Julian of Norwich in her mystical experience speaks of Jesus “Oneing” with us. We do not use the medieval word “oneing” anymore, but it expresses perhaps our connection to God so very clearly and succinctly. St Paul asks in his letter to the Romans whether we are aware that we who have been baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Paul follows this by stating that since we were baptized into Christ’s death we will also rise with him in the Resurrection. In baptism we are “oned” with Jesus. Conversely by faith we state that Jesus oned himself to us in our human condition at the moment of his Incarnation. Being oned with Jesus is paramount as we enter this Palm/Passion Sunday beginning to Holy Week, and, culminates with us rising with Jesus a week later on Easter Sunday.
Over 20 years ago, the preeminent Catholic scripture scholar Fr. Raymond Brown had just completed two major studies on the life of Jesus. One was a massive one volume book entitled “The Birth of the Messiah.” The other was a massive two volume set entitled “The Death of the Messiah.” I was introduced to the work of Fr. Brown by none other than Michael Joncas (aka Rev Jon Michael Joncas) when he was assigned to the parish of The Presentation of Mary as a baby priest. Mike was my professor in an independent course on scripture. He asked me to purchase Fr. Brown’s two volume commentary on the Gospel of John, published in the Anchor Bible Series. Prior to reading Ray Brown’s commentary on John, I had never encountered scholarship on that high a level. His annotated footnotes had annotated footnotes. His knowledge of history, his knowledge of theology, his knowledge of ancient languages and off its nuances whas a remarkable discovery and experience for me.
At the biblical conference at which Fr. Brown unveiled his two massive studies on the life of Jesus, he spoke of the last words of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John. In Mark and Matthew’s accounts of the Passion, Jesus utters his last words, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” In Luke’s account, Jesus utters, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” And, in John’s account, Jesus utters, “It is accomplished (sometimes translated, It is finished,).”
Fr. Brown spoke first of Jesus’ last words in Mark’s and Matthew’s Passion. He told us that Jesus died in despair. In the garden, Jesus cries out to the Father in anguish and fear, and heard nothing, absolutely nothing in return from the Father. It was as if the Father purposely ignored the pleas of his beloved Son. Dying on the cross, betrayed and abandoned by his followers with the exception of his women disciples who were faithful to him to the very end (NOTE: that it is only in John’s account that Mary, the mother of Jesus was present. In the Synoptic Gospels, Mary, too, is absent.), Jesus ends his life crying out in despair.
Then, Fr. Brown talked about Luke’s account of the Passion. Jesus, sweating drops of blood, cries out to God the Father in the Garden. The Father, in a compassionate response, sends an angel to comfort his beloved Son. Again, Jesus dies betrayed and abandoned by all but his faithful women disciples, his mother again absent. But in this Passion, Jesus dies entrusting his soul to the Father who loves him so very much.
Then, Fr. Brown spoke about John’s account of the Passion. John paints a different picture of Jesus. Instead of Jesus losing control of the events in his life leading up and through his crucifixion, as in the Synoptic accounts, in John’s account Jesus is in total control all of the way. This Passion written much later than the Synoptics, shows Jesus almost choreographing his Passion and his Death. It is almost as if Jesus hops up on the cross himself. He is surrounded, again, by his faithful women disciples, and now, his mother, Mary, and the beloved disciple who is not identified, but that tradition tells us is John, the brother of James. His last words, “It is accomplished!” are words of victory. Jesus knows that in his death, he has actually won! Jesus knows that he has duped his enemies, Satan and all of Satan’s angels, into thinking that they won when he was crucified, but in actuality, in dying on the cross, Jesus has crushed them! This is why the Gospel of John is used on Good Friday. It is not a Passion of defeat. It is a Passion of victory.
After relaying all this information to us. One of the partcipants asked Fr. Brown, which of the last words were the right ones. Fr. Brown’s answer was one that I will never forget.
Fr. Brown related to us that in his many years as a priest, he has been at the death beds of many people. Some, he told us, died in despair. Some, he said ,died in resignation, entrusting their lives to God. And, some, he said, die victorious. It matters not whether Jesus died in despair, resignation, or victory. What is important to those who are dying is that Jesus was there before and was one with them in their death of either despair, resignation, or victory. Jesus in ONED with us.
Holy Week reminds us that because in baptism we are one with Jesus in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, that he is united to us in our personal experiences of the Paschal Mystery. We are have our experiences of passion, death, and resurrection repeatedly in our lives. Our passions and deaths may be that of illnesses, broken relationships, the death of loved ones, the loss of jobs, the loss of homes. All of our losses are oned with the losses of Jesus in Holy Week.
Holy Week reminds us that we are never abandoned by Jesus as we experience our passions and deaths, but that he accompanies us in solidarity with us. He knows how we feel. He knows our suffering. He knows our pain. He knows our agony.
Holy Week also reminds us that the cross is not the end. Passion and Death are never the final answer, but is the journey we must make to reach the real end. That is the Resurrection. At the end of life is not darkness and an empty void. Rather, at the end of life is victory and life everlasting!
It is true that we are “oned” with Jesus in his passion and death. But most importantly, we are “oned” with Jesus in everlasting victory and glory. May our journey throughout this week be one in solidarity with Jesus, who went before us to show us the way. For as John relates to us in his Passion, Jesus’ last teaching to his disciples before they left to go to the Garden was this, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
