Month: March 2008

“IS IT I, LORD?” (Mt 26:14-25):  19 March 2008 (Holy Wednesday)

Today’s Readings

I haven’t seen the movie, but I read Khaled Hosseini’s first novel The Kite Runnersometime last year. Set in Afghanistan, the story revolves around two childhood friends, Amir and Hassan.  Hassan is the son of the servant of Amir’s father, and is his loyal kite runner–the one who runs to fetch the kites that Amir defeats in the  game of kite-fighting.  To avoid spoiling the novel or the movie, all I will say is that Amir ends up betraying his friend, and for many years, long after he has moved to a faraway country, he is haunted by the memory of his treacherous act.

“HOW DO I FOLLOW YOU?” (Jn 13:21-33, 36-38):  18 March 2008 (Holy Tuesday)

Today’s Readings

On the night that the Lord was arrested, Judas betrayed him, and Peter denied knowing him.  As we know, Peter and Judas were among our Lord’s closest friends and disciples, so it wasn’t a very good night for him.  Nor for the two disciples.

They both loved Christ and had left everything to follow him.  So what happened?  They started out quite nicely—generous and determined—but like all of us, they must have made a wrong turn somewhere.  

“WHY GET CARRIED AWAY?” (Jn 12:1-11):  17 March 2008 (Holy Monday)

Today’s Readings

Bette Midler starred in a 1979 movie called “The Rose.” It’s loosely based on the life of rock singer, Janis Joplin.  I never saw the movie because I figured that it would be too depressing to watch a movie about a self-destructive celebrity.   At least that’s what the trailer looked like to me then. But I’ve always liked the song from the movie.

The song has the simplest melody, sung by Midler in the simplest of ways–but it has the most extraordinary words!  The song is really a series of attempts to define love and to find a symbol for it in all its excesses:  a river that drowns, a razor that cuts, a hunger that aches.  

‘WHAT’S MY THORN?’ (Mt 27:11-54):  16 March 2008 (Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion)

Today’s Readings

Thirty years ago when I was still a high school student, I stumbled over this novel about a priest gone astray.  Hailed as Australia’s version of Gone with the Wind, this bestselling novel written by Colleen McCullough was eventually adapted into a mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward in 1983.

“DO YOU REALLY KNOW BETTER?” (Lk 2:41-51): 15 March 2008 (Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary)

Today’s Readings

A few weeks ago I heard the song “Better than I” at a friend’s wedding.  It was the first time I heard the song, a song that turned out to be from the animated musical, “Joseph:  King of Dreams.”

In the movie, Joseph who has been sold by his brothers to Egyptian slave traders, eventually finds himself in prison again because he has been falsely accused.  He feels abandoned by God.  But as he remembers his life, he realizes that God has actually always been with him and has even orchestrated everything in his life to make sure that everything turns out right.