“The Coronation”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
April 13 – 14, 2019
Scripture: Luke 22: 14-26; 56
14) When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles. 15) He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16) for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17) Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18) for I tell you [that] from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19) *Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.The Betrayal Foretold. 21) “And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; 22) for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” 23) And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.The Role of the Disciples. 24) Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. 25) He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’; 26) but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. 56) When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was with him.”
When something happens in England with the royal family, we are all fascinated and glued to our televisions. There’s lots of pageantry especially at royal weddings. It’s the same here. At the beginning of the Passion, we are watching the coronation of the Lord which was 33 years in the making. We are proclaiming Christ is King
.Look upon the crucifix and the crown of thorns and you see the cost of sin. You also see the sign of the eternal love He has for us. We should have a crucifix in our homes and offices. In fact, put one everywhere as a constant reminder. And, when you see the crucifix at unexpected times, smile and know that you are greatly loved. Remember His words: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw you to Me, and you will be with me in paradise.” (John 12:32)
While at a conference in Maggie Valley, I saw lots of dream catchers but not a crucifix. Why not a crucifix? Because it might offend people. Well, if they are offended by that, they need to be offended. People are afraid of offending Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus…even atheists. But, it’s okay to offend Christ by putting Him up on the cross. Put simply – deny the cross and you deny your faith. When we see a crucifix, He is calling to us. So, stop the tug of war with Him and answer! The Lord will always be on the cross…He will never come down from it. The crucifix brings us the graces we need for salvation. Who in their right mind would be offended by that? So, don’t shy away from the crucifix, and don’t be ashamed of it. Instead, display it prominently so that when people see it He can call to them and they will know they are loved.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you stop the tug of war with Christ and answer Him? Will you display the crucifix at home and at work so that you and others can be reminded of His great love?