or Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. See the footnote for this passage (John 19:19) in the New American Bible translation for more information.

Wisdom Connection
The eyewitness account of the Roman centurion professing at the moment of Jesus's death that Jesus was truly the Son of God is a climactic moment in Mark's Gospel. Why? If the centurion, a person who had little or no religious training or understanding, could recognize Jesus for who he really was, then you and I, as believers, are all the more invited to proclaim Jesus's true identity in the world today. That which has been hidden must be continuously proclaimed now that it has been revealed. Jesus is the Son of God; he is the Messiah!

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, second edition. Copyright © 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc.--Libreria Editrice Vaticana. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997 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. Luke 1:32; cf. Matthew 21:1-11; John 6:15.
2. Psalm 24:7-10; Zechariah 9:9.
3. Cf. John 18:37.
4. Cf. Matthew 21:15-16; cf. Psalm 8:3; Luke 19:38; 2:14.
5. Cf. Psalm 118:26.

Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka

March 30 is the memorial for Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka.

Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka was the daughter of a shoemaker in Vienna, Austria, and she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in 1914, at the age of 16. She worked as a nurse for 20 years. After the Nazi invasion of Austria, Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka hung a crucifix in every room of a new wing in the hospital. When she refused the Nazi order to take them down, she was arrested and later sentenced to death. She spent her time in prison ministering to the other prisoners until she was executed.

For more information about Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka, go to http://saints.sqpn.com/saintmbo.htm.