PALM SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH
THEME: PASSION FOR CHRIST
(Mark 14:1–15:47)
The celebration of today is one that launches us liturgically into the Holy Week. The Holy Week is so called because of the important events in the life of Christ that are re-enacted from this Sunday to Holy Saturday.
In a special way, today is called the Palm Sunday or the Passion Sunday. It is the Sunday that precedes the Easter Sunday. It is called Palm Sunday because of the Blessing and distribution of palm branches representing the Palm branches the crowd waved as Jesus entered Jerusalem. These branches, after the blessings, become Sacramentals and are to be preserved to serve as ash for next Ash Wednesday. On the other hand, today is called the Passion Sunday because of the Passion Narratives that become the Gospel of today. Here, we hear about the story of Christ’s condemnation, suffering, and death. We listen to it, not just as a story but to contemplate it as a reality in the life of Christ.
THE DIVISION OF TODAY’S CELEBRATION
Today’s celebration is divided into two parts: THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OR THE PALM PART, THE HOSANNA PART, and THE PASSION PART, THE THORN CROWN PART or THE ‘CRUCIFY HIM’ PART.
In the first session, we saw the myriads of people singing and following Christ along, hailing Him as it were with their palms. We saw Jesus on the donkey riding in Majesty as the Messiah that is to come. The people chanted: Hosanna filio David. We do the same procession today, as we look up to Jesus as the only Messiah that comes in the name of the Lord for our salvation.
We are brought to a deeper reflection on the passion of Christ so as to appreciate all He went through to set us free. We are not just to hear it and get entertained but put ourselves in the number of the people who witnessed these great events and ask ourselves where we belong. Are we among the Hosanna people or the Crucify Him people? That’s the question.
MESSAGE OF TODAY
The story of the Passion is the longest narration in the gospel we can think of in the Catholic Liturgy. We must stand to hear it all. It is worth it. We must give it our attention. That was the reason why Jesus came into the world. That was why Jesus emptied Himself and took up human nature. Let us go home with the message of this celebration so as to ever live in appreciation to Christ for His Holy Passion for our salvation.
ZEAL FOR CHRIST
In the passion narrative, we saw man in His crude, corrupt nature and God in His zeal to save man, which made Him become silent over all His Son endured for Man’s redemption.
The passion is a story of betrayal, of denial, of disappointment, of humiliation, of abandonment, of false judgment, of eclipse of godliness, of shame, of capital punishment, of man’s inhumanity.
Jesus saw all these. He knew it even as the Hosanna chants were going on. In the Gospel today He nearly prayed that it should pass away. But He insisted on allowing not His human will, but the Divine will take place.
His passion for the souls of men urged Him on. His love for our freedom encouraged Him to ride on to die.
Let us confront life with passion for God and the love for God. Let us not allow the changes and chances of this life to weigh us down. Let us not allow our desires, sinful passions, lust, greed, and emotions to steal our attraction for God and the will of God for us. Do we really have the zeal to actualize our mission of knowing God and inheriting His kingdom at last?
BE TRUE
Falsehood reigned in the story of the Passion of Christ. The chief priests and the Pharisees cooked up their accusations against Jesus because they wanted Him dead. Pilate knew the truth and was not courageous enough to stand for it. The crowd knew that Barabbas was an evil man but chose to free Him and crucify Jesus. They used their passions wrongly. They were dishonest with the powers invested on them by God.
Are you a true Christian? Do you shout Hosanna in the noon and crucify Him in the night? Do you like Peter declare before Church members, where you are known to follow Jesus till death and when you think no one sees you or knows your identity you deny Christ? Be true and tell yourself that truth on this.
Only Passion for Christ can make you stand up for Jesus in season and out of season.
BE HOLY AS YOU ENTER THE HOLY WEEK
With Christ’s entry into His passion, the mood of His close pals changed. While the crowd rejected Christ His mother and the women were thrown into mournful prayers, and they were drawn more to Him. The beloved disciples kept following. They remained steadfast. Few bystanders repented. Some confessed their sins. Some declared that Jesus Christ is the Lord. All these took place within the context of the passion. People entered into communion with God.
Let us be among the few who brought consolation to Jesus as He endured His passion. Let us be among those who will prove to Jesus that His suffering and death on the Cross is not in vain. We can only do this by living a holy life by emptying ourselves for God to feel us with His grace by removing from our lives everything that will crucify Jesus the second time.
Let us accept like Christ, whatever cross that will come our way with perfect resignation and total abandonment. Let’s look up to God, knowing that He will not allow us to be put to shame. May we move away from the noise in the world and embrace silence and, in the silence of our hearts, hear the voice that speaks of peace, reconciling us to God whose heart we have often wounded by sin. Let us not give up nor lose faith in the face of the many trials that come our way. Let’s not be overwhelmed by the difficult times. They will all pass away. There’s no crown without a cross. We shall overcome by the grace of God. God can never abandon us. Let’s appreciate all the celebrations of this holy week and come out triumphantly victorious.
May God bless His word in our hearts.
LET US PRAY
We thank and worship You, Lord, for keeping us alive to celebrate this year’s passion. As You continue to bless us, oh Lord, give us the grace to appreciate the great price Your Son paid to set us free. Give us the zeal to continue living according to Your holy will for us. May the passion of Christ strengthen us now and forever. Amen
Happy Passion Sunday (Yr B)