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Passion Sunday, Year C
First Reading: Is 50:4-7
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
 Gospel Reading: Lk 22:14-23:56 

The Church’s Holy Week liturgy is (in Hebrew) a zikaron of the first Holy Week, re-presenting, re-actualizing, and re-newing it so that we truly re-live it and participate in it, not just remember or commemorate it. The more we know about it, therefore, the better.

About 600 BC, Daniel had foretold that Judea would be conquered by Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and then “the God of heaven.” Under Rome, therefore, Jesus’ contemporaries expected the Messiah, their hereditary King, to come soon to save them from Rome.

Jesus had avoided earlier attempts to crown him, but on Palm Sunday – knowing that “the hour” had come – he asked for an ass and her colt, mounted, and so entered Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecies of a King who would come “riding on an ass.” Accordingly, the people greeted him as Saviour and King.

(They rejected him on Friday because, seeing him in Roman custody, they thought he had deceived them.)

During the next three days, Jesus prepared for the Passover, the Jews’ annual zikaron of the Pasch, which included sacrificing and eating the Paschal lambs. “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,” he told his apostles on Thursday evening. However, this Passover was different.

First: the lambs were slaughtered in the temple at twilight on Friday and eaten in the people’s homes on Saturday, but Jesus started his Passover after twilight on Thursday.

Second: there was no ordinary sacrificed lamb. Instead, Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body.” Then he took a cup and said, “This is my Blood, the blood of the covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Third: the final cup of wine was omitted; Jesus declared that he would not drink wine again “until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s reign.” Accordingly, he refused wine on his way to crucifixion. Only on the cross did he take it and say, “It is finished.”

Jesus died at 3 p.m. on Friday – before sunset, and therefore, by Jewish reckoning, on the same day as he had begun his Last Supper. Together, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion comprised what Christians soon came to regard as Christ’s Passover.

Jesus began it sacramentally at his Last Supper on Thursday evening, under the appearances of bread and wine, but he could not finish it until his bloody death on the cross, for in the new Passover, he himself was the sacrificed Lamb.

The new Passover – Christ’s Last Supper/Crucifixion – like the old, comprised a sacrifice and a meal.

Father Dave recounts how all three readings today feature people who made radical changes in their lives after hearing God’s call. He challenges us to boldly and loudly say yes to how God may be calling us today.

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Lent is almost over…. 40 days of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice have passed in the blink of an eye. How do you feel? Are you puffed up with pride or weighed down by discouragement?

Today Fr. Mark-Mary offers a final word of encouragement to lean into the mercy of Jesus however you feel as we enter into Holy Week.

Canada’s Finance Department has avoided providing a clear answer to a written appeal from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) urging the federal government not to adopt budget recommendations that would strip charitable status from “anti-abortion” and “advancement of religion” nonprofit organizations.

A statement provided to The Catholic Register in Canada on March 13 by the department’s media relations officer, Marie-France Faucher, did not reference the CCCB or its specific concerns surrounding recommendations 429 and 430 of the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2025 budget.

In her email response, Faucher said “the government of Canada recognizes the vital role charities play in delivering essential services to those in need” and provided general information about how an organization may apply for charitable registration under the Income Tax Act.

Her only comment about the next budget was that the Finance Department “continues to explore ways to ensure the tax system remains fair and effective in supporting Canadians and the organizations that serve them.”

The CCCB’s permanent council sent its March 10 letter to then-Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and a follow-up letter on March 18 to François-Philippe Champagne, who was appointed finance minister on March 14 by newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The CCCB said a clearer stance on the concerns is required soon, highlighting in its letters that “40% of all charitable organizations in Canada are faith-based.”

The bishops said depriving these organizations of charitable status “would decrease donations, causing their revenue to dwindle, thus crippling their ability to inspire, operate, and maintain essential social services that benefit the wider community.”

Among the 14 signatories are conference president Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary, vice president Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Cardinals Francis Leo of Toronto and Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, and Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine.

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) applauded the permanent council’s letter.

“Thank God the Canadian bishops have joined in this fight to save Christian Canada,” said CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson. “Canada, as our charter states, is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God. The government is attacking the very foundation of our country with these proposals. United together we will stave off this governmental assault on our nation and our treasured faith.”

Chalice, a Canadian Catholic international child sponsorship charity headquartered in Bedford, Nova Scotia, is one of the nonprofits registered with the Canada Revenue Agency that would be targeted by recommendation 430.

Chalice founder and president Father Patrick Cosgrove said in an email the recommendation “reveals a negative bias against religion that is not supported by the evidence that active faith and the practice of religion have a measurably positive impact on society and the individual.”

Umbrellas were raised and prayers sent heavenward as a small band of Catholics gathered in a relentless downpour to celebrate the midway point of the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s 40 Days for Life campaign.

The annual Lenten pro-life campaign has yet to bear legislative fruit in Canada, as the country’s politicians continue to refuse to pass laws to place any restrictions on abortion.

But the two dozen men and women at the March 23 rally showed no signs of discouragement as they joined with Father Larry Lynn, the Archdiocese’s pro-life chaplain, in saying a heartfelt Rosary.

“I’ve never heard the Hail Mary prayed with so much reverence and, well, ardour,” said participant Alex Fantillo. “It was truly inspiring.”

The rally’s guest speaker, Father Mark McGuckin, boosted spirits with a speech that celebrated pro-life activists’ courage and faithfulness.

Father McGuckin, the pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Burnaby, said the commitment shown by campaign participants evoked the spirit of Our Lady of Sorrows.

“Matching Our Blessed Mother’s wounded heart as she knelt before the cross on Mount Calvary, our collective hearts are heavy with the manifold tragedies that lie before us,” Father McGuckin said later. “The steamroller of the culture of death in our society continues to crush our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.”

Father McGuckin said the pro-life faithful are responding by matching “the fearless, forward motion” of the Blessed Mother who drew close to Our Lord at the foot of the cross when most devotees and loyalists abandoned him.

“Our call is just to remain faithful, in the lighter times and in the heavier times,” he said. “We are kneeling in sorrow with Our Blessed Mother, and we also stand, resolute, next to her.”

As he stood under an umbrella held by Father Lynn, Father McGuckin encouraged Catholics to remain faithful to their convictions and to continue to put that faith into action.

“This is the age now of victory,” he said. “This is the age of the Church, and no amount of darkness will be able to eclipse that truth about the sacredness of life that we have been entrusted with to share.”

Fantillo, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s in Mission, said he was motivated to drive 75 kilometres through stormy weather to gather with his fellow pro-life faithful and hear Father McGuckin, who “never fails to inspire.”

“Father Mark needs thanks as he took us to the next level, promoting the most holy missionary call that will, sooner or later, stir in us all,” he said.

During the season of Lent a few years ago, I decided that I would commit to a morning habit of not turning my phone on until after I have had my personal prayer time with Jesus. Part of my rule of life is to find a practical way to connect with Jesus first in the beginning of my day. I found this to be more challenging than I anticipated! Bombarded with constant texts, emails, messages, Instagram, and Facebook notifications, my phone controlled me more than I liked to admit. Plagued with a compulsion to scroll, I had become a slave to technology. Choosing not to reach for my phone to check messages first thing in the morning for forty days turned out to be an interior battle. I knew I couldn’t do this on my own, so I needed to ask for God’s grace everyday and I had to come up with a practical game plan. Each night, I put my phone on “airplane mode” and set my alarm for the time I would get up to pray in the morning. When I would wake up, I would deny myself the urge to turn airplane mode off to see who had messaged me. In order to stay focused, I had a routine: I would set a timer for how long I was going to pray, read the gospel readings of the day, read my devotional book (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young), and pull out my journal. I would reflect on what spoke to me from the readings, and re-read any parts that would resonate with me (Lectio Divina). Through my imagination, I would place myself in the gospel scene with Jesus (Ignatian Spirituality). I would then listen to hear what He had to say, and journal any insights down. After my timer had gone off, I would end with an Our Father. 

For me, I have come to understand a rule of life as a set of practices that I intentionally create or implement in order to preserve something precious. For example, I make it a practice to go to confession at least once a month, in order to cleanse my soul from my sins and failings. During this particular season of Lent in my life, I needed to take action against the vices of being distracted by my phone and neglecting my personal prayer time. I knew that if I made time for Jesus first, the fruits of the spirit – peace, love, hope, and joy – would be a natural result of this commitment.The blessings that came from consistently living out denying myself my phone first thing in the morning during Lent were absolutely astounding.

Shortly before returning to his home in the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis made a brief appearance from a fifth-floor balcony of the Gemelli Clinic in Rome to a crowd of faithful gathered outside the hospital.

The moment marked his first public engagement in weeks. Waving and giving a “thumps-up” before blessing the faithful gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Pontiff briefly thanked one well-wisher for bringing flowers for the occasion.

After the short interaction, the Holy Father was discharged from the hospital and taken to the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, where he delivered flowers to place before the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani.

Afterward, he returned to the Vatican, according to the Holy See.

The Pontiff prepared a written message published by the Vatican while briefly appearing at approximately noon to greet the faithful and impart his blessing.

“During this long period of hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and health care workers as well as in the attentiveness and hopes of the patients’ families,” Francis noted.

“This confident patience, anchored in God’s love that never fails, is truly necessary for our lives, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations.”

In his written address, the Pope reflected on this third Sunday of Lent’s Gospel reading about the barren fig tree, drawing parallels between the patient farmer in the parable and God’s merciful approach to humanity.

On the situation in Gaza, the Pope called for a ceasefire and “that weapons be silenced immediately; and that there be the courage to resume dialogue, so that all hostages may be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached.”

Francis emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “is once again extremely serious and requires the urgent commitment of the warring parties and the international community.”

On a more positive note, the Holy Father expressed satisfaction with diplomatic progress in the Caucasus region.

“I am pleased, however, that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the final text of the peace agreement,” he said. “I hope that it will be signed as soon as possible and can thus contribute to establishing a lasting peace in the South Caucasus.”

Prior to his window appearance and return to the Vatican, Pope Francis briefly met with medical staff and the hospital leadership to thank them for his treatment.

Hospital officials indicated on Saturday that the Pope will continue convalescing at his apartment in Casa Santa Marta for at least two months and will require ongoing oxygen therapy during his convalescence.

TORONTO—For anyone troubled by the state of society or the world, MP Garnett Genuis offers a message of hope and encouragement from St. Peter, who knew something about trouble and sacrifice in times of political distress.

“But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them…. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear.” (1 Pet 3:14-16) 

The Alberta Conservative MP for Sherwood Park – Fort Saskatchewan is also co-chair of Parliament’s Canada-Holy See Friendship Group and spoke recently in the comfortably-crowded common room of Toronto’s Ernescliffe College.

Peter’s message, Genuis said, is for the whole Church, and Catholic citizens hold a critical public office.

It’s up to Catholics, acting individually and together, to make Canada the place it should be through a realistic, open-eyed, patriotic love by Catholics sharing their stories boldly and clearly, projecting their convictions with hope and respect for all who hear them.

No matter how bad things might seem, giving up is no option, he said.

“The idea of giving up on our country should horrify us as citizens,” Genuis said. Instead, Catholics must take up their democratic duties.

Quoting then-Senator John F. Kennedy, he said, “In the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”

That responsibility, said Genuis explained, means participating at all levels of government and society, in accordance with one’s well-formed conscience and political affiliations. 

For guidance, Genuis pointed to three under-used channels of participation at the federal level:  parties, petitions, and Parliamentary consultations. 

Political parties, he said, fill a fundamental role in shaping democracies by defining the policies that they intend to pursue in government.

It’s also surprisingly easy for individual citizens to have a significant voice in party processes, given that party membership fees tend to be low and only a small fraction of the Canadian electorate join a party.

Every member of a party is entitled to vote in leadership races, and volunteer service on committees and campaign activities can greatly increase one’s scope for influence, Genuis said.  Even going door-to-door provides opportunities for faithful, persuasive exchanges with the public.

As for petitions, these come in many forms, with varying degrees of potential effect. Online petitions can be used persuasively by elected representatives, lobby groups, and other advocates, and can offer the advantage of connections to their sponsors, such as email lists. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is poised to trigger a snap federal election for late April or early May on Sunday by asking Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, setting in motion what could be the most consequential national vote in generations.

As Canadians prepare for the upcoming campaign, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) president Bishop William McGrattan urged Christians to get involved in the electoral process. 

“I think it is important to realize we do have this freedom and also the responsibility to exercise a decision that will support the country in moving forward in a way that respects common values,” said Bishop McGrattan, who is Bishop of Calgary.

Discourse between relatives, friends, co-workers and fellow churchgoers about the daily news and philosophical debates about the soul of the nation will magnify during the campaign timeframe.

Instead of adopting a combative and intolerant posture during a political discussion with someone expressing clashing viewpoints, Bishop McGrattan said people can exchange ideas charitably.

“I think the first step is to make sure that one is educated or aware of the issues so that one can speak with a certain degree of knowledge,” said Bishop McGrattan.

“And then be open to listening to another person’s perspective and question why they might hold that particular perspective on an issue. Maybe then say, ‘from my perspective of my life of faith, I see this in this light.’

“Faith is not a political position, but faith provides values that we need to be reflecting in our discussions and in making decisions regarding the future of a country and a society.”

Catholics, specifically, are encouraged to resist being one- or two-issue voters by meditating upon all seven core principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST):

•    Dignity of the human person from conception to natural death;

•    Call to family, community and participation;

•    Rights and responsibilities;

•    Option for the poor and vulnerable;

•    The dignity of work and the rights of workers;

•    Solidarity;

•    Care for God’s Creation.

Lay associations, such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Catholic Women’s League, the Knights of Columbus, Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, and pro-life groups that champion these values with their respective missions have been active in previous election cycles.

Bishop McGrattan suggested clergy can meaningfully assist these groups by being aware of the realities of food insecurity, mental illness, euthanasia, and health-care barriers in their local context and then “bring those to the attention of our faithful in their discernment and education as the election unfolds.”

For discernment, he said prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance and wisdom is “essential at this time as we prepare to go into an election.”