Formed and called by the same Spirit — do we believe?

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

A reflection on the daily readings, for Monday of Holy Week, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ As we enter now more deeply into Holy Week on this second day, we listen to the Servant Songs, or poems of Isaiah, which are also called the “Suffering Servant Songs.”

Isaiah, prophesying some 750 years before Christ, spoke of a person or a group speaking collectively about the mission given them by God.

As servants, they were “chosen,” and they were “pleasing to God”; therefore, they were given “the Spirit” of God. They were to bring “justice” to the nations.

But how, is the question, for this would be done in a very “God-like manner.”

In a truly poetic way Isaiah describes the manner in which the servant would bring forth justice. The servant would proclaim the justice of God to come into the hearts of all and transform them, but he would do so —

“He will not cry out, nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the street.”

But best of all, Isaiah gave an image or example of the gentle way that this justice would be proclaimed and brought about —

“A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth.”

Oh my, how the Spirit of God works! Would that we were called and formed in and by the same Spirit?!

But we are, aren’t we? Isn’t that what we say by our baptism? And isn’t that proclaimed again and again every time we mark ourselves —

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HOLY SPIRIT.”

We say it. We know it to be true. But do we deeply believe it is so?

And we arrive in today’s Gospel, just six days before the Passover.

There, Jesus was again with Lazarus and Martha and Mary at a dinner. And Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil, anointed the feet of Jesus, and dried the feet with her hair. What an intimate and loving and respect-filled act that caused a reaction and a commentary —

“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred day’s wages [Judas even had the price value figured out in his head, now leaked from his mouth] and given to the poor?”

And Jesus defended this beautiful act of Mary, and also gave a deeper commentary and prophetic view of the oil and his coming death. And so much more that they could not possibly understand at this moment, and would have perhaps even more difficulty understanding it in just a few days.

Oh, what it must have been like — after the death and resurrection — to remember these acts, and these words and their meaning.

And the crowds came to see Jesus, to see Lazarus, the one raised from the dead.

The plots were getting thicker and deeper and more ready to be acted upon, and death was in the air. The plots were even thickening so that it seemed that even Lazarus might be killed — as was the plan for Jesus.

Ah, yes! Holy Week is indeed upon us! What might we discover this year as we enter this sacred story once again?