Play the Prophet

“Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists; others said as they struck him, play the prophet, Christ! Who hit you then? (Matthew 26: 67)

The passion of the Christ begins. The reign of darkness is set in motion. The Truth becomes a blasphemy to the chief priest. Jesus is well prepared for this moment of crisis. He has prepared for this time all his life. But at Gethsemane he prepared for it intensely and proximately. This reminds me of a great word I heard in a recent parish mission: “Life is a journey and not a series of events.” Every step in this journey and every moment of this journey counts towards the final scene. This is the final act in the life of Christ. This drama started with his birth in a stable on Christmas Day. The child is the father of the man. It is as if we see the cross looming over the nativity scene.

What does all this mean for us? Every step and every moment of our life’s journey prepares us too for the final scene. If we take every step with the end in mind, we prepare well.