“GENEROUS LENT 2017”
Lenten Reflections
Sunday, 9th April 2017.
Holy Week
PALM SUNDAY
Mt 21:1-11 (Proclamation of Lord’s Coming, Blessing of Palms)
Is 50: 4-7;
Ps 22: 8-9, 17-20, 23-24;
Phil 2: 6-11;
Mt 26:14 - 27:66.
ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABACHTHANI
Today is Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. The journey of Lent we had begun on Ash Wednesday gets intensified with this week’s liturgy and reaches its culmination on Easter Sunday. Beginning from today the liturgy is filled with external and rich symbolisms: procession with Palms, the washing of the feet, etc., However, let us not allow these celebrations to pass us by as mere external rituals, but rather consider them as an occasion to introspect our faith, fidelity and relationship with the Lord.
The Liturgy of Palm Sunday marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In today’s Liturgy we are faced with contrasting experiences and emotions. We begin our celebration listening to the story of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem with great joy and exultation! “Hosanna!” they cried out. “Hosanna in the Highest!” People were excited to see Him and there was much excitement. But this excitement quickly turned to shock and horror as we enter more deeply into today’s readings. The Gospel culminates with Jesus hanging on the Cross crying out “Eloi, Eloi, lemasabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And with that, “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.” At that moment the entire congregation kneels in silence as we ponder the reality of Christ’s death. How things can change in one short week. What happened to all the people who were shouting and praising Him as He entered into Jerusalem? How could they allow Him to enter into this Crucifixion and death?
The deepest answer to this question is that the Father willed it. The Father willed that many would turn on Him, abandon Him and allow Him to be crucified. Jesus could have exercised His divine power and refused to embrace His Cross. But He didn’t. Instead, He willingly walked through this week anticipating and embracing the suffering and rejection He received. And He didn’t do so begrudgingly or even with regret. He embraced it willingly, choosing it as His own will.
Today’s first reading deeply asserts that Jesus is the ‘suffering servant’ of Yahweh. He learnt obedience through suffering and for His obedient-suffering God raised Him to the heights. He was obedient even unto death! Every Christian should draw strength from Christ’s way and make Jesus’ way as his way. “I bared my back to those who beat me,” reads the first reading. The very attitude with which Jesus, the suffering servant of God perceived suffering could help us a great deal. No resistance on His part, no violent reaction, no complaint or grumbling or blame game or self pity. Jesus looked at the pain and suffering as an opportunity to show his love for the Father and His own love for us.
The Passion Reading draws our attention to the contrasting behavior and mentality of the people. At one time, they holding palms in the hands, spreading their cloaks with shouting jubilant ‘Hosannas’ to the King, and a few days later, they shout with acclamation a death sentence, “Crucify him” to Pilate. Why would God, the Father will such a thing? Why would Jesus choose suffering and death? Because in the Father’s perfect wisdom, this suffering and death was for a greater purpose. God chose to confound the wisdom of the world by using His own suffering and Crucifixion as the perfect means of our holiness. In this act, He transformed the greatest evil into the greatest good. Now, as a result of our faith in this act, the crucifix hangs centrally in our churches and in our homes as a constant reminder that not even the greatest of evils can overcome the power, wisdom and love of God. God is more powerful than death itself and God has the final victory even when all seems lost. Let this week give us divine hope. So often we can be tempted toward discouragement and, even worse, we can be tempted toward despair. No hardship, no burden and no cross can conquer us if we remain steadfast in Christ Jesus letting Him transform all we endure in life by His glorious embrace of His own Cross.
It was people like Mary, His mother, faithful apostles like John and few others who could stand apart from the crowd and stand by Him. In the light of the passion narratives and the different events in the life of Jesus that will be resounded this week we need to identify ourselves. Am I a mere mob or crowd Christian? An opportunist? A utilitarian Christian? A coward like some of Jesus’ associates or the one on whom the Master can count on?
Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to despair, give me hope. Help me to see your presence in all things, even in those things that are most troubling to me. May this Holy Week transform my darkest moments and weakness as I surrender all to You, my God. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.