Saturday, April 1 : Saint Proclus of Constantinople

MEDITATIO, Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) MEDITATIO

At Jerusalem the crowd cried out: «Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel» (cf. Mk 11,10). The phrase «he who comes» is well said because he is always coming, he never fails us: «The Lord is close to those who call upon him in truth. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord» (Ps 145[144],18; 118[117],26). The gentle King of peace stands at our door… Soldiers here below, angels in heaven, mortals and immortals… cry aloud: «Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.» The Pharisees, however, stand aloof (Jn 12,19) and the priests are incensed by it. But the voices that sing God’s praises ring out without ceasing: creation is full of joy… That is why, on this very day, some Greeks, prompted by this tremendous acclamation to worship God with devotion, approached one of the apostles named Philip and said to him: «We would like to see Jesus». Note well: it is the whole crowd who carries out the task of herald and prompts these Greeks to be converted. Straight away these latter address Christ’s disciples: «We would like to see Jesus.» Those gentiles are imitating Zachaeus; not that they climb a sycamore tree [to see Jesus], but they make haste to rise up in their knowledge of God (Lk 19,3). «We should like to see Jesus»: not so much to behold his face but to bear his cross. For Jesus, who could see their desire, had unambiguously declared to those who were standing by: «Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified», calling «glory» the conversion of the gentiles. And he gave the name «glory» to the cross. For, from that day to this, the cross is glorified. Indeed, it is the cross that still today consecrates kings, adorns priests, protects virgins, gives constancy to hermits, reinforces the marriage bond and strengthens widows. It is the cross that makes the Church fruitful, brings light to the peoples, guards the desert, opens paradise.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team