Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Robert Banet
I’ve been reading about the First Sorrowful Mystery. It’s a mystery, all right.
You mean where Jesus asks the Father to take the cup away?
Yes. What is that cup?
It means the passion and death of Jesus that is coming. It is so full of suffering that He asks His Father to take it away.
And the Father said no, right?
Right. And do you know why?
No. Why did He want His Son to go through that terrible suffering?
Why indeed! He wanted to save you and me from Hell. Adam’s sin had shut the gate to Heaven and the Father chose to open it.
How could that be done?
By the death of His only Son.
Like Abraham and his son Isaac?
Yes. But this “Isaac” was not saved.
Why did Jesus go back and plead with the Father? Even after Father had said no?
I can’t give you a good answer. Maybe He was remembering His own parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow. At any rate He learned obedience.
Wait a minute! How could the Son of God learn anything?
In His human nature. The Bible says He learned obedience.
Wow. That makes me more grateful to Him.
Yes. By His obedience we were saved from eternal misery. Our good deeds, though necessary, are not sufficient to get us to Heaven.
Ah. Necessary but not sufficient.
We are ever thankful for His loving mercy.
Amen to that!