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Palm Sunday
March 16, 2008
Today we enter upon a time, which is known as Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday and the triumphant procession of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. We have just heard the Passion Story of Jesus' crucifixion. Many people today seem to romanticize the death of Jesus. It's easier on our emotions and conscience if we don’t have to deal with the reality of it. I believe that is the reason many people don't want to see Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ." A doctor in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine wrote, "that in medical reality, it was one of the most brutal deaths anyone could ever imagine."
Ancient writers tell us that scourging, which often preceded crucifixion, and which Jesus endured, was itself a terrifying ordeal. It wasn't unheard of for a victim to die during the scourging. Ancient writers also tell us that victims of crucifixion sometimes went insane. They spent their final hours of earth completely out of their mind.
One ancient writer tells us that after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Jewish freedom fighters waged guerilla warfare against the Romans. One day the leader of a small guerilla group was captured. The Romans threatened to crucify him in plain sight of the others, who were holed up in caves on a steep hillside. The rest of the guerillas surrendered rather than see their leader suffer such a humiliating and horrible execution.
That raises a question, a tremendous question! Why did Jesus allow himself to suffer death by crucifixion? Why did he submit to such a horrendous ordeal? The many answers people give to that question boil down to three main ones.
First, Jesus wanted his death to be a sign. He wanted it to say, in a most dramatic way, what he told his disciples so often during his life: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
Second, Jesus wanted his death to be an invitation. He wanted to invite us to do what he told his disciples to do so often during his life: "Love one another as I love you."
Finally, Jesus wanted his death to be a revelation. Again, he wanted to tell us what he told his disciples so often during his life, that love entails suffering: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
And so the crucifixion of Jesus makes three important statements. First, it's a sign of Jesus' love for us. Second, it's an invitation for us to love as Jesus loved. Third, it’s a revelation that love entails suffering. Of these three statements, the final one is the one we need to hear in our culture or society today. We tend to forget that love entails suffering! At the very first twinge of a little suffering we begin to question, doubt, or blame God! Didn't Pope John Paul II become a worldwide witness to the power of love and faith by uniting his suffering and poor health to the suffering of Christ on the cross? We should all follow his holy example!
The crucifixion of Jesus is a sign of love, an invitation to love, and a revelation about love! It tells us that Jesus loves us with the highest love. It invites us to love others in the same way. It reminds us that love will always involve suffering.
The Passion and Death of Jesus on the cross can never be separated from his glorious Resurrection. The two go together. Christ's death and resurrection are somewhat like the two sides of a coin. Heads and tails are different and yet they form a single coin. The single reality of Christ's death and resurrection is known as the Paschal Mystery.
As we begin Holy Week today, I highly encourage you to take advantage of all the activities and beautiful liturgical celebrations coming up this week. Tuesday evening is the Chrism Mass at our Cathedral in Savannah. All our priests renew their vows and receive new oils for the coming year. It is a beautiful liturgy and Bishop Boland invites the entire Diocese to attend. On Wednesday night we are having a Soup and Bread Supper and showing Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" in our Parish Hall. What a powerful impact that movie has made on our visualization of the Stations of the Cross as well as our awareness and appreciation of the suffering Jesus endured out of love for us. The Sacred Triduum celebration begins on Holy Thursday evening because Jesus at that time instituted the Holy Eucharist, the sacrament that makes his death, burial, and resurrection a reality among us in every Mass. Holy Week culminates in the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection Easter Sunday!
Throughout Holy Week God offers us the grace to grow in our love, understanding, and appreciation of the Paschal Mystery. I challenge you to take advantage of the many opportunities our wonderful parish affords you this week. Isn't it the least we can do for a God who loves us so much He sent His only Son to die for our sins and our salvation?