INTRODUCTION
The evangelists did not report the passion and death of Jesus just to stir our emotions rather they presented us Christ who gave up his life so that we might be saved.
On this day, the Holy Mother, the Church celebrates the sixth Sunday of Lent known as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. It is the beginning of what we traditionally know as the Holy Week. The week-long celebrations are meant to re-present to us the great mystery of our salvation and thus invite us to embrace it for what it is that is, to relive the mystery. It is very important for us to know that what we are called to 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. Thus, an attentive participation in the Holy Week liturgy should be able to reshape our relationship with God, increase our Faith, and strengthen our lives as disciples of Jesus. Strange enough but enriching, the liturgy of the day is a combination of two contrasting moments, one of glory, and the other of suffering: the royal welcome of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the drama of his trial, culminating in crucifixion, death and burial, though it will never end in death.
FIRST READING: Isaiah 50:4-7
Between the chapters 40-55 of the book of Isaiah, there are four unique passages which biblical scholars designated as Songs of the Suffering Servant. Our first reading today is the third of the Songs. These four songs describe a mysterious figure who suffers for the benefit of the people. The author presents this figure as one sent to the house of Israel but on the contrary his messianic mission does not correspond to the image of the Messiah the people were longing for. They needed a triumphant Messiah, powerful ruler like their ancestor David who would liberate them from the clutches of their political enemies. Thus, the figure of a “suffering servant” Messiah foreseen by the prophet is an antithesis to their expectation.
Meanwhile, the qualities that characterize the “suffering servant” as well as his experiences (still a mysterious figure) were never found in any figure except in Jesus. The songs foretell his saving mission no matter what the cost: “I have not … turned back” and “I gave my back to those who beat me.” The kingship of Jesus was to be characterized by suffering and humiliation. The words of the reading thus convey the message of confidence in God’s protection in the midst of trials. It equally challenges us to accept what we cannot change, so that we may endure the difficulty for as long as it is necessary, just as Christ did.
SECOND READING: Philippians 2:6-11
This section of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians is an ancient Christian hymn representing a very early Christian understanding of Who Jesus is and how his mission saves us from sin and death. This passage has been described as Paul’s theology of kenosis. The etymology is from Greek κενόω “to empty out”. It is the ‘self-emptying’ of Jesus’ own will and becoming entirely receptive to God’s divine will.
“…though He was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 3:5-8).
Paul links the mystery of the incarnation to that of passion and death of Jesus as one mystery of redemption. In fact, for the apostle the redemptive mission of Jesus wouldn’t have been possible if He hadn’t undergone this process of self-emptying.
Meanwhile, the Palm Sunday liturgy of the Lord’s Passion clarifies this mystery. God showed that the greatness of Kingship consists of love that is willing to pour itself out for others. Because Jesus accepted human condition even to death by crucifixion, “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11).
Just as Paul addressed this message to the Christians of Philippi, he equally resounds it to us today to know that our salvation was won through suffering and humble submission of Jesus to the will of the Father. By this singular act, He was humiliated before men, and like the suffering servant of Isaiah, He offered his back to those who struck Him, his cheeks to those who plucked his beard; He did not turn his face away from insult and spitting (Is. 50:6). But He firmly trusted that his help would only come from the One whom He submitted his will to: “Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me, this is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame” (Is. 50:7).
Jesus’ triumph was his self-giving on the cross to open for us the road to the Father. All we can do in response is to bow our heads in awe, and present our loving, contrite hearts to God, begging for mercy. God wants our heart to be humbled, contrite, and truly repentant. It is a conditio sine qua non to enjoy the fulness of God’s Mercy and Love.
GOSPEL EXEGESIS
1. BRIEF LESSON FROM THE PASSION NARRATIVE (Mk. 14:1-15:47)
We have listened to the Passion of Christ according to Mark. We are therefore challenged to examine our own lives in the light of some of the characters in the story like Peter who denied Jesus, Judas who betrayed Jesus, Pilate who acted against his conscience, Herod who ridiculed Jesus, the leaders of the people who preserved their position by getting rid of Jesus and the many who benefited from Jesus and yet joined the crowd to shout, “crucify him”. Which of these figures represents our own lives?
2. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (Mk. 11:1-10)
A) JESUS RIDES ON A LOWLY DONKEY: In those days, kings used to travel in such processions on horseback during wartime but preferred to ride a donkey in times of peace. Since the sign of a king was humility, the customary mount for a king in procession in Israel was a donkey. I Kgs 1:38-41 describes how Prince Solomon used his father David’s royal donkey for the ceremonial procession on the day of his coronation. Jesus entered the Holy City as a King of peace, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. The Gospel specifically mentions that the colt Jesus selected for the procession was one that had never been ridden before, reminding us of a stipulation given in the book of Samuel concerning the animals that were to transport the Ark of the Covenant: “Now, then, take and prepare a new cart, and two milch cows upon which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart …” (I Sam. 6:7-8).Jesus is the Ark of God’s salvation, the Ark of the New and Eternal Covenant that God has sealed with his people.
B) THE MODE OF RECEPTION GIVEN:
Jesus was given the royal reception usually reserved for a King or military commander. I Maccabees 13:51 describes such a reception given to the Jewish military leader Simon Maccabaeus in 171 BC. A similar celebration occurred around 148 BC, when another military general, Judas Maccabaeus, after he and his men had defeated three Greek armies, purified the Temple (desecrated on 167 BC by order of Antiochus IV Epiphanes) built a new altar, and reconsecrated the Temple to the Lord God. On that day they first offered sacrifice on the new altar of holocausts, “with songs, harps, fluted, and uymbals. All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, Who had given then success” (1 Mc 4: 52-55).
C) THE HOSANNA SLOGAN:
The participants sang the “Hallel” Psalm 118 (Hallel is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113–118 which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving) and equally shouted the words of Psalms 25 and 26. The Greek word “hosiana” originally meant “save us now” (II Sm 14:4). The people sang the entire Psalm 118 on the Feast of the Tabernacles when they marched seven times around the Altar of the Burnt Offering. On Palm Sunday, however, the people used the prayer “Hosanna” as a slogan of greeting. It meant “God save the King of Israel,” or “Save us, O God!”
D) THE SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE LEAFY BRANCHES
The leafy branches (palm or olive) is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace etc. The palm for example (Phoenix) was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of Victory personified in ancient Rome.
In Judaism, the lulav, a closed frond of the date palm is part of the festival of Sukkot (agricultural feast of Booths or Tabernacles in commemoration of the 40 years the Israelites travelled in the wilderness after their departure from Egypt. This is celebrated by living in the temporary sukkah for seven days) commanded in the Torah: “On the first day you will take choice fruit, palm branches, boughs of leafy trees and flowering shrubs from the river bank, and for seven days enjoy yourselves before Yahweh your God” (Lev. 23:40).
For the Christians, the palm represents victory, i.e. the victory of the spirit over the flesh and a symbol of eternal life: “After that I saw that there was a huge number, impossible for anyone to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted in a loud voice” (Rev. 7:9). Therefore the crowd that followed Christ on palm sunday represents the great multitude that will gather around the Lamb as they enter the Eternal Jerusalem while they intone the great hosanna, “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
(Rev. 7:10).
LIFE MESSAGES
1) DO I WELCOME JESUS INTO MY HEART?
Am I ready to surrender my life to Him during this Holy Week and welcome Him into all areas of my life as my Lord and Savior, singing “Hosanna”? Today, we receive palm branches at the Divine Liturgy. Let us take them to our homes and put them in a place where we can always see them. Let the palms remind us that Christ is the King of our families, that Christ is the King of our hearts, and that Christ is the only true answer to our quest for happiness and meaning in our lives. And if we do proclaim Christ as our King, let us try to make time for Him in our daily life; let us be reminded that He is the One with Whom we will be spending eternity. Let us be reminded further that our careers, our education, our finances, our homes, all of the basic material needs in our lives are only temporary. Let us prioritize and place Christ the King as the primary concern in our lives. It is only when we have done this that we will find true peace and happiness in our confused and complex world.
2) ARE WE READY TO BECOME LIKE THE HUMBLE DONKEY THAT CARRIED JESUS?
A story was told about two donkeys walking along the road one day. One of the donkeys turned and told the other, “I don’t understand why people are not hailing me today as they did yesterday when I carried Jesus into Jerusalem”. And the other donkey turned and told him, “my friend you are nothing without Jesus”.
This tells us that our life has no meaning without Jesus. Therefore we are called to carry Jesus everyday. And as we carry Him to the world, we will surely receive the same welcome that He received on Palm Sunday, but we should also be ready to meet the same opposition, crosses, and trials later. In all, let us always remember that a Christian without Christ is a contradiction in terms. Such a one betrays the Christian message. Hence, let us become transparent Christians during this Holy Week, enabling others to see in us Jesus’ universal love, unconditional forgiveness, and sacrificial service.
3) CAN WE FACE THESE QUESTIONS ON THIS PALM SUNDAY?
Are we willing to follow Jesus, not just to Church but in our daily life? Are we willing to entrust ourselves to Him even when the future is frightening or confusing, believing God has a plan for us? Are we willing to serve Him until that day when His plan for us on earth is fulfilled? These are the questions of Palm Sunday. Let us take a fresh look at this familiar event. It could change us forever, because the Passion of Jesus shows us that, though we are sinners who have crucified Jesus, we are able, by His gift, to turn back to Jesus again and ask for his mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is through the Passion of Jesus we receive forgiveness: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed.” (Is 53:5) (Fr. Anthony Kadavil). So, if we want, we can truly make this years celebration a different one.
PRAYER
Almighty and everlasting God, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow caused our Saviour to take flesh and to submit to the cross, graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering and so merit a share in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
