A man with leprosy comes before Jesus and is healed. Jesus tells him “See that you say nothing to anyone about this.”
A deaf man comes to the Lord. Jesus says “Ephata, be opened,” and the man hears. Then Jesus tells him to say nothing to anyone.
A blind man has his sight returned, and similarly, Jesus says to him “Keep this quiet --- don’t even enter the villages.”
Jesus dies on the Cross and a pagan, a Roman centurion, now makes the announcement: “Surely this is the Son of God.”
To understand who Jesus is, we have to stand under the Cross. To recognize how much God loves us we have to realize the extent of his suffering for us. To realize that we are his followers, we have to join him on the Cross.
Love gives joy, but this joy can result in pain. Love means giving, but this gift can result in suffering as we say no to our own desires for the sake of the one whom we love. Love gives life. The Lord loves us so much that we receive his life. As we begin this Holy Week, we pray that we might have the courage to follow Christ in embracing our own cross. May we make real the cross of Christ in the world by giving of ourselves to others in love.
Have a wonderful week and a blessed Holy Week!