Crucifiers vs. Entombers

I was at mass last week and noticed that the lights were flickering over the 11th and 14th Stations of the Cross.The 11th Station is when Jesus is nailed to the cross and the 14th Station is when Jesus is buried in the tomb. Anytime I notice something like this, I find that it is no coincidence, so I use it as an opportunity to reflect upon any fruits that the Lord would like to teach me. 

One of the interesting things that I realized was that from the 11th station onward, Jesus spent the remainder of His life completely at the whim of the people who surrounded Him. This led me to reflect on who actually surrounded Jesus during the 11th and the 14th stations. The crucifiers were the ones who nail Jesus to the cross in the 11th station and the entombers were the ones who buried Jesus in the 14th station.

There is a clear distinction between the people who crucified Christ and the people who entombed Christ; pure hate vs. pure love. The crucifiers mocked Jesus, spit upon Him, ridiculed Him, and abused Him. They stripped Jesus of His clothes, which stripped Him of His dignity and exposed His bruised and bloodied body. The crucifiers forcefully thrust Jesus’ body onto the cross and brutally hammered the nails into his hands and feet. They were unmoved by Jesus’ cries of anguish, but instead continued their torture as they raised the cross up with the naked, bloodied, bruised body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ upon it. There is no account of the crucifiers having any compassion or sympathy for Jesus while nailing Him to the cross. It is probable that they thought what they were doing was right; they thought they were rightfully punishing a criminal and so they believed that Jesus deserved the ill treatment by them. 

The crucifiers represent all those who reject Jesus. Theirs is a rejection of love, unity, humility, forgiveness, and freedom. It is a rejection of the Catholic Church and the Holy Spirit that dwells within the Church. It’s the mockery of having faith in a God who humbled Himself, becoming human, in order to save mankind. And yet, Jesus’ response to the crucifiers is “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). 

The crucified Christ is where sacrifice and mercy meet; teaching us that where there is sacrificial love, there is an opportunity for mercy. This goes against our sinful human condition, which can fall into the temptation of bitterness, unforgiveness, and getting even. To be merciful in the midst of suffering is to be lifted up by God, out of our human tendencies, into His Divine nature. This cannot be done through our own human limitations, but it is possible through Divine intervention. From the cross, Jesus teaches us that He did not only come to show us how to live a more Christ-like life, but He came to show us how to reach the heights of Heavenly union with God in this life, through our participation in Divine Mercy. Jesus’ mercy shown to the crucifiers not only reveals this most sacred mystery to us, but it also invites us into it.

In the 14th station, the people who surrounded Jesus were His mother Mary and close friends and family. These men and women were the lovers of Christ. Theirs were the gentle hands who accepted His fate, who loved Jesus even though He was publicly shamed, and who trusted in God despite the seeming defeat. These friends were the believing hearts that most reverently handled the Body of Christ. These souls were the compassionate ones who carefully honored our Lord’s lifeless Body, treating it with the dignity that it deserved. 

The entombers took great care in transferring the Body of Jesus to the place of his burial. Imagine them gently cleaning off the blood and dirt. Imagine them tenderly wrapping Jesus’ Body with the burial cloths and laying him in the tomb. Even though their Lord and Savior was dead and their future was uncertain, these holy men and women did the next best thing, which was to attend to the burial of Jesus. This great act of love reveals to us that the entombers knew which battle they were called to; instead of remaining bitter at the injustice that they had just witnessed, they reacted in love and compassion, choosing mercy in a time of great distress. 

There is a point in the mass where we are invited to reflect upon the burial of Jesus. After communion, when the priest is cleaning the sacred vessels, when he is taking care to reverently consume every last drop and crumb of the most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we are called to enter into this part of the life of Christ. The priest places Jesus into the tabernacle, reminding us of Jesus’ burial in the tomb. By uniting our hearts to the entombers during this point in the mass, we can allow our hearts to be transformed into the gentle hearts of those who witnessed the actual burial of Jesus.

The entombers represent those who are able to be merciful even amidst great adversity. Those who do the right thing, no matter how hidden and insignificant the right thing may seem to be. Those who are unafraid to be witnesses to the cross. Those who take to heart each and every thing that happens in their life, understanding that God is powerful enough to bring about redemption from all things. The entombers trusted in the promises of God and they truly believed in them. They teach us that our reactions and responses to what happens in the world should be based upon this fundamental truth, that God is in control and we are not, therefore we must simply do the next best thing.

For me, this seemingly insignificant event of the two lights flashing over the 11th and 14th Stations has borne so much fruit for me. By reflecting on these two stations and comparing the two opposing sets of people who surrounded Jesus, I have learned that we too are faced every day with a choice of how we are going to treat Jesus. Jesus Christ remains hidden in the form of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist. He is truly present to us each and every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in the tabernacle, which resides in every Catholic Church.

How reverent am I when in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist? Am I brave enough to go to the cross with Christ in order to allow the sufferings and trials of this life to be redeemed by Him? Do I turn to Jesus in prayer and confide in Him first or do I turn to the world to find solutions, peace, hope, and direction? Have I rejected Jesus in any way in my life? How have I contributed to nailing Him to the cross, through my words, my deeds, my unbelief? 

Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:23-24

Jesus, help me to see and believe in your real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Strengthen my faith in you. Give me the grace to be able to follow you even when it is hard, even when it is inconvenient, even when it means persecution. May I be a beacon of mercy to the world, in the midst of so much fear and hate. May I choose the hidden way of love and gentleness no matter how insignificant it may seem. Jesus, I give you permission to humble me, “make me a channel of your peace” (from the Prayer of St Francis), so that I may be lifted up by your Divine intervention in order to experience the heights of your Heavenly Kingdom. “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine” (From the Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus).