Today begins the most sacred week of the Church’s entire
liturgical year. We will walk with Jesus through Holy Week in
the pattern of his death and resurrection.
The week we call holy invites us to enter into the heart of our
faith.
St Paul in the second Scripture reading reveals who
Jesus is: “Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not regard
equality to God something to be grasped, rather he emptied himself taking the
form of a slave…he humbled himself.”
On
Palm Sunday the church gives us the opportunity to hear two Gospels. The first
one was proclaimed at the beginning of the liturgy as the palms were blessed;
the second was proclaimed at its normal time. One of the gospels depicts a
triumphal march into Jerusalem. The other on a painful, humanly agonizing and
struggling march leading to a death. A high and a low. But, which one is which? Which one is which? This is such an important question.
Our
world would assert that the glorious entry into Jerusalem was the high point
and that the death of Jesus on the cross was the low point. Our faith proclaims
that just the opposite is true.
During the two Gospels that make the Palm Sunday
liturgy, we go from the joy of a good parade on Palm Sunday to a parade that
ends with the suffering and death of Jesus on Good Friday. The incredible contrast in moods between the
two Gospels proclaimed in this Sunday’s liturgy capture well the broad dynamic
of the Paschal Mystery. The opening
Gospel proclaimed in the blessing of the palms is the triumphal entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem with the disciples shouting Hosanna and placing palm branches
along the route
The second Gospel proclaimed is the Passion Account of
the suffering and death of Jesus. Before
this week is ended, the palm branches of Palm Sunday will be replaced by the
thorns and nails of the Friday we call “Good.”
Shouts of “Alleluia” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord!” will be drowned out by the mocking sneers and cries of “Crucify Him! Crucify
Him!”
Traditionally during Holy Week, we focus on the
sufferings of Jesus. But it is not
suffering, not even the sufferings of Jesus, that makes this week holy. Rather it is holy because of love -- the
reconciling love of God who has come to live among us in the person of Jesus
Christ. God’s love is the only thing
that makes sense out of suffering, conflict, and tragedy. God’s love does not do away with suffering; the
very fact of the cross should teach us that.
God’s love makes it possible to deal with suffering, to remember it, to
share in it, and, yes, even to celebrate it.
God’s love is the essence of the story of salvation.
In the passion account, Jesus looks like a victim. He is not triumphant as we understand
triumph. Instead he appears to be a
failure. Judging by one set of
standards, Jesus has not met our expectations.
But according to another standard – the standard of unconditional love
–he has far surpassed our expectations.
At once regal and lowly, he brought healing and holiness to others
through his own pain and brokenness. He
would claim victory by being defeated; he would establish his reign by serving
and by dying. His crown would be a weave
of thorns.
As we gather in prayer on this day, may we be very
conscious that Palm Sunday is not just about ancient history. It is about NOW. As we reflect upon the Passion account, we
discern how the passion account as the Living Word of God speaks to our lives
today. We see the first apostles,
despite their closeness to Jesus, do not stand by Him in His suffering. What about us?
On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey with
palm branches being spread on the road. When he entered Jerusalem, the whole
city was in turmoil: “Who is this?” people asked. In Jesus, God is the one who identifies with
and enters into the experience of the people He loves. Today God is sending a message through Jesus
in this Palm Sunday celebration that states that Jesus once again accompanies
us in these days. God will embrace and
transform our sufferings so that we may enter more fully into the risen life of
Jesus.
Morning after morning in these days of Holy Week, we
strive to accompany Jesus, present here and now in this community of believers
and especially in those who suffer, as he continues his journey toward the
heavenly Jerusalem through a world that sometimes cries Hosanna, but often,
also, Crucify! As disciples in every
age, we resolve to be ready to suffer with our Master, carrying the cross in
union with Him, freely laying down our lives in selfless service, trusting as
did Jesus that, despite appearances to the contrary, God’s steadfast love will
not abandon us but lead us safely to eternal life.
As we listen to the account of the passion and death of
Jesus, may we be immersed in the immensity of God’s love for us. May we also listen to the challenge that is
given to us throughout the entire passion narrative: As the master goes, so goes the disciple.
Take the palm
branches with you today; let them be a reminder that we are entering the
holiest week of the year. The week that begins with the false triumphal entry
into Jerusalem and ends with the true triumph over death and the cross. These
palms challenge us to remember our role in our Lord’s passion – that those
great sufferings endured by our Lord were endured for each of us.
These palms can
stay with us, calling us to not forget who we are – sinners in need of our
Lord’s grace, and what we can be – sinners who have placed our lives in the
hands of our loving God.
Have a
blessed day.
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