It is 28th March 2021. We celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Lent as a Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday).
The readings are from Isaiah 50:4-7; the second reading is from Phil 2:6-11; and the Gospel from Mark 14:1-15:47.
With this celebration today we enter into Holy Week. It is the time to reflect about Jesus and his agony, and suffering. It is the time to reflect the final days of Jesus on earth and prepare ourselves to experience the mystery of salvation unfolding. A solemn entry into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. As Jesus entered in a donkey, people spread palm branches and their garments on the street and singing loudly “Hosanna to the Son of David” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”. Synoptic Gospel do not speak about Palm branches only in John’s Gospel. “The Jews entered Jerusalem with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel.” (1 Mac. 13:51). Palm branches are symbol of victory and Israel’s freedom.
Symbol of Maccabean nationalism. Here is the one who will overthrow the Roman empire. The people wanted him to be the king. Knowing the mind of people, Jesus took a humble animal donkey not a chariate or horse to enter into Jerusalem. Jesus is king and His victory is much more enormous than all others.
It is day of triumph and tragedy in the life of Jesus.
It is the time to come closer to Jesus. God is whispering something to each one of us during this Holy Week as we witness the crucial and cruel moments in the life of Jesus.
A story goes this way. A young man asked his master “why doesn’t God answer when I need some help?”. The master who was sitting little far said something in a feeble voice that the young man could not even hear it. So, the young man stepped across the room and asked the master to repeat what he said. The master said again whispered it much more mild and gentle way and he could not hear it. So, the young man leaned on the master asked again. The master replied him in his ears “God sometimes whispers,” he said. “So that we will move closer to hear him.” We all wish to hear the voice in loud and clear way possible. But most of the times God draws us closer in pain, suffering, agony and in profound silent moments of our heart. We just need to bend toward God as close as possible to listen God.
We are still in the mire of pandemic and so the palm procession is so restricted.
We are invited to reflect the commitment and abandonment of Jesus, Acknowledgment of Jesus’ identity and our personal accompaniment. It is also time to be grateful for the love Jesus demonstrated and standing with those who courageously love even when they become the victims of violence and abuse. May we make effort to read one of the Gospel’s passion narratives and to minimize the usage of social media and other pleasure seeking tendencies.
The responsorial Psalm echoes the agony of Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” (Ps.22:2).
The Commitment of Jesus: When God remained silent when the world wanted to eliminate Jesus nailing Him on the Cross. “He was oppressed and was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Is 53:7). His self-forgetful love leads Him to be committed without avoiding suffering and passion. Jesus could have avoided entry into Jerusalem at the request of the disciple. He was not a coward but committed by entering openly and willing to confront the evil head on. Jesus was God’s love. The second reading reminds us, “Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.”
The Abandonment: During suffering and loneliness, we go through enormous abandonment by our close friends, family members and close associates. Fear and desolation that manifested in his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. As He was made to walk closer to face Cross, the betrayal of Judas and repeated denial of Peter made Him feel abandoned. Jesus felt the abandonment as we ourselves continue to feel when we are forgotten by our loved ones and at times by God. The cross and suffering continue in our lives. The cross of Jesus is not mere ornamental and decoration in our churches and families, but it is reminder of supreme love of Jesus. The enormous hostility towards Jesus was noticed from all corners from the authorities, His disciples, and people yet there were some accompanied Him like that of Veronica, Simon of anonymous women, Joseph of Arimathea.
The Acknowledgement of Jesus’ Identity: Jesus suffered and was humiliated as a human person. This memory of the passion of Jesus calls us to pay attention to the sufferings and pain of the others. The crucifixion of Jesus brings out the true meaning of His mission as Messiah and king. We need to appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus to continue as a pilgrim of peace, love and hope. It was not new for Jesus to suffer. He suffered from the start of His life, “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Lk.9:58).
Our Personal Accompaniment: We are tested spiritually during pain, agony, suffering as we go through it physically. It adds all the more pain to us when God remains silent and not rescuing us in a way we expected. It is our turn to accompany the Lord who was betrayed by His close disciple and going through inner struggle. Our accompaniment needs to culminate in confessing our faith in Jesus as the Roman centurion did. As we witness the innocent persons are victimized to please authorities, we must not remain indifferent like Pilate, who found no charges against Jesus yet condemned Him. “It was for our transgressions he was smitten, for our sins he was brought low. On him lay the punishment that brings us healing, through his wounds we are made whole” (53:5ff). There are moments in our life we want to cry so loud to the Lord why have forsaken and forgotten us. As we accompany Jesus in this journey, we need to look inside to see what is going on within ourselves. Let us slow down to listen to Jesus at this agonising moment. May the Lord bless each one of us to enter into Holy Week to be near Jesus.