Gospel (Mk 14.1-15.47) - There were two days left before Passover and Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to deceive Jesus and make him die. In fact they said: "Not during the feast, so that there is no revolt of the people." Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. While he was at table, a woman came with an alabaster vase, full of the perfume of pure spikenard, of great value. She broke the alabaster vase and poured the perfume on her head. There were some among them who were indignant: «Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor! And they were furious with her. Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why do you bother her? She did a good deed towards me. In fact, you always have the poor with you and you can do good to them whenever you want, but you don't always have me. She did what was in her power, she anointed my body beforehand for burial. Truly I say to you: wherever the Gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done with her will also be said in memory of her." Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. When they heard it, they rejoiced and promised to give him money. And he was looking for how to deliver it at the right time. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover was sacrificed, his disciples said to him: "Where do you want us to go to prepare so that you can eat the Passover?". Then he sent two of his disciples, saying to them: «Go into the city and a man will meet you with a jug of water; follow him. Where he enters, say to the master of the house: "The Master says: Where is my room, where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?". He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready; prepare dinner for us there." The disciples went and entered the city and found it as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. When evening came, he arrived with the Twelve. Now, while they were at the table and eating, Jesus said: "Truly I say to you, one of you, he who eats with me, will betray me." They began to feel sad and say to him, one after the other: "Is it me?" He said to them: «One of the Twelve, the one who puts his hand into the dish with me. The Son of man goes away, as it is written about him; but woe to that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born! And while they were eating, he took the bread and recited the blessing, broke it and gave it to them, saying: "Take, this is my body." Then he took a cup and gave thanks, gave it to them and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many. Truly I say to you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine again until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." After singing the hymn, they went out towards the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to them: «You will all be scandalized, because it is written: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered”. But after I am resurrected, I will precede you into Galilee." Peter said to him: «Even if everyone will be scandalized, I won't!». Jesus said to him: "Truly I say to you: today, tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he, with great insistence, said: "Even if I had to die with you, I will not deny you." Everyone else said the same. They came to a farm called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples: "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John with him and began to feel fear and anguish. He said to them: «My soul is sad until death. Stay here and watch." Then, having gone a little further, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, that hour would pass away from him. And he said: «Abba! Father! Everything is possible with you: take this cup away from me! But not what I want, but what you want." Then he came, found them sleeping and said to Peter: «Simon, are you sleeping? Were you unable to stay awake for a single hour? Watch and pray so as not to enter into temptation. The spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak." He went away again and prayed, saying the same words. Then he came again and found them asleep, for their eyes had become heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. He came for the third time and said to them: «Go ahead and sleep and rest! Enough! The hour has come: behold, the Son of man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Get up, let's go! Behold, he who betrays me is near."

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the scribes and the elders. The traitor had given them an agreed sign, saying: «The one I will kiss is him; arrest him and lead him away under good guard." As soon as he arrived, he approached him and said: "he Rabbi" and kissed him. They laid hands on him and arrested him. One of those present drew his sword, struck the high priest's servant and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to them: «As if I were a robber you came to take me with swords and clubs. Every day I was among you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. Let the Scriptures therefore be fulfilled! Then they all abandoned him and fled. However, a boy, who had only a sheet on him, followed him and they grabbed him. But he dropped the sheet and ran away naked. They took Jesus to the high priest, and there all the chief priests, the elders and the scribes gathered together. Peter had followed him from afar, right into the courtyard of the high priest's palace, and was sitting among the servants, warming himself by the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find it. In fact, many testified falsely against him and their testimonies did not agree. Some stood up to bear false witness against him, saying, "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple, made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'" ». But even so their testimony was not in agreement. The high priest, standing up in the middle of the assembly, questioned Jesus, saying: «Aren't you answering anything? What do these testify against you? But he was silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest questioned him saying: «Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?». Jesus replied: «I am! And you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest, tearing his clothes, said: «What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; what do you think?". Everyone ruled that he was guilty of death. Some began to spit on him, bandage his face, beat him and tell him: "Be a prophet!". And the servants slapped him. While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the young servants of the high priest came and, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at his face and said: "You too were with the Nazarene, with Jesus". But he denied it, saying: "I don't know and I don't understand what you're saying." Then he went out towards the entrance and a rooster crowed. And the servant, seeing him, began to say to those present again: "This is one of them." But he again denied it. Shortly afterwards those present said to Peter again: «It is true, you are certainly one of them; in fact you are Galilean." But he began to curse and swear: "I do not know this man of whom you speak." And immediately, for the second time, a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him: "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he burst into tears. And immediately, in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, after having held a council, put Jesus in chains, took him away and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him: "Are you the king of the Jews?". And he replied: "You say so." The chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate questioned him again saying: «Aren't you answering anything? See how many things they accuse you of! But Jesus no longer answered anything, so much so that Pilate was amazed.

At every feast, he used to release a prisoner for them, at their request. A man, called Barabbas, was in prison together with the rebels who had committed murder in the revolt. The crowd, which had gathered, began to demand what he used to grant. Pilate answered them: "Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?" In fact, he knew that the chief priests had handed him over to him out of envy. But the chief priests incited the crowd that he should rather release Barabbas for them. Pilate said to them again: "What then do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?" And they shouted again: "Crucify him!" Pilate said to them: "What harm has he done?". But they shouted louder: "Crucify him!". Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard, that is, into the praetorium, and called together the whole troop. They dressed him in purple, wove a crown of thorns and placed it around his head. Then they began to greet him: «Greetings, King of the Jews!». And they struck him on the head with a cane, spat on him and, bending their knees, prostrated themselves before him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple and made him wear his own clothes, then led him out to crucify him. They forced a man who was passing by to carry his cross, a certain Simon of Cyrene, who came from the countryside, father of Alexander and Rufus. They took Jesus to the place of Golgotha, which means "Place of the skull", and gave him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take any. Then they crucified him and divided his clothes among them, casting lots for what each would take. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The writing with the reason for his condemnation said: "The king of the Jews". With him they also crucified two thieves, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying: «Hey, you who destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross!». So even the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said: «He saved others and cannot save himself! May Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe! And those who had been crucified with him also reviled him. When it was noon, he got dark all over the land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: «Eloì, Eloì, lemà sabachtàni?», which means: «My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?». Hearing this, some of those present said: "Behold, call Elijah!". One ran to soak a sponge in vinegar, fixed it on a reed and gave him to drink, saying: "Wait, let's see if Elijah comes to make him come down." But Jesus, giving a loud cry, expired. The veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The centurion, who was in front of him, having seen him expire in that way, said: "Truly this man was the Son of God!". There were also some women, who watched from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who, when he was in Galilee, followed him and served him, and many others who were go up with him to Jerusalem. Now that evening had come, since it was Parascève, that is, the eve of the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, an authoritative member of the Sanhedrin, who was also awaiting the kingdom of God, courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. he was amazed that he was already dead and, calling the centurion, asked him if he had been dead for some time. Informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. He then bought a sheet, took it down from the cross, wrapped it in the sheet and placed it in a tomb dug into the rock. Then he rolled a stone at the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where it was placed.

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

Today begins Holy Week or Passion Week. It is holy because the Lord is at the center. And it is of passion because we contemplate Jesus full of passion and rich in mercy. The apostle Paul writes to the Philippians: "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." How can we remain neutral in the face of what we will see and hear? The passion of Jesus, like the weakness and pain of men, is not a spectacle to be observed with detachment. That of Jesus is the passion of love. Jesus does not change us with a law, but with great love. In truth, this week he is the man to defend, to protect, to love. It's not enough not to do evil, it's not enough not to have dirty hands, not to decide: you have to love that man. Those who do not choose love end up being an accomplice to evil.
Jesus enters Jerusalem as king. People seem to sense this and start spreading their cloaks along the road as was the custom in the East. Even the olive twigs, taken from the fields and sprinkled along Jesus' path, act as a carpet. The cry «Hosanna» (in Hebrew it means “Help!”) expresses the need for salvation that the people felt. Jesus enters Jerusalem as the one who can lead people out of slavery and make people participate in a more human and supportive life. His face, however, is not that of a powerful or strong man, but of a meek and humble one.
Only six days pass after his triumphal entry and his face becomes that of a crucifix. It is the paradox of Palm Sunday that makes us experience together the triumph and passion of Jesus. Jesus' entry into the holy city is certainly the entry of a king, but the only crown that will be placed on his head will be that of thorns. Those olive branches that today are the sign of the celebration, in the garden where he used to retreat for prayer, will see him sweat blood from the anguish of death.
Jesus does not run away. He takes his cross and with it reaches Golgota, where he is crucified. That death which in the eyes of most seemed like a defeat was actually a victory: it was the logical conclusion of a life spent for the Father. Truly only the Son of God could live and die in that way, that is, forgetting himself to give himself totally to others. And a pagan soldier notices it. The evangelist Mark writes: «The centurion, who was in front of him, having seen him expire in that way, said: Truly this man was the Son of God!» (Mk 15.39).
Who understands Jesus? The children. They are the ones who welcome him as he enters Jerusalem. “If you do not become like children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said. This is what happens to Peter. When he starts crying like a baby, he begins to understand himself. And we are like him. We cry like children, asking for forgiveness for our sin. Let us be moved by the drama of the many poor Christs who with their cross remind us of the suffering and the Via Crucis that was Jesus'. Let us choose to no longer run away, to no longer follow from afar, but to stay close to him and love him. Let us take the Gospel into our hands and keep Jesus company. The olive tree we have in our hands is a sign of peace: it reminds us that the Lord wants peace, he gives peace. That olive tree will accompany us into our homes to remind us how much God loves us. He is our peace, because he has no enemies and does not save himself. Love conquers evil. Do we also want to learn a love like this? Do we want to be men and women of peace like Jesus? Passion is the path to joy. Let us walk it with Jesus, to rise again with him.