THE PASSION OF LORD: TRIUMPH, TRAGEDY AND VICTORY
The Palm Sunday known as the Passion Sunday liturgically is the commemoration or relive of the triumphant entry of Christ to Jerusalem. A historical and bold entry that eventually leads to his passion, death and resurrection. It is not only a fulfilment of the plan or will of God the Father as Jesus himself indicated it to us. It is a demonstration of the love of God to save us at all costs from slavery to sin and Satan.
Therefore, the Passion Sunday ushers in the holiest week of Easter. A quiet and silent moment of sober reflection on the history, mysteries and memory of our salvation won by Christ Jesus through his passion, death and resurrection in accordance with the God: the Father’s will with in-action of God: the Holy Spirit.
THE MYSTERY AND REALITY OF HOLY WEEK
The Holy Week is a sacred moment of our faith and our Christian life. When we are encouraged or invite to relive, to participate actively and consciously in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Holy week is a holiday time that enables us to be engaged in the events and activities of our Church. It is not a moment of pleasure, vacation, beach or party time. It is rather a solemn time of silence, contemplation, reflection, and meditation as we as participate in the liturgical activities of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
OUR THEME
As the Church celebrates this sixth Sunday of Lent as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. The readings invite us to a moment of reflection on the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The mystery of his triumphant entry to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise to glory and victory as our Lord and Saviour.
This is the time of year we stop to remember and relive the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. What we commemorate and relive during this week is not just Jesus’ dying and rising, but our own dying and rising in Jesus, which will result in our healing, reconciliation, and redemption. Attentive participation in the Holy Week liturgy will deepen our relationship with God, increase our faith, and strengthen our lives as disciples of Jesus.
Today’s liturgy combines contrasting moments, one of glory, the other of suffering. The royal welcome of Jesus in Jerusalem and the drama of the trial culminated in the crucifixion, death, and burial of Christ.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 50:4-7
In the first reading of the day, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us of the Song of the Suffering Servant of God who suffers unjustly to save many.
This poetic passage of the prophecy of Isaiah depicts Jesus Christ, who willingly and generously embraced the painful Father’s will knowing he will come out victoriously without shame.
This song of Suffering Servant of God invites us to contemplate the simplicity and humility of God, in Christ, who underwent pains, sufferings, and humiliation for others to be justified.
PSALM 22
The refrain for today’s responsorial Psalm (Ps 22),” My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” plunges us into the heart of Christ’s Passion. This desperate cry of Christ continues to resound in the world today through the sufferings masses. Our brothers and sisters are victims of human poverty, violence, hatred and injustice.
It is a song of a victim and victor who trust in God through his suffering and pain. We too are invited by the psalmist to trust in God when things get rougher and tougher around us.
SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians praises the self-emptying of God’s Servant: Jesus Christ, dying to save his people. A self-giving, self-donation or self-emptying of God: the Son to become slave, accept death on a cross, that earned Him a Name above every other name in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth and with every tongue acclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God.
In other words, this hymn of the Humble Christ submitting willingly to God in his letter to save mankind is also a course to reflect the vulnerability and brokenness of God to save humanity.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 22: 14-23: 56
Luke is the gospel of the mercy of God. Hence, while edifying the narrative passion of Christ, he underlines the mercy and prayer of Jesus.
However, the account of the passion narrative of Jesus by Luke presents us with the ultimate life moment of Jesus Christ. His sufferings and death with the expectation of the resurrection is a concrete reminder of Jesus´ submission to the Will of God. In order to save us through the narrow and difficult way of the Cross; a terrible, painful and agonizing way to die.
THE GREATEST CONSPIRACY OF EVIL AND THE CULTURE OF SILENCE OF THE GOOD
Jesus’ passion and death were one of the greatest conspiracies of all time when evil men under religious and political pretences and excuses tried to silence an innocent, just and good man. This leads us to one fundamental question: why did Christ actually die:
1. For the Jewish leaders and authorities, Jesus was an intruder and an impostor they must do away with to keep and preserve their religious traditions and customs.
2. For Pilate and Roman authorities, Jesus was the scapegoat who must take the fall, though innocent as he was for there to be peace and order in the land.
3. For the soldiers, Jesus was a victim of obeying the last order or command of superior authority with no moral obligation to their brutality.
4. For the Jewish people, Jesus was like any revolutionary figure who came to distort the existing status quo and stability with there was more preferable to this unestablished order of Jesus’ way. So Jesus was the lesser evil to do away with than abusive and manipulative leaders.
THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE TRUTH AND GOD
Yet, amidst the conspiracy, there were the good people who moved with empathy to help the suffering innocent man.
A. Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus with his cross, though compelled to help out as a stranger.
B. The women of Jerusalem who mourned and wept for Jesus and would accompany him all through to Calvary.
C. Mary, Jesus’ mother and the disciple Jesus loved though in pain and sorrow supported Christ’s suffering and death to accomplishment in silence.
D. The centurion who amidst brutality and injustice truly acclaimed and professed Christ as “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
E. Joseph of Arimathea, who publicly owned up to belonging to Christ-fold. Sought permission to bring down Christ’s body as well as provide the tomb and materials for a dignified burial.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOLY WEEK:
1) A week of remembrance and appreciation
2) A week of thanksgiving
3) A week of repentance and reconciliation
4) A week to keep Christ’s New Commandment of Agape love
5) A week to deepen our Faith and strengthen our relationship with God.
Significance of Palm Sunday: 1) A day to remember two contrasting moments of Christ’s triumph and tragedy.
SOME LIFE QUESTIONS WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES TODAY:
1)Does Jesus weep over the sinful situation of our souls?
2) Am I a barren fig tree?
3) Will Jesus need to cleanse my heart with his whip?
4) Do I welcome Jesus into my heart as our personal Lord, Savior and God?
5) Are we ready to carry Jesus like a donkey on Palm Sunday to our homes and workplaces, conveying his love, mercy, compassion and spirit of forgiveness to others?
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, your suffering, passion, and death through unjust in all ramifications brought victory and salvation to all who live under the bondage of sins, death, evil and the devil. May we never have the reason to be participatory in evil under any false excuses and pretences for the ‘’greater good”, out of sympathy or cowardice of standing for the truth and justice no matter the cost. Amen.
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