5 April 2020
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
In Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, there are two seemingly opposed dimensions to this singular sacred liturgy – Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and His Passion and Death. Who would have thought that the great majority of those who welcomed Jesus into the city with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” and the waving of palm, would soon become the ones who would be shouting “crucify Him!”? Father Eilerman often encourages us to enter the story and find ourselves in various people in a Scripture passage. The gospels of today really prick us to the personal reality that you and I are sometimes those waving palms giving Jesus a kingly entrance into Jerusalem and sometimes you and I are those who cry out “crucify Him!”, or who betray Him, or who deny Him. At some moments we also might find ourselves like those or who stand by to give Jesus some comfort like Our Mother Mary or a Simon of Cyrene. The reality that Jesus gave His life for each and every person who was there present in any number of ways, and for those who had come before them, and we who would come after, communicates intimately Jesus love for us in a very personal way as He, the only Innocent One, offered His life for you and for me in all its brokenness and betrayal of Him in our sin.
This reality of Jesus’ personal love for each of us requires a response – it is a personal challenge to living in the truth, conversion and to embrace this transforming gift of the Lord’s perfect love of charity. When we choose to receive this gift of love that is undeserved and unearned, with gratitude, vulnerability, and surrender, something beautiful happens… it allows us in all the moments of our day to be able to give ourselves in love back to God and to those in front of us just as Jesus has for us. Are we willing to step out of the crowd mentality and follow Jesus in our personal life? To be honest with Him about our life and when we’ve betrayed and crucified Him by our indifference and sin and to welcome anew his love by way of His Divine Mercy? Are we willing to share in His Passion when we are persecuted in innocence or given called to be like Simon and take up a share of Jesus’ cross and entrust ourselves beyond what is difficult or unknown to allow God to manifest His glory in our times of Passion? And, are we willing to allow Jesus to transform our love to be like His own so we can give our lives away as a gift to others in front of us each day with Jesus Love and Mercy? May we see in this very different opportunity to celebrate Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum a time to renew with the whole of our lives to echo by our love and mercy in this world the Hosanna’s of those before the Lamb in Heaven giving Him glory, honour, and praise for ever and ever.
Let us Pray,
Increase the faith of those who place their hope in you, O God,
and graciously hear the prayers of those who call on you,
that we, who today hold high these branches
to hail Christ in his triumph,
may bear fruit for you by good works accomplished in him.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.