PALM SUNDAY YEAR C
(Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Phil 2:6-11; Lk 22:14-23:56)
**************************************************
Let us enter a moment of silence, to let such powerful readings penetrate our minds and touch our hearts.
The message that comes to me from the Word of God this Sunday is basically: “Trust in Jesus the Saviour and follow him on his Way of the Cross”.
Each year, on Palm Sunday, we listen to this same story, but from a different gospel. This year is the gospel of Luke. Let us prayerfully review what Luke shares with us.
Luke begins with the account of the Last Supper, the Eucharist. What a powerful intimate moment for the apostles. For us today, Jesus turns the bread and wine we offer, into his Body and Blood, which he knew would be broken and shed for us the next day on the Cross. To follow him today is to be a Eucharistic people, to recognize him in the breaking of the bread – an intimate moment for us, a hug from God.
Jesus then speaks of service. To follow him, and to live the Eucharist in our lives, is to live lives of humble service, not control or power over others. From his birth to his death, an almost shocking “powerlessness” characterizes the ministry of Jesus.
Then comes the agony in the garden, where he confronts the weight of our sins, Peter’s denial, and Pilate’s questioning. We are reminded of the reality of our sins, and of the need we have to answer those questions for ourselves: “Who is Jesus for me?” in our own day and culture. Are we like Herod, missing the message of humble, loving service, preferring power, and always seeking something sensational, some sign, to satisfy our curiosity and lack of faith? Do we dare put our trust in the “powerlessness” of the Cross?
Jesus teaches us a silent lesson in what he does with the cross. He accepts it, carries it, and shares it. So must we, in our own lives. We need to accept our own crosses; carry them in prayer, patience and love, and share our burdens with others, reaching out for help, and forming a community of belonging, affirmation and caring as we do so.
In the end, the death of Jesus on the Cross, and following him, is all about forgiveness. Jesus forgives those who are killing him and forgives the thief hanging with him. The key to the kingdom is forgiveness. We must pray that his forgiveness flows through us to anyone who has hurt us in any way.
One of the best things we can do during this Holy Week to live this gospel, is celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation, or Step 4 and 5 of the 12 Step Program. This is what Albert did before writing a letter to his mother – he dealt with his own destructive behaviour and the resultant guilt first. Taking time to face our own sins and wrongdoing, puts us up on the cross. Sharing that with another human being, is sharing that cross, just as Jesus shared his. Receiving forgiveness and healing, is already a sharing in His resurrection, an experience of the Easter we are preparing to celebrate in a few days.
In a nutshell, the lessons of Palm Sunday are these: we are a sinful people who need a saviour; Jesus is the Saviour who redeems us through his love and redemptive suffering; and Jesus calls us to follow him, with faith and love, through humble loving service on our own way of the Cross. He nourishes us with the Bread of Life and His Word, as we place our faith in him and his way of forgiveness and loving service, the way of the Cross.
