March 28, 2010
Passion Sunday – Palm Sunday
By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ
I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help; therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:6-7
Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit;” and when he had said this he breathed his last. The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” Luke 23:46-47
Piety
I have never wildly cheered for anyone who did not belong to family, friends or one of my school teams. I have been cheered for and felt the exhilaration energize my running. Compliments from anyone can have that effect on me. I have seen admiration do the same for others. Palm Sunday is a unique moment in the life of Christ. When Christ was told to rebuke his disciples, he said in replay, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” Christ had predicted his passion a number of times. He knew what he was getting into. How well he took the encouragement to accept the plan of his Father remains to be seen in heaven when we can have the inside story of what Jesus was going through. In the meanwhile we can only surmise the thrill Christ felt at the crowd’s approval of all the good works he had done, all the miracles he had offered to bring the good news of how much the Father loved us all. We look at Christ in control of what was happening and can only wonder what would have Christianity been like if he kept that control and became the king in the sense of the Messianic king the Jewish people were hoping for. The Suffering Servant that would become the glorious Lamb of God that brought us redemption from our sinfulness was obscured for the moment in people’s acclamation of what they were hoping for. Christ is entering into his kingship and it is not what the foolish crowd is hoping for. His throne will be the Cross.
Study
We listen to the passion of Christ against the backdrop of the entry into Jerusalem of Palm Sunday. It is a different kind of crowd in his Passion that is gawking at Christ going through the throes of his suffering for our redemption. The three readings on the Passion open us up to the enormity of what is happening and who it is happening to. Looking at how Christ faced his passion makes the question of how I would react to violence in my own life a real question. I will know I died a peaceful person if I am praying for those who are killing me. But I know I will have to have the prayer on my lips to believe I die a peaceful person. I do not know whether or not I could feel sorry for the one who was beating me. Such a one could not possibly know the love of God who accepts this terrible violence done his Son. What we relive in listening to the Gospel account of Jesus going to his death can give us courage in our own suffering. I place the Resurrection against the backdrop of dying like Jesus died and I know that if I did other than what Christ did I would be fleeing from the victory already won.
Action
In preparation for the Passion of Christ, I will pray for those who are suffering unjustly. If I cannot go into a prison, I will encourage those who do. The radical of the suffering of Christ is felt by all those who are the victims of injustice in our world. All the victims of wars that are the so-called collateral damage I will keep in my prayers. I will offer sacrifices for the good of our country that is using the ability to use force as the measure of what is right to avoid being victims like Christ. It is not right for anyone to die for the sake of others without having a say in how their lives are taken. Abortion and all the crimes that are committed in the name of personal freedom I will try to do penance for. The seamless garment of love and justice kissing I will try to honor. I will try to see all the sufferings that surround us in our world today as the passion of Christ. Hopefully prayer, fasting and good works will lessen the sufferings that are Christ’s as we relive what Christ did for us. By all the actions we do for Christ who suffers with all the hungry, thirsty, sick, naked and imprisoned, hopefully we will be able to turn our actions into our celebration of Christ’s dying. Our tears need to become tears of joy in our hope of the Resurrection. May Christ live in all we do this week to enter into the mystery of God’s so great love for us in sending his son to die for us! May we die for Christ to live in him!
