Gospel for the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem: Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16
First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 22:8-9.17-18a.19-20.23-24 (R. 2a) Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11/Gospel Accl.: Philippians 2:8b-9/Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47
Theme: I Give Myself Away For Your Sake
A story is told of the donkey Jesus sat on in his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It is said that the donkey was very happy enjoying the red-carpet treatment of people spreading their cloths on the ground and waving their palm, olive and leafy branches. Sometime after this event, the donkey travelled all alone to Jerusalem. This time, no one showered adulations, no waving of palm and olive branches and no spreading of garments on the ground for it. It became very sad and bitter. It was all alone without its rider, Master Jesus. Without Jesus, our lives are empty, meaningless and unfulfilled. Minus Christ, we are mere donkeys with no dignity, value and divine connection. If we can humble ourselves and allow Jesus to ‘sit on the donkey’ of our lives, we will be fulfilled.
Today, we begin Holy Week, the most important week of all weeks. It is called ‘holy’ because the all-holy God, definitively showed the depth of his love by the complete emptying of himself (what we call kenosis in theology) in and through the passion of Jesus Christ. Again, it is ‘holy’ because we are invited to share in that life of holiness, such that, we are consecrated to God and are able to love as Christ loves, pray as he prays, suffer as he suffers, overcome evil the way he does, forgive as he forgives and thereby become holy as he is holy. So, Holy Week invites us to imitate Christ fully (cf. I Pet. 2:21-24). In this week, Jesus enters Jerusalem to fulfil his purpose on earth, namely, to save the world from sin and its guilt. Although he enters to die, his entry is already triumphant because he chose to lay down his life freely in order to take it up again.
From Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, we are fed with choicest readings from scripture including those about the Suffering Servant which prepare us for and highlight the events leading to the passion of Jesus Christ. In this week too, we have the Holy or Sacred Triduum, the three-day long liturgy beginning on Holy (Maundy) Thursday through Good Friday and ending on Holy Saturday, the penultimate to Easter Sunday. On Holy Thursday, Christ institutes both the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders (Priesthood). By this, he gives his Body and Blood as food for our souls and establishes the priesthood to be at the service of God and humanity. On Good Friday, the heart of God as Love-Subsistent opens to draw humanity to salvation through a painful and excruciating crucifixion. The lover dies for the beloved; God for humans; the immortal for the mortal; the sinless for the sinner; the innocent for the guilty, the holy for the unholy and the rich for the poor! What a holy exchange! Oh happy fault, the necessary sin of Adam destroyed completely by the death of Christ! On Holy Saturday night, a vigil is kept to welcome the resurrection, a moment which tells us that, eschatologically, there is life after death. This is the reason why this week is the most important on the Christian calendar.
In the light of the aforementioned, today’s first reading tells us how salvation is wrought for us through suffering. Isaiah prophesied about the Suffering Servant thus: “I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Is. 50:6). This prophecy finds fulfilment in Jesus Christ, whom today’s Gospel exemplify as the Suffering Servant. Jesus chose the cross, a symbol of humiliation, the highest form of shame and human degradation. In fact, for the Jews, cursed is one who is hanged on the cross (cf. Deut. 21:22-23, Gal. 3:13b). In spite of this, Jesus embraced it for our sake. That is why St. Paul says: “Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law by becoming cursed himself for our sake” (Gal. 3:13a). Only agape love can make this possible, and we are called to reciprocate God’s love through obedience, humility, repentance, conversion and reconciliation.
By choosing to die for our sake, Jesus is highly rewarded, and that is the subject of the second reading. He is exalted above all else, to the extent that, in the tripartite division of the universe – heaven, earth and the underworld – there is no one greater than Jesus (cf. Phil. 2:9-11). Thus, suffering is redemptive, meaningful and ultimately rewarding if it is for a just cause. This is the mystery of Christian suffering. So, our Christian tradition expects us to align the inevitable, unmerited and undeserved sufferings which come our way with the sufferings of Jesus, if we are to make heaven. Thus, when we experience our own ‘Gethsemanes’ in the form of fear, betrayal, denial, hatred, difficulty, anguish, sorrow, distress and loss, we should never give up. It is often those circumstances which become the very path to holiness and breakthrough. So, no cross, no crown, and a cross-less Christianity is fundamentally anti-Christian since that is not to be identified with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When we suffer justly, we triumph at the end.
Surely, more lessons are to be learnt from the passion of Christ. There will always be Pharisee[1]Haters, Weak-Authorities, Judas-Betrayers, Peter-Deniers, Fearful-Disciples, Jewish-Praise[1]Singers, Jealous-Competitors, Wicked-Unfriendly Soldiers, as well as Loyal-Loving Supporters in our lives. All of them need our love and prayers. We must learn to live in love, for only love can bring good out of evil. Remember what Jesus said and did: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt.5:44). True love suffers. Genuine love sacrifices. Deep love attracts both lovers and haters, and it is a test of real friendships and relationships. In suffering, we are able to know who our true friends are. There are those who will adore us with ‘hosanna’ when things go well, but when things go bad, they will chant ‘crucify him.’ Be that as it may, we must remember that the ever-abiding God will never forsake us in times of pain and isolation. We never ever walk alone. If we remain focussed and faithful to God, love will conquer all.
Again, no matter how unfairly, unjustly and inhumanely we have been treated, we ought and need to forgive as children of God, and to bear wrongs patiently. In our world, many people give in to anger, bitterness and vengeance. These are toxins which affect body, soul and spirit. Today, these are some of the greatest causes of life-threatening diseases. When we forgive quickly, we heal quickly! When we forgive from our hearts, we recover our joy. When we give ourselves away freely for the sake of one another, we lighten each other’s burden and benefit communally. Jesus has shown us the way, the way of the cross. Let us imitate him! May God heal our hearts to embrace agape love and self-donation in the service of God and humanity. Happy Palm Sunday and do have a spirit-filled Holy Week! Remember: #I-Give-Myself-Away-For-Your-Sake#
By Rev, Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior C.S.Sp
