Hello. I am George Martin, and I again welcome you to selected homilies of Monsignor Joseph Bernard McAllister, this being disc number seven of 12. The first homily of this CD is one of my favorites, and to say favorite is, as you have hopefully found, a real challenge. Before starting, you may have noted that I have used, for the first time Monsignor's middle name, Bernard, which is particularly appropriate with this first sermon as it deals with an important element of the passion. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that, quote, it was not until the time of Saint Bernard and Saint Francis of Assisi that the full developments of Christian devotion to the passion were reached, close quote.
With the passion of Christ occurring in the first century and Saint Bernard raising attention to all Christians to this in the twelfth century, we're now, again, almost a millennium later, still analyzing this critical event. The sermon you are about to hear is among several alike theme that requires one to pause and reflect on those few hours of Good Friday, specifically between the arrest at Gethsemane and Pilate washing his hands. Recognizing that we have no faith without Christ's resurrection from the dead, we focus here on only one question. What was the essential cause for his sentence to death? Like almost nothing else about Christ's life, our faith rests on these few hours in history.
The gospel that precedes this homily identifies the essence of the Jewish leaders charge against Christ, which was, of course, blasphemy, and as such, punishable by death. But what did they make him out to be? It was obvious to the Jewish leaders then that he made himself out to be God. There was no question that the Jewish leaders were jealous of Christ's success and drawing people to his teachings, but jealousy is not a chargeable offense. Christ was not on earth to change the Jewish law.
In fact, he affirmed the law and did not repudiate the charge made against him. When Christ was asked if he was the Messiah, he did not deny the charge. Christ remained mostly silent before Caiaphas and Herod. And in answer to Pilate's question, if he is king of the Jews, Jesus simply replies, so you say. Again, here was a turning point of all times.
Either Christ was God and the world was forever changed with salvation available to all, or he was a liar and the evil that has befallen the millions who have both followed and died for him would make him possibly the worst man ever on earth. Christ did not equivocate when the charge of blasphemy was made, which even his own disciples did not seem to grasp, though they had observed him perform numerous miracles. I cannot hear the reading of the passion each Easter without thinking of the opportunities Christ had to extricate himself from the crucifixion that awaited him. Clearly, the Jewish leaders would not have pressed their case against Christ before the chief priests and Roman authorities unless they were certain that Christ would stand by what he had proclaimed. His silence was a point in time like no other.
The world would be changed forever. The life of each person on earth would be changed forever. And now we continue with selected homilies of Monsignor Joseph Bernard McAllister.