Comments on: 6th Sunday of Lent (Palm/Passion Sunday) Year A, April 5, 2020-“He enters Jerusalem”

By: Nwachukwu Benedict

Nwachukwu Benedict — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 09:33:46 +0000

Thank you father for the insightful sermon

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 23:52:01 +0000

I do not know you, Skip, but please continue asking questions! Father, thank you for responding! This was very helpful to me and I am sure many others.

By: Skip

Skip — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 13:03:05 +0000

Dear Fr. Lawrence, thank you very much for responding an in depth answer to my question ( I had to read it 3 times).
My whole question I guess was summoned up with what you wrote:

“Thus his death on the cross was meant to change the order that death does not have the final say again. It was a death that returned the life lost to death so that those who believe in him and die in him will live for ever.”

God bless you Father for responding to a (sometimes knuckle headed) reader as myself, I feel humbled.

By: Fr Obilor

Fr Obilor — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 07:12:32 +0000

Dear Skip
God is the God of life and not of death. He created life and not death, for death is a consequence of sin. Now, because God desires that His creatures should live, Jesus’ intention of coming was not to die but to give life (Let us get the nuances here. He did not leave heaven to earth in order to die. No, he left heaven to earth in order to bring life to creation living in suffering and death). Death only became a consequence of giving life to creation. In other words a participation in the experience of his creatures as the “God with us.”
God is an all knowing God. He knows us through and through. He knows about our actions but does not condition us to act. God did not pre-destine or condition those who persecuted Jesus to do so. And even when the bible talks about Judas as a child of condemnation (or destined), it does not suppose that God predestined him to betray Jesus. He freely chose to do that out human will. He submitted to the lure of sin and thus became a slave to sin. To understand this then we must know that, if God truly predestined the persecutors of Jesus as well as Judas, then the implication should be either that what they did was not wrong (because they only responded to the will of God and ofcourse should be saved) or if it was wrong, then God must be held culpable of their sin (and that would imply that he is a wicked God who leads his people into sin and still condemn them). But we know that God cannot lead us to sin for whatever reason. He rather allows us and out of our free will we can either chose to sin or not to sin. And that is why there is judgment and condemnation. The judgment of God implies that man is free and out of his free will he decided to live a life unworthy of the will of God. Thus the action of those who persecuted Jesus simply tells us how man right from Adam has been rebellious. It is an expression of the culture of sin that characterizes human existence. Jesus willingly chose suffering and death for the sake of redeeming creation condemned to suffering and death by sin. He chose suffering and death in order to recreate a new world according to the ideal world desired by God at the beginning. Thus his death on the cross was meant to change the order that death does not have the final say again. It was a death that returned the life lost to death so that those who believe in him and die in him will live for ever.
For Luther, Calvin and those who have the doctrine of predestination (and in reference to salvation of the chosen) the action of Judas was determined but the church does not preach about predestination.

This is my personal take on the question.

By: Skip

Skip — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 14:52:30 +0000

Thank you Father for your in depth reflection.
One thing that bothers me is – could this have turned out any different even if the Sanhedrin and all the Jews did believe in and follow Jesus?
If so, how else could scripture been fulfilled?
From birth until death the story of Jesus was foretold.
So, could this be summed up as God establishing a new Covenant for the whole world through his only son Jesus and His paraclet, His Holy Spirit?
Would you be so kind to expound about this?
Thank you and God bless you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 14:48:41 +0000

Thank you Father. You have given us much to think deeply about, to search our souls about, to be honest with ourselves about, and to pray about. May God help us all.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 12:10:41 +0000

Thank you Father. There is so much going on here in this Gospel reading. Plots and sub-plots, different characters with different ambitions, changes in loyalty, new faithful arrive at the scene. Your deep understanding and explanation helps us all better understand and appreciate our Catholic faith especially during this intense time and the Passion of Holy Week. Amazing stuff!

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 11:46:27 +0000

Thank you Father Lawrence for your Life Message and thank you for your ministry. No Palm Sunday Mass today but your Message provides comfort and inspiration.