PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

[cappie]

Palm Sunday is about involvement and commitment – and the difference between the two. Those who followed Jesus on the final leg of his journey into Jerusalem singing his praises were surely involved.  And, to prove their interest and involvement, they lent Jesus their presence and their voices this special day. According to the Gospel of Luke – as we heard moments ago at the Blessing of Palms – one of them presumably even lent him a colt to ride on as he came down into the Holy City “from the Mount of Olives.” Echoing the words of the angels at Jesus’ birth, they all proclaimed, “Glory in the highest heaven,” and spread their cloaks before him. They were involved.

But like all of us here today they likely also had their responsibilities and preoccupations. What might have been a fun outing one day, welcoming the latest prophet into town led quickly enough to the duties and errands of the next day and beyond.  By the time Good Friday had rolled around, no one was left to lay down branches or cloaks for Jesus, much less chant hosanna before him. All, including his disciples, had abandoned him. Jesus was on his own. Our own hosannas this day are soon enough muffled by the recitation of the Passion narrative of Luke and the story of Jesus betrayal and death. “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,” turns with a start to, “Crucify, crucify him.”  

God on the other hand is always found to be firmly committed to God’s people, Israel. In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah proclaims, “It is the Lord God who helps me. “Isaiah knows instinctively that God is always more ready to show mercy and lend assistance than we are to accept it, God’s commitment, remains unwavering.  

Nor of course does Our Lord waver in commitment to us – and to all humankind. That is the message of Jesus’ Passion and death. Like the people of ancient Israel, we may be fickle or even erratic in our life of faith but Jesus never once fails us or lets us down. As Paul explains it in our reading today from his Letter to the Philippians, Christ “did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.” There can be no greater commitment than that.

So, Palm Sunday takes us on a liturgical and emotional roller-coaster ride like no other day of the church year. The involvement of the crowds at Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem challenges us once again to reflect on the commitment that led Jesus to give his life for our redemption. Amid the many “changes and chances of this mortal life” this or any week we dare not forget the Cross.

It would be easy enough for any of us to come to church on Palm Sunday, to “let sweet hosannas ring,” to gather a palm frond or two, head home, and not return until Easter Day. What a fine religion we have, we might be tempted to think: Palm branches and hosannas one Sunday, Easter lilies and alleluias the next. But if we did not pay attention to the Passion Gospel and the story of Jesus’ death we would have missed an essential piece – perhaps the essential piece. We would have missed the commitment and covenant that the whole story is about. We would have missed Good Friday.

Jesus enters the Holy City of Jerusalem on a colt provided for the purpose by a stranger. Like the throngs surrounding him that happy day, perhaps he too was caught up and engaged in the moment and the spectacle. But days later, as we know only too well, he leaves the City for the last time not on a colt, but on foot and carrying a cross, given over to the enormous task of winning our redemption one painful step at a time.

No matter where our life journey and its twists and turns may take us, as followers of Christ our voyage of faith leads most assuredly through Jerusalem and on to Calvary with our Lord. Like good pilgrims the world over and like Jesus himself, we too must walk the way of the cross. There is no other route home. For, only at the cross does our Lord at last turn our feeble involvement into the commitment and Covenant of Calvary and the assurance of our salvation.

The point of this Sunday, is precisely this: that we follow Christ with lively faith into the mystery of his death and resurrection. The enthusiasm of our procession with palms has led us in a matter of minutes to hear of the “Suffering Servant” who humbled himself to death, death on a cross, and the story of God giving Himself for our salvation. And yet, what we celebrate on this day and in this week, is not the entire story. The story is complete for us only when we truly listen to it, and commit ourselves to living it daily:

“United with Christ in his suffering on the cross, may we be united with him in his resurrection and new life.”

 This week may we also live the gift we have received: the Paschal Mystery of dying and rising in the Lord.

There are two ways that each one of us can be a living image of Christ's Passion to those around us: by words and by deeds.

By our words. We should not be afraid to speak of Christ and the meaning of his Passion. We are his messengers. He wants to reach out to others through us. Who needs to hear the message? Maybe we can think of someone right away. Maybe we just need to be ready and willing, so that the Holy Spirit can work through us.

And by our deeds. This week, we can image Christ's Passion by doing what he did, by sharing our neighbour’s burdens, by taking upon ourselves the crosses of others.

It may be as simple as inviting someone to come and participate in the Holy Week liturgies. 

Today,  let's ask Christ to show us what to do,  that we will carry the palm branch not only in Church, but everywhere we go, that we will do our part to be ambassadors for Christ.

 

[BarbTherese]

Thanks again, cappie!  Thanks heaps!

[Archaeology cat]

Thanks, Father!

[Makarioi]

Always enjoy your posts, Father.  Thank you for taking the time to help me have a better understanding of the Gospel