May his blood be upon us and upon our children
One of the most profound insights from Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week is his meditation on the words of the crowd when they condemned Jesus to crucifixion: “His blood be upon us and upon our children” (Matthew 27:25). This passage has famously been used throughout history to condemn the Jewish race for the crime of deicide, but Benedict sees something far deeper at work here. Unlike the blood of other innocent men, it does not condemn, it redeems. The truth is that we all have his blood on upon us, for every time we sin, we crucify our Lord. But this is the blood of mercy, which cleanses us of our sins. This is the blood which Christ tells us we must drink or we do not have eternal life. This is the life-giving blood which pours out from the pierced side of Christ and forms the Church. This is the blood which is our salvation.
May it be upon us and upon our children.
Are you telling me you had never thought of this before? It was “hidden” in plain sight!
Glad you are blogging again! I have missed reading your insights. Thanks for the great subject today. I have a friend who is being seduced by an overly “traditionalist” movement. Some of the things she is saying sound very antisemitic. She uses the very words you write of here to accuse all Jews of deicide. She thinks the Pope is writing these things to be politically correct and for other, much more diabolical reasons. Is there anything you can suggest which will help me lead her in the right direction. She asks for my opinions and will listen to what I say because I was here sponsor when she converted. Thank you.
Tom,
I would recommend that she actually read Pope Benedict’s works, especially the two Jesus of Nazareth volumes. I suspect she hasn’t actually read them, but just heard about them from traditionalist sources. Reading them would expose her to their beauty and insight.
Of course, if she thinks that Pope Benedict writes for “diabolical” reasons, then she won’t be open to his writings – but you can’t do anything about that other than pray for her.
What an amazing insight! Thank you.
Look up The Vatican-Moscow Agreement = Pact of Metz.
I have always found fault with the Palm Sunday readings. Not for a few years or more have I said in church, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” for I am not going to take Christ’s blood on my hands. I do say the final line about how this must have been God when referring to Jesus. But now, like Pontius Pilate, I publicly wash my hands of the entire affair!