Fullerton T

Palm Sunday

For the last five weeks of Lent we have journeyed along the path of renewal and reconciliation with Jesus. And now we now begin Holy Week with our annual celebration of our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem. The Liturgy of Palm Sunday has two very distinctive moods. We begin with the blessing of palms, joining with the enthusiastic crowds that greeted Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as they sang Hosanna. Then with the Opening Prayer of the Mass the mood dramatically changes by speaking of Jesus’ giving of his life on the cross. The readings lead us deep into the mystery of Christ’s suffering and death, culminating in the drama of Jesus’ arrest, trial, sufferings and crucifixion as it unfolds in St Luke’s account of the Passion.  

This is the first time that we will celebrate Holy Week without many of the restrictions that Covid19 has brought. For many people the past 2 years have brought many life changing events and sadly many people have lost members of their families and friends to the pandemic. This Holy week we remember all the people who are not with us as we continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. In the Gospel reading from Luke we hear how the crowd goes from rejoicing to calling out crucify him, crucify him. The entrance into Jerusalem is one of the very few events in Jesus’ life which is mentioned in all four gospels.  It is the only time that Jesus accepts and encourages public acclaim as Messiah even at that time it wasn’t really about him it was about doing his father’s will.  He even goes as far as organising his entrance by telling the disciples to go and fetch the donkey.  The key moment in God’s great plan of salvation is about to begin and Jesus knows exactly how it will unfold and where he will end up. As we reflect upon the story of Jesus going up to Jerusalem we recommit ourselves to Jesus and his message of salvation.

The events of Palm Sunday were foretold thousands of years ago.  The first reading from Isaiah, was written at the time of the Babylonian captivity and it speaks of a courageous and obedient messiah-figure,  who says, “I have set my face like flint” set my face against the beatings and scourging that lie ahead, “knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”  On Palm Sunday we feel an certain amount of embarrassment when we cry out “Crucify Him” with the palm branches still in our hands. It reminds us of our responses and our lack of courage in responding to Gods love for us. Yet as we know it was the sins of us all which brought Jesus to Calvary.  Holy Week is a time for us to realize what we are like, and to find that the only remedy for us is the love of God shown to us through Jesus his Son. As we recall the Passion story on Palm Sunday and then again on Good Friday we are called to respond as God’s family, we are called to look out for one another. It’s not just about “me” It’s about “us” and our journey of faith. A journey that we make together.

 May the passion story that we hear this week inspire all of us to try to imitate in some small way the all loving all forgiving Jesus who went through betrayal to death and finally to resurrection for us so that we will have life and have it to the full.  The Church leaves us in no doubt that we have now set out on the solemn journey of Holy Week How will we mark this journey in the coming days? Will we let it pass by with little interruption to our normal routines? Or will we seriously, attentively, prayerfully walk with Jesus through Holy Thursday to the cross of Good Friday and then to the Feast of Easter. It is up to each one of us to make up our minds how we will celebrate the great events of Holy Week that are at  the heart of all we believe.