-We have been fickle and wavering to stand by your values and principles, lord have mercy. The suffering in our world seems overwhelming at times. It cries out from countries devastated by famine, afflicted by the pestilence of AIDS and torn apart by an unending cycle of violence and war in the name of religion, ideologies, color and beliefs. It confronts us in the immediacy of our own country: families crowding into slum and shelters, and the elderly living alone and lacking adequate medical care, as well as in the senseless shootings and bombings that erupt every now and then. Schools and churches are attacked, religious and priests are abused because of the Christian name. Suffering afflicts our own flesh in sickness and weighs down our spirits in depression and discouragement. Yes, our world is awash in pain and suffering. How do we choose to respond?
a) Denial is one of the easiest and least fruitful reactions. We see, we hear, and we turn away as quickly as possible — tune into another channel, or bury the troublesome front page with the glowing promises of the ads or the sports page. We put off visiting the friend in the hospital; we forget the dire warnings of our doctor about the consequences of not making unwelcome lifestyle changes. Like children we hide from what we don't want to see and grow deaf to any summons that threatens our comfort level.
"Pain will occur; suffering is a choice." We often use the two terms interchangeably. But they are not the same. Pain seemed the immediate response to something hurtful. A wide range of experiences came to mind — everything from a sliced finger to major surgery, from the relatively brief encounter with the dentist's drill to the all day, most every day of something more chronic like arthritis. I could also easily recall the times when my heart hurt but the pain came not from clogged arteries but from another's words or actions...or my own.
Despite our instinctive reaction to it, pain is basically good; it is a healthy response that tells us something is wrong. If we were unable to feel pain, we would have to be on constant alert to dangers we could not perceive. Hot water would scald us; sores would become infected wounds. Grief, our own or that of others, would leave us untouched. Numbed to the world around us and inside us, we would be only half-alive.
Mine is neither the only pain nor the worst pain. Despite its immediacy and insistence, it is not even the whole of my reality. I am left with the freedom to choose, if not whether I will suffer, at least how I will suffer.
We wait in patience for time to reveal the potential in this strangely wrapped present. We trust, knowing that we are in for surprises as time reveals the potential hidden in what we have received
The iron stove glows red with fire, restrains the heat that I desire.
When I approach to warm my hands, respect is what the fire demands.
Too close, my skin begins to smart. Too far, the cold creeps round my heart.The paradox is clear to me. The risk lies in proximity.
Permit me, Lord, to come so near that your warm love will melt my fear.
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Life is a journey. God's and ours together. Ever since Adam and Eve had chosen to make a journey of disobedience and hiding away from the maker, humankind has been making this journey away and back to Paradise. Either making their own paradises or refusing to enter God's houses. Abraham leaving Haran and travelling towards Canaan. Through prophets, judges and kings, we are constantly been reminded of that return journey beyond the captivities of Egypts and Babylons, deserts and green pastures, Bethlehems and Jordans, fishing nets and tax counters, wells and valleys, sheep folds and vineyards, temples and synagogues. The Lord, perhaps, will meet us at the well or at the market place or at the last supper or on our way to Emmaus.
That journey of God extending his hand that Michelangelo once drew was accepted in Mary. Another journey begins in receptivity, obeying God's commandments, moving from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth to Jordan to Capernaum and finally to Calvary. That journey has to go through Jerusalem - the city of peace - the temple city where the sacrifice has to be offered as a sin offering, purification and redemption.
That is the journey that we are called to be part of: to redeem ourselves, our families and the world. Beyond the Hosannas and Jeers, beyond the help of Simons an Veronicas, it's our own journey we steadfastly undertake. May be we never reach Canaan. Let the journeying with purpose and commitment give us the fulfillment.
Tony Kayala, c.s.c.
********
The PASSION (Shorter form) :Mark 14:1-15:47
They led him out to crucify him. They enlisted a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull.
They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it. Then they crucified him, and shared out his clothing, casting lots to decide what each should get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The inscription giving the charge against him read: ‘The King of the Jews’. And they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.
The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, ‘Aha! So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself: come down from the cross!’ The chief priests and the scribes mocked him among themselves in the same way. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the king Of Israel, come down from the cross now, for us to see it and believe. Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood by heard this, they said, ‘Listen he is calling on Elijah’. Someone ran and 5oaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink saying, ‘Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.’ But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
(All kneel and pause a moment.)
And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said, ‘In truth this man was a son of God.’
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Michel DeVerteuil Prayer reflection
Lord, we thank you for those precious moments
when you allowed us to experience
that we played a significant part in your work of grace:
– we were there when a holy person was dying, and said the final prayers;
– a national crisis arose, we were in the right place
and did our duty to the country;
– members of our community shared their sorrows with us;
– we were at prayer and suddenly felt our solidarity
with the suffering of the world.
It was a fleeting moment but the memory remains.
It must have been like that for Simon of Cyrene
when he happened to be passing by,
coming in from the country, and they enlisted him
to carry the cross of Jesus.
Thank you, Lord.
Lord, you often make a place of death the source of new life:
– we were abandoned by our friends,
but learned how deep our inner resources were;
– a parent died and the family came together as never before.
You teach us that you always bring life,
and this is why your Son Jesus was not afraid
when they brought him to a place called Golgotha,
which means the place of the skull.
Lord, we thank you for the members of our church who are not afraidto be associated with those whom society labels disreputable:
– those who work with AIDS patients;
– movements like St Vincent de Paul and the Legion of Mary;
– worker-priests.
Often they are criticized and mocked,
but we see in them Jesus crucified with two robbers,
one on his right and the other on his left.
It can be rightly said of them that their only interest is in saving others,
and that, like Jesus, they are not unduly concerned with saving themselves.
“It was essential that Jesus should become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion.” …Hebrews 2:17
Lord, people sometimes think that those of us who are leaders in the church
must always be calm and composed.
We thank you for teaching us that when you yourself seem to be silent
we can cry in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”
“To destroy human power nothing more is required than to be indifferent to its threats and to prefer other goods to those which it promises.” …R.H. Tawney
Lord, how true it is that success and popularity are not really important in life.
The only important thing is that some unbelieving centurion,
seeing how we live and die, could say, “In truth, this was a son of God.”
Lord, when great people remain faithful unto death,showing no anger or resentment to their enemies,
but on the contrary continuing to love and forgive,
it shows us how false are the barriers we set up
to separate people into bad and good;
the veils we have erected in your temple are torn in two from top to bottom.
those who, like the women in the gospel,
look after him in Galilee where it is safe,
and then come up to Jerusalem with him, even though it is dangerous,
and are there watching with him as he hangs on the cross.
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Thomas O’Loughlin
General Introduction
The Passion in the Liturgy: The demands of celebration
Twice each year, on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the reading of the gospel becomes visibly a liturgical event in its own right. On these occasions the dramatic reading with several voices may replace the solitary tone of the deacon/ priest. Yet in most parishes this is not only a missed opportunity to do something which can enhance the whole celebration, but actually becomes something counter productive. At the very least it can become a shambles of voices coming in off-cue, lines-lost, or confused mumbling (‘Whose line is itT ‘Whose that voice supposed to represent?’). At worst it can send hidden signals to the congregation about how we view the passion, the Jews, and the ministry of proclamation.
Introduction to today’s Celebration
The text in the Missal (p. 123: ‘Dear friends in Christ …’) cannot be bettered. However, care should be taken to read it as if it were one’s own notes so as to stress the notion that we are entering into the Great Week, accompanying Christ in the Paschal Mystery.
This is not just another Sunday: it is the beginning of a week with Christ that culminates next Sunday. It recalls all the pointers in the gospels (e.g. Mk 10:32-3) to the journey that the Lord must make to Jerusalem to perform his great work.
The liturgy of Holy Week is a participation in this work at Jerusalem: today the church building is a symbol of the city (hence we begin outside it, and then enter it),
then there are the final days (Monday to Wednesday),
then the final meal and the commissioning of the apostles (Thursday), the time in the garden and the passion
(Thursday night/ Friday until 3 pm), the exaltation on the Cross which is recalled by the church as a victory celebration (the Good Friday liturgy),
the tomb (Saturday), the resurrection (the Vigil) and its announcement (Sunday). This is the symbolic week, in the sense that we by participating in the liturgy are not just on-lookers engaged in a pageant, but are uniting ourselves with Christ now in his Great Work. Everything that is said or done in today’s liturgy must aim at conveying this sense of a week of participation.
So while the Missal still thinks (compiled in 1970) of a’principal Mass’ and then other Masses, we must be aware that in our pastoral situation few places have this rigid dichotomy of celebration: whatever Mass people are attending is the principal Mass for them. So that whether it is the vigil Mass on Saturday evening, or any Mass on the Sunday, there should be the full entry celebration: the introduction and blessing of palms somewhere other than the main building where the Eucharist will be celebrated; and then the procession into the church/ Jerusalem/ this week. Unless we set the scene of a week with Christ todaythe great liturgies later in the week are held without their proper context. They stand as individual ‘bits’ (one ‘bit’ today – a pageant of one episode in the gospels, another ‘bit’ (‘the first Mass’) on Thursday, etc.) because the introduction to the whole has been missed. In such a fractured presentation the liturgy cannot convey the message of the Paschal Mystery shared in by the baptised, and becomes a bunch of historical commemorations more akin to anniversaries of ancient events (e.g. the way we recall events like ‘the first Dail,’ ‘the battle of the Somme,’ ‘the day Jack met Jill’) rather than a week that somehow presents us with the basis of Christian faith and a foretaste of the New Jerusalem (cf Gal 4).In many parishes there is a feeling that this is just an ordinary Sunday plus a few extras, and that careful planning and arranging special things like extra readers, assembling outside the church, decorations, and so forth, does not have to start until Thursday. The hard fact is this: if you do not start the extra work that ‘the Easter Ceremonies’ involve today, then by Thursday it is too late, and all the worries about readers, thuribles, and what not, is more a desire to fulfill rubrics than as attempt to adequately create the ritual environment which allows us to grow in our understanding of the mystery of the Christ.
Homily notes
The Missal (p. 132) says that a brief homily may be given.’ There is definitely a case today for taking up this permission to omit the homily altogether; not because such an omission might shorten an already long liturgy, but since we have just come through one of the longest verbal elements in the whole of the liturgy (the passion), another verbal event (a homily) does not bring contrast or help the gospel reading to sink in. A better way to highlight what has been read would be a couple of moments of structured silence (e.g. ‘Let us now reflect in silence on the passion of our Saviour’) before standing for the Creed. On the subject of the length of today’s liturgy we should remember that length of time is one of the key non-verbal ritual cues that humans use to indicate special importance: a crucial symbolic event that is over in a moment, or takes just the same length of today’s liturgy we should remember that length of time as an ordinary event is an anti-climax – do not forget Christmas dinner must take longer than an everyday meal. Because this is a special day opening a special week, it should and must take a noticeably longer time than an ordinary Sunday.
If one does preach, then the brief comments should be directed to introducing the week as a whole rather than particular comments on the readings. This could take its starting point from the gospel outside – that Christ has arrived at, and entered Jerusalem, and that ‘his hour’ has arrived. As Christians we are sharers in this event.If the situation calls for a meditation rather than a homily, then a suitable meditation is provided in the Christ-hymn (the second reading) as a way of interpreting the events narrated. However, rather than re-reading it directly from the lectionary it can be broken up into its verses and read with pauses. The version used in the Office is better for such use than either the RSV or JB. Better still, have it sung by a soloist and simply introduce it as the earliest Christian meditation we possess on what we have just recalled about the death of Jesus.
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Sean Goan
Gospel/ Passion Commentary : Mark 14:1-15:47
The account of the passion in Mark is very stark. Jesus is portrayed as alone, abandoned by his closest friends and perhaps even by God. He dies on the cross with a loud cry on his lips and darkness covers the whole earth. Yet at this precise moment the Roman centurion who was guarding him, having seen how he died, makes the great confession of faith: ‘Truly this man was God’s Son.’ Throughout his ministry Jesus had tried to teach his followers that the way of the kingdom was the way of self emptying love. They had to become servants, slaves to one another and forget about greatness as the world understands it. Repeatedly they failed to understand him and eventually they ran away. So we are left with this foreign outsider to tell us the meaning of Calvary. Through his faithfulness to the kingdom Jesus finally tears away the veil that separates God and suffering humanity. By his prayer of abandonment Jesus has shown us that, far from abandoning us, God has identified totally with our struggle.Reflection
Suffering is part and parcel of being human and, while we must readily acknowledge this fact, it is also true that we usually do all in our power to avoid it. The readings for today are an invitation to reflect on how it is that passion of Jesus can change our outlook on suffering. Our Saviour may be seen in these texts as a model of patient endurance and of faithfulness. We are not asked to believe that suffering is good in itself but to see that good can come of it and to recognise in Jesus God’s solidarity with all those who endure suffering for doing what is right.
Two Parades.
There are two parades of Holy week: First into Jerusalem from Bethany on the Sunday and Jesus being acclaimed as a political saviour. People hoped he would triumph, that his followers would put him into power and all hoped he would get rid of the Romans.
The second, from Jerusalem outside the walls of the city on the following Friday, to Calvary; a man in disgrace. A man carrying his cross, crowned with thorns, mocked and bullied and tortured. And about to be killed. Like the parade to a dishonoured graveside.He had all sorts of followers – some like camp followers, some terrorists, some people on the make for themselves, or the ones who stayed till the end, like his mother, an aunt and a few of the followers. The others were at a distance, they would come back, and would follow later to the end.
We hope to be in that second parade.
Palms are for waving in triumph, then they and wither. The cross is forever, for all time.
The cross is his love, and as we follow in this parade we show our willingness to console him in love to the end.
This is a holy week because a man like us, and one of the Trinity, gave his life.
****
FROM THE CONNECTIONS:
THE WORD:
It was the custom for pilgrims to enter Jerusalem on foot. Only great kings and rulers would “ride” into the city, and usually on great steeds and horses. Jesus, the King of the New Jerusalem, chooses to ride into the city – not on a majestic stallion but on the back of a young beast of burden. By being led through the city on the back of a lowly, servile donkey, Jesus comes as a King whose rule is not about being served but centered in generous and selfless service to others; his kingdom is not built on might but on compassion. The little donkey Jesus mounts mirrors how the prophet Zechariah foretold this scene five centuries before: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey . . . ”
In John’s shorter account, Jesus is enthusiastically welcomed as the Messiah-King by the crowds, many of whom had seen or heard about Jesus' raising of Lazarus. John makes specific reference to Zechariah’s prophecy that the Messiah-king will enter the city seated on “a donkey's colt.”
In his account of the Passion, Mark portrays a Jesus who has been totally abandoned by his disciples and friends. There is no one to defend him, to support him, to speak for him. He endures such a cruel and unjust death alone. Yet, amid the darkness, a light glimmers: The prophecy of a new temple “not made by human hands” is fulfilled in the shreds of the temple curtain; a pagan centurion confesses his new-found realization that this crucified Jesus is indeed the “Son of God”; and a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea, is embolden to break with his fellow councilors and request of Pilate the body of Jesus. The Passion of Jesus should be a reason for hope and a moment of grace for all us as we seek the reign of God in our own lives – however lonely and painful our search may be.
The Gospel calls us to take on what Paul calls the “attitude of Christ Jesus” (Reading 1) in his passion and death: to “empty” ourselves of our own interests, fears and needs for the sake of others; to realize how our actions affect them and how our moral and ethical decisions impact the common good; to reach out to heal the hurt and comfort the despairing around us despite our own betrayal; to carry on, with joy and in hope, despite rejection, humiliation and suffering.
In our remembering the events of Holy Week, Jesus will turn our world and its value system upside down: true authority is found in dedicated service and generosity to others; greatness is centered in humility; the just and loving will be exalted by God in God's time.
Today’s liturgy confronts us with the reality of the cross of Christ: by the cross, we are reconciled to God; by the cross, our lives are transformed in the perfect love of Christ; by the cross, Jesus’ spirit of humility and compassion become a force of hope and re-creation for our desperate world.
He sends two disciples to a nearby village where they will find a colt. If anyone questions you, Jesus directs, tell them that “The Master needs it” and assure them it will be returned.
And so Jesus enters Jerusalem, seated on a borrowed donkey, acclaimed by the crowds as the “one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
But what kind of Messiah, what kind of king, makes his grand entrance on a borrowed donkey?
But that is an unbroken thread in the story of Jesus: He was born in a borrowed place and laid in a borrowed manger. As he traveled, he had no place of his own, so he spent his nights in a “borrowed” space somewhere. He ate his final meal in a borrowed room. And when he died, his body was placed in a borrowed tomb.
Jesus owns nothing. He possesses nothing. He takes nothing for himself but shares whatever is given him.
His only possession is compassion: love freely given, without limit or condition or expectation.
And such poverty is what he asks of those who would follow him.
Because such poverty is the treasure of the Kingdom of God — a Kingdom built of justice, of mercy, of reconciliation, of peace.
It is that Kingdom of God that Jesus preaches and models and ultimately dies for — on a cross that was borrowed, as well.
****
Fr. Munachi:
***
ILLUSTRATIONS:
1. Fr. Tony Kadavil:
1: Reminder of Maccabean victory celebration: A
key element of understanding the connection between the Palm Sunday reception
given to Jesus and Good Friday is to recognize that the actions, words, and
symbols of Palm Sunday indicated a religious and political Messiah who would
save the Jews from foreign rule and regain for them religious and political
freedom. The occasion of this reception was carefully chosen by the Lord God,
through Jesus’ disciples, to coincide with the Passover feast which celebrated
the Jewish liberation from Egyptian rule and slavery. The palms used in the
procession and the slogan used (“Hosanna!” meaning “Save us, God!”) were
probably used by Judas Maccabaeus and his men December 14, 164 BC, when when
they purified the Temple from the pagan Greek desecration begun on that same
date in 167 BC by order of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and in the June 3, 141 BC
victory parade to the Temple after Simon Maccabaeus, last of the family, had
retaken and cleared the Citadel in Jerusalem. In 1 Mc13:51, we read: “On
the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred seventy-first
year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and
with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and
songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from
Israel.” It was natural, then, that the Romans saw the crowds of
people carrying palm branches and giving a royal reception to a very popular,
miracle-working rabbi, Jesus, as a potential threat to their power and a banner
for revolution. Hence, the governor Pilate and his counselors were justified in
their concern. They interpreted people’s slogan “Hosanna!” as “Save us” from
Roman occupation! Besides, the Jewish rabbis had been teaching that the final
redemption of the Jews would take place with the Messiah’s arrival. With 1½ to
2 million Jews in and around the city for the Passover, the situation was
highly volatile, and Jesus’ ride on a donkey, as prophesied by Zechariah,
seemed to have all the signs of producing great trouble and revolt. So the
Romans informally made allies of some of the Temple priesthood (largely
Sadducees), who were planning to arrest Jesus (the suspected center for the
trouble), because these priests were the people most closely allied to Rome,
and they would lose their power and income in the case of a popular uprising.
This collusion between Pilate and the High Priest Caiaphas and their supporters
is exactly what we see in the Passion accounts describing the arrest, trial,
and crucifixion of Jesus. Given the political, religious and social context,
this is hardly surprising. Keeping that in the back of our minds helps us to
make sense of certain parts of the action that will follow. (Fr. Murray from
Jerusalem). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
2: Are you a donkey with a Christian name only, or one
carrying Christ? An interesting as well as challenging old fable tells
of the colt that carried Jesus on Palm Sunday. The colt thought that the
reception was organized to honor him. “I am a unique donkey!” this excited
animal might have thought. When he asked his mother if he could
walk down the same street alone the next day and be honored again, his
mother said, “No, you are nothing without Him who was riding you.”
Five days later, the colt saw a huge crowd of people in the street.
It was Good Friday, and the soldiers were taking Jesus to Calvary. The
colt could not resist the temptation of another royal reception. Ignoring the
warning of his mother, he ran to the street, but he had to flee for his life as
soldiers chased him and people stoned him. Thus, the colt finally learned
the lesson that he was only a poor donkey without Jesus to ride on him.
As we enter Holy Week, today’s readings challenge us to examine our lives to
see whether we carry Jesus within us and bear witness to Him through our living
or are Christians in name only. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
3: Zachariah foresaw it. Jesus fulfilled it: The
Greek author Plutarch describes how Kings are supposed to enter a city. He
tells about one Roman general, Aemilius Paulus, who won a decisive victory over
the Macedonians. When Aemilius returned to Rome, his triumphal procession
lasted three days. The first day was dedicated to displaying all the artwork
that Aemilius and his army had plundered. The second day was devoted to all the
weapons of the Macedonians they had captured. The third day began with the rest
of the plunder borne by 250 oxen, whose horns were covered in gold. This
included more than 17,000 pounds of gold coins. Then came the captured and
humiliated king of Macedonia and his extended family. Finally, Aemilius himself
entered Rome, riding in a magnificent chariot. Aemilius wore a purple robe,
interwoven with gold. He carried his laurels in his right hand. He was
accompanied by a large choir singing hymns, praising the military
accomplishments of the great Aemilius. That, my friends, is how a King enters a
city. But the King of Kings? He entered riding on a lowly donkey. Zechariah
envisioned the King of Kings, the Messiah, coming not on a great stallion, but
riding on a humble donkey. Zechariah foresaw it. Jesus fulfilled it. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4. Little Johnny was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed
home from Church with his mother. His father returned from Church holding a
palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do you have that palm
branch, Dad?” His father explained, “You see, when Jesus came into town,
everyone waved palm branches to honor Him; so we got palm branches today.” “Aw,
shucks,” grumbled Little Johnny. “The one Sunday I can’t go to Church, and
Jesus shows up!”
5. The king on a donkey! Some of you heard my story
about the husband and the wife who had quarrelled. It had been a pitched battle
of wills, each digging heels in to preserve the position each had vehemently
taken. Emotions had run high. As they were driving to attend a family wedding
in a distant city, both were nursing hurt feelings in defensive silence. The
angry tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. But,
then the silence was broken. Pointing to a donkey standing in a pasture out
beside the road, the husband sarcastically asked, “Relative of yours?” The wife
quickly replied, “By marriage!”
25 Additional anecdotes:
1) Two processions: “Two processions
entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30 … One was a peasant
procession, the other an imperial procession. From the east, Jesus rode a
donkey down the Mount of Olives, cheered by his followers. Jesus was from the
peasant village of Nazareth, his message was about the kingdom of God, and his
followers came from the peasant class …On the opposite side of the city, from
the west, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Idumea, Judea and Samaria,
entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers.
Jesus’s procession proclaimed the kingdom of God; Pilate’s proclaimed the power
of empire. The two processions embody the central conflict of the week that led
to Jesus’ crucifixion. As Mark tells the story in 11:1-11, Jesus’ procession is
a prearranged ‘counter-procession.’ The meaning of the demonstration is clear,
for it uses symbolism from the prophet Zechariah in the Jewish Bible. According
to Zechariah, a king would be coming to Jerusalem (Zion), ‘humble, and
riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey’ (9:9). Jesus’s procession
deliberately countered what was happening on the other side of the city.
Pilate’s procession embodied the power, glory, and violence of the empire that
ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative vision, the Kingdom
of God. The king, riding on a donkey, will banish war from the land—no more
chariots, warhorses, or bows. Commanding peace to the nations, Jesus will be a
king of peace. Pilate’s military procession was a demonstration of both Roman
imperial power and Roman imperial theology — worshipping the emperor as god. It
was the standard practice of the Roman governors of Judea to be in Jerusalem
for the Jewish festivals … to be in the city in case there was trouble … The
mission of the troops with Pilate was to reinforce the Roman garrison
permanently stationed in the Fortress Antonia, overlooking the Jewish Temple
and its courts. No wonder, the Roman governor realized how the peasant
procession was a threat to his government and, hence, its leader should be
exterminated.” (Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: A
Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’ Final Week in Jerusalem. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
2) Welcome to the triumph and the tragedy of the
Holy Week: On Palm Sunday, April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, General of the Union Army, at the Appomattox
Court House, Appomattox, Virginia. This surrender ended the bloodiest war ever
fought on American soil. State against state, brother against brother, it was a
conflict that literally tore the nation apart. Five days later, on Good Friday,
April 14, 1865, America’s most revered president, Abraham Lincoln, was shot and
mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theatre. It was Lincoln who
wrote the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery in the U.S.
forever. It was Lincoln who wrote and gave The Gettysburg Address. Lincoln
hated war, but he was drawn into this one because he believed it was the only
way to save the nation. On Palm Sunday, the war ended. Triumph. On Good Friday,
Abraham Lincoln became the first U.S. president to be assassinated. Tragedy. —
Welcome to Holy Week. Welcome to the triumph and the tragedy of the six days
preceding Easter. (Surrender location corrected by Fr. Richard W. Frank, richardwfrank1@yahoo.com)
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
3) The cross and the crucifix down through the centuries:
Until the fifth century AD, the early Christians generally avoided representing
the Cross with the body of Jesus; in fact even bare crosses were rarely
depicted until the fourth century AD. As J. H. Miller (op. cit.) explained,
there were many reasons for the Church’s reluctance to openly represent the
cross as its symbol. For many Jews and Gentiles, the cross underscored the
seemingly irreconcilable contradiction of Christian belief, viz. that a
crucified man could also be God. As various early heresies attacked either the
divinity or humanity of Christ, the symbol of the cross, which seemed to
exacerbate the conflict, was avoided, Not until the fourth century (during the
reign of Constantine) did the cross begin to appear everywhere in public places
as the pre-eminent symbol of Christianity. Despite the frequency of its
representation in Christian art and architecture, the cross remains an
ambivalent symbol. In its crossbeams meet death and life, sin and salvation,
conquest and victory, immanence and transcendence. The cross represents both
the basest aspects of the human condition and the most sublime reflection of
divinity. As Karl Rahner once explained, “the cross of the Lord is the revelation
of what sin really is. The cross of Christ mercilessly reveals what the world
hides from itself: that it, as it were, devours the Son of God in the insane
blindness of its sin — a sin in which Godless hate is truly set on fire upon
contact with the love of God” (The Content of Faith, Crossroad Press,
New York: 1992). 12:32). — As the dual revelation of the sinfulness of humanity
and the love of God, the cross is unparalleled. ( Sanchez Files). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
3)”What did the Christian’s God do then? On
Marco Polo’s celebrated trip to the Orient, he was taken before the great and
fearsome ruler, Genghis Khan. Now what was Marco Polo supposed to do before
this mighty pagan conqueror? One false move could cost him his life. He decided
to tell the story of Jesus as it is recorded in the Gospels. It is said that
when Marco Polo related the events of Holy Week, describing Jesus’ betrayal,
His trial, scourging, and crucifixion, Genghis Khan became more and more
agitated, more engrossed in the story, and more tense. When Marco Polo
pronounced the words, “Then Jesus bowed his head and yielded up His spirit,”
Genghis Khan could no longer contain himself. He interrupted, bellowing, “What
did the Christian’s God do then? Did He send thousands of angels from Heaven to
smite and destroy those who killed his Son?” — What did the Christian’s God do
then? He watched His beloved Son die, that’s what the Christian’s God did then.
For that was the way God chose for Jesus to ascend the throne of His Kingdom
and to establish His Lordship for all time. Not at all the way we would expect
God to demonstrate His might and power, but that’s the way it was, and that is
how we know what our God is like. In practical terms, that means that this
suffering King who rules in love comes to lay His claim on our life. Our entire
life is subject to His Lordship, not just a portion of it. To have Christ for
our King means that we must rely on Him for everything, most of all the
forgiveness of sins. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
4) “Either give up Christ or give up your jobs.” Constantine
the Great was the first Christian Roman emperor. His father Constantius I who
succeeded Diocletian as emperor in 305 AD, was a pagan with a soft heart for
Christians. It is said that when he ascended the throne, he discovered that
many Christians held important jobs in the government and in the court. So he
issued an executive order to all those Christians: “Either give up Christ or
give up your jobs.” The great majority of Christians gave up their jobs rather
than disown Christ. Only a few cowards gave up their religion rather than lose
their jobs. The emperor was pleased with the majority who showed the courage of
their convictions and gave their jobs back to them while he dismissed those who
were willing to give up their allegiance to Christ to keep their jobs, saying
to them, “If you will not be true to your God you will not be true to me
either.” — Today we join the Palm Sunday crowd in spirit to declare our loyalty
to Christ and our fidelity to His teachings by actively participating in the
Palm Sunday liturgy. As we carry the palm to our homes, we are declaring our
choice to accept Jesus as the King and ruler of our lives and our families. Let
us express our gratitude to Jesus for redeeming us by His suffering and death.
We do so best by our active participation in the Holy Week liturgy and our
reconciliation with God and His Church, as we repent of our sins and receive
God’s pardon and forgiveness from Jesus through his Church. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
5) Passion Sunday and the shadow of the cross: The
Bishop of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during the early part of the last
century was a great evangelizer who tried to reach out to unbelievers,
scoffers, and cynics. He liked to tell the story of a young man who would
stand outside the cathedral and shout derogatory slogans at the people entering
to worship. He would call them fools and other
insulting names. The people tried to ignore him but it was
difficult. One day the parish priest went outside to confront the young man,
much to the distress of the parishioners. The young man ranted and raved
against everything the priest told him. Finally, the priest addressed the
young scoffer, saying, “Look, let’s get this over with once and for all.
I’m going to dare you to do something and I bet you can’t do it.” And of
course the young man shot back, “I can do anything you propose, you white-robed
wimp!” “Fine,” said the priest. “All I ask you to do is to come into
the sanctuary with me. I want you to stare at the figure of Christ
on His cross, and I want you to scream at the very top of your lungs, as loudly
as you can. ‘Christ died on the cross for me, and I don’t care one bit.” So the
young man went into the sanctuary, and looking at the figure, screamed as
loudly as he could, “Christ died on the cross for me, and I don’t care one
bit.” The priest said, “Very good. Now do it again.” And
again the young man screamed, with a little more hesitancy, “Christ died on the
cross for me, and I don’t care one bit.” “You’re almost done now,” said
the priest. “One more time.” The young man raised his fist, kept looking
at the crucifix, but the words wouldn’t come. He just could not look at
the face of Christ and say those words any more. The real punch line came when,
after he told the story, the bishop said, “I was that young man. That
young man, that defiant young man was I. I thought I didn’t need God but
found out that I did.” (World Stories for Preachers and Teachers by William
J. Bausch). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
6) In the footsteps of Jesus, the donkey rider: There
is a biography of a man who was one of the most learned people of his
generation. He had two PhDs – one in philosophy, another in theology. Further,
he was a world-class musician, and concert halls around the world were sold out
when he went on tour. Then, to the surprise of everyone, he decided he wanted
to go to a medical college to earn yet another doctoral degree in medicine. As
soon as he had his medical degree, he left the comfortable surroundings of
Western Europe and went into the jungles of Africa. There he cleared away part
of the jungle and began building a clinic and a hospital. Once these were built,
he started providing medical care to the young and old of Africa. Many years
later, Dr. Albert Schweitzer won the Nobel Peace Prize for his ministry of
healing in the jungles of Africa. When he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he
shared with that distinguished crowd in Stockholm the reason he had built a
hospital in Africa. The reason was summed up, he stated in the first words he
always said to his native patients as they awakened from an operation. He would
say: “The reason that you have no more pain is because the Lord Jesus told the
good doctor and his wife to come to the banks of Ogooue River and help you. If
you owe thanks to anyone, you owe it to the Lord Jesus.” He accepted the
challenge to be a humble servant of Jesus Christ. –And this is our challenge –
this is your challenge – this is my challenge in this Holy Week! When we look
beyond our own needs to the needs of others, we will be walking the road to
becoming a humble servant of Jesus Christ. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
7) “Welcome home Mr. President.” A number of
years ago, Newsweek magazine carried the story of the memorial
service held for Hubert Humphrey, former Vice-President of the United States.
Hundreds of people came from all over the world to say good-bye to their old
friend and colleague. But one person who came was shunned and ignored by
virtually everyone there. Nobody would look at him much less speak to him. That
person was former President Richard Nixon. Not long before, he had gone through
the shame and infamy of Watergate. He was back in Washington for the first time
since his resignation from the presidency. Then a very special thing happened,
perhaps the only thing that could have made a difference and broken the ice.
President Jimmy Carter, who was in the White House at that time, came into the
room. Before he was seated, he saw Nixon over against the wall, all by himself.
He went over to [him] as though he were greeting a family member, stuck out his
hand to the former president, and smiled broadly. To the surprise of everyone
there, the two of them embraced each other, and Carter said, “Welcome home, Mr.
President! Welcome home!” Commenting on that, Newsweek magazine
asserted, “If there was a turning point in Nixon’s long ordeal in the
wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion.” — The
turning point for us is Palm Sunday. It is our moment of triumph. It was a
triumph because God, Jesus, decided to ignore our miserable state and act on
our behalf. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
8) Hosanna leading to the cross: Some years ago,
a book was written by a noted American historian entitled When the
Cheering Stopped. It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson
and the events leading up to and following World War I. When that war was over,
Wilson, the 28th president of the United States was an
international hero. There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people
actually believed that the last war had been fought, and the world had been
made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war, Wilson was
greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more popular than France’s own
heroes. The same thing was true in England and Italy. The cheering lasted about
a year. Then it gradually began to stop. At home, Woodrow Wilson ran into
opposition in the United States Senate, and his League of Nations was not
ratified. Under the strain of it all, the President’s health began to break. In
the next election his party was defeated. So it was that Woodrow Wilson, a man
who barely a year or two earlier had been heralded as the new world Messiah,
came to the end of his days a broken and defeated man. — It’s a sad story, but
one that is not altogether unfamiliar. The ultimate reward for someone who
tries to translate ideals into reality is apt to be frustration and defeat. It
happened that way to Jesus. When He emerged on the public scene, He was an
overnight sensation. On Palm Sunday, leafy palm branches were spread before Him
and there were shouts of “Hosanna.” But before it was all over, a tidal wave of
manipulated opposition had welled up that brought Jesus to the cross. Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
9) Christ-less donkey arrested and handcuffed on a Palm
Sunday: The light turns green, but the man doesn’t notice that the light
has changed. The woman behind him begins pounding on her steering wheel
and yelling at the man to move! The man doesn’t move! The woman is going
ballistic, ranting and raving at the man, pounding on her steering wheel.
When the light turns yellow, the woman begins blowing her car’s horn and
screaming curses at the man. Finally, the man looks up, sees
the yellow light, and accelerates through the intersection just as the light
turns red. While she is still ranting, she hears a tap on her window and looks
up into the barrel of a gun held by a very serious looking policeman. The
policeman tells her to pull her car to the side, shut off the engine, come out
and stand facing the car, while keeping both hands on the car roof. She is
quickly cuffed, and hustled into the patrol car. The woman is too
bewildered to ask any questions, and she is driven to the police station, where
she is fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked, and locked up in
a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell, and
opens the door. The policeman hands her the bag containing her things,
and says, “I’m sorry for this mistake, but you see, I pulled up behind your car
while you were blowing your horn, and cursing at the car in front of you.
I noticed the “Choose Christ” license plate holder, and
the “Follow Me To Sunday School” bumper sticker, and Palm
Sunday palm leaves inside the back windshield. So naturally I
assumed you had stolen the car because such a nice Christian, who courageously
displays Christian symbols in her car, would never act as you did.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
10) A donkey at Kentucky Derby? Church tradition
tells us (though none of the Gospels report it), that this wasn’t Jesus’ first
donkey ride. Matthew’s text doesn’t detail how Joseph traveled with Mary to
Egypt and back to Nazareth again. Nor does Luke’s Gospel describe how Mary and
Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. But all of us have in our heads the picture of a
pregnant Mary perched on the back of a sturdy donkey. Our mind’s eye puts her
back on that beast for the escape to Egypt and the homeward trek to Nazareth
after Herod had died. Church tradition has long suggested that in honor of the
donkey’s humble service to Jesus, the animal was rewarded with a permanent
“sign of the cross,” for most donkeys do show a distinctive black cross pattern
across their sturdy shoulders. — Despite this lip service from Church
tradition, the donkey still remains far beyond the pale of glory. Little girls
don’t dream of riding across summer fields on a little donkey. The Kentucky
Derby doesn’t blow the herald horn for a herd of dinky donkeys to race around
the track. And everyone from Shakespeare to Pinocchio knows that fools and
dolts are depicted as donkeys. Of course, the donkey’s other common name says
it all: a donkey is just an . . . well, you know what that word is. Yet if the
mission of the Church is to carry Christ into the world, then each of us is
called to be a donkey. There’s no particular glory in being a donkey. There are
only long trails, steep roads, heavy loads, and little or no recognition for a
completed job. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
11) An angry Christ: A Catholic priest in
Dayton, Ohio defied his archbishop by denying Communion to worshipers who did
not observe a dress code. For several years he had denied the Sacraments to
anyone who came to Church in “shorts, bare midriffs, tank tops, jeans, and
sweatshirts.” Finally, the Archbishop retired the 73-year old priest for
defying his authority. The priest said: “I do not hate the Archbishop. I have
only pity for him, since he will have to face an angry Christ in judgment.” (Christian
Century, January 24, 1990, page 73). — Whatever we may think of the good
priest’s sartorial preferences, we must be shocked awake by his words: “an
angry Christ.” Yes, according to the Gospel record, Christ did get angry. And
He got angry over something a whole lot more important than a dress code. In
fact, it might be argued that the attitude expressed by the good father in
Dayton was precisely the sort of attitude that made Jesus really angry-putting
roadblocks in front of people who wished to come to Him. The first place where
it says He got angry was when He was forbidden to heal on the Sabbath. (Mark
3:5) In another place, anger is not mentioned, but implied. That was when He
came to the Temple on the Monday of Passion Week. There, His passion burst
forth against the moneychangers in the Temple. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
12) A parade of humility: A pastor was once
asked to speak at a banquet for a charitable organization. After the meeting,
the program chairman handed the pastor a check. “Oh, I don’t want this,” the
pastor said. “I appreciate the honor of being asked to speak. Keep the check
and apply it to something special.” The program chairman asked, “Well, do you
mind if we put it in our special fund?” “Of course not!” the pastor replied.
“Could you please tell me what your special fund is for?” The chairman
answered, “It’s so we can get a better speaker for next year.” — Life is full
of humbling experiences. But, when we look at Jesus’ parade through the Holy
City, we sense that it was an act of humility. He did not choose to ride into
the city upon a stallion, but a donkey. He was not coming in the might and
power of a conquering king, but as a humble servant. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
13) “The Hero’s Quest.” Some of you will
remember the name of Joseph Campbell. Campbell taught in relative obscurity for
many years until Bill Moyers discovered him, did a series on public television
about Campbell’s ideas about mythology and comparative religions, and thus
elevated him into celebrity, most of it posthumous since Campbell died shortly
after that television series. What caught Moyers’ attention was Campbell’s book
entitled, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Incidentally, it also
caught George Lucas’s attention and was the inspiration for his film, Star
Wars. The thesis of that book is that the same story appears over and over
again in all the world’s literature, including the Bible. He called that story,
“The Hero’s Quest.” He said that the plot is always the same. A hero must make
a solitary journey, sometimes to climb a mountain to get the prize, sometimes
to go to the cave to slay the dragon, sometimes to journey the gates of the
forbidden city. The hero is the person who faces hostile powers, enters the
struggle, prepared to give his or her life, and then comes out of it a new
person, with a new life. — Those stories are everywhere. They are a part of
every culture. In Greece, we see it as the Golden Fleece. In Britain, it is the
Arthurian legends and the Holy Grail. And in the Bible, it is the story of
Abraham leaving Ur of Chaldees, the most civilized part of the world in those
days, and journeying through many “dangers, toils, and snares” to a promised
land. Or it is Moses, leaving the comfort and security of shepherding in Midian
to go to Egypt and confront Pharaoh. Or it is David, leaving the simple life of
a shepherd boy and going out to meet the giant Goliath. But unparalleled in
history is Jesus’ leaving the safety of Galilee and heading for Jerusalem to
accomplish His mission of redeeming mankind by His suffering, death and
Resurrection. That is the story of Palm Sunday. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
14) “Sir, I just know I love Jesus.” In a
Sociology of Religion class at the University of Virginia, the professor asked
the students in the first class to tell about their religious background and
commitments. One young woman named Barb said she was a Christian. The professor
asked, “What tradition of the Christian faith do you identify with? The northern
European or English pietism or another?” The student did not understand his
question. Finally she said, “Sir, I don’t know exactly what you mean; I just
know I love Jesus.” Right there in a classroom, Jesus was declared to be King
and perhaps attracted more followers. One of my favorite golfers on the pro
tour is Tom Lehman. He often says, “I think of myself as a Christian who plays
golf, not as a golfer who is a Christian.” — What about you? Are you first a
Christian and then secondarily a banker or a teacher or a salesperson or a
Republican or a white person or a husband or a mother? Is the word “Christian”
your most important adjective? When you declare, “Jesus is Lord!” have you
revealed the essential you? This Jesus is still marching down the streets of
the world, calling people to decision. Jesus is the unidentified King who has
no crown to wear or kingdom to command…until one person at a time declares by
Faith, “Jesus is Lord for me. He will reign in my life.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
15) The myth of redemptive violence: “In a
period when attendance at Christian Sunday schools is dwindling, the myth of
redemptive violence has won children’s voluntary acquiescence to a regimen of
religious indoctrination more extensive and effective than any in the history
of religions. Estimates vary widely, but the average child is reported to log
roughly 36,000 hours of television by age 18, viewing some 15,000 murders. What
church or synagogue can even remotely keep pace with the myth of redemptive
violence in hours spent teaching children or the quality of presentation?
(Think of the typical “children’s sermon” – how bland by comparison!)” With
that kind of insight as a background, perhaps we should EXPECT what happened to
Jesus in the Holy Week. (“The Myth of Redemptive Violence” http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/exploratory/articles/wink99.doc
). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
16) After the shouts of Hosanna we should walk to
Golgotha: Bishop Kenneth Carder (Tennessee) wrote: “The Church of today has
become an institution in which even belief in God is optional or peripheral.
Marketing techniques for a multiple option institution have replaced response
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the means of membership enlistment. The basic
appeal is to self-defined needs rather than a call to radical discipleship. The
Church’s mission, all too often, is to meet its members’ perceived needs rather
than to serve God’s need for a redeemed, reconciled, and healed world.” — Our
concept of consumerism has crept into the Church. To recruit persons and to be
marketable we think that we need to be able to say: “Look what our Church can
offer you.” In this atmosphere of a sorority rush party, talk of discipleship
is muted. Discipleship means knowing Who Jesus Christ is and following the
Revelation made known to us in His teaching, death, Resurrection, and presence.
Commitment means that, after the shouts of Hosanna, we walk to Golgotha
carrying His cross of suffering. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
17) And Superman ducked! Jesus rides upon a
donkey fulfilling an ancient prophecy, but clearly in total control. He knows
what will happen to Him in Jerusalem. Still He rides on. He does not seek to
avoid the task to which He has been called. It reminds me of a routine comedian
David Brenner used to do about Superman in the movies. Go back with me in your
minds. Picture this scene. Superman is confronting one of the bad guys. The bad
guy would fire at Superman with a gun. Superman would smirk and throw his chest
out. The bullets would bounce harmlessly away. But did you ever notice what
happened next? Brenner said, “And then when the guy ran out of bullets, he
would throw the gun at Superman. And Superman ducked.” He ducked! I’ll bet you
never thought about that before. Bullets bounced off of him, but when a gun was
thrown at him, Superman ducked. — Perhaps that amusing insight will serve to
remind us that Jesus did not have to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He could
have ducked His mission. But still He rode on. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
18) King for a day: Once upon a time, before
television, there was radio. One of the most popular daytime radio programs in
those days was called Queen for a Day. Each day four or five women
from the studio audience would tell the host what they would like to do if they
could be “Queen for a Day.” Then, on the basis of applause, one
woman was chosen, and insofar as they were able, the sponsors fulfilled her
wildest desires. She was given a number of valuable prizes and for one day she
reigned as “Queen.” — That sounds like what happened to Jesus, doesn’t it?
Jesus was crowned “King for a Day” on that first Palm Sunday. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
19) The humble king versus proud kings: The
dictator Sulla during the time of the Roman republic invented the
“proscription”, by which he would just announce whom he wanted dead. This would
be read out in public places and he then would reward anyone who would kill
that particular person. Caligula abandoned himself to cruelty and lust. He
declared himself to be a god and would often go through the streets of Rome
dressed as Bacchus, Venus, or Apollo. The Romans were compelled to worship him,
and he made the wealthiest citizens his priests. Having exhausted Rome and
Italy, in AD. 39 Caligula led a large army across the Alps for the purpose of
plundering Gaul, where the richest citizens were put to death and their
property confiscated. — The crowd that cheered Jesus was familiar with such
cruelties of the Kings and Emperors. Contrary to their experience, they found a
new procession where the king was adorned with humility. (Fr. Bobby Jose). Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
20) “Help! Help!” There is an old story about a
preacher who was having problems and decided to leave the ministry. But he ran
into trouble finding another job. Finally, in desperation, he took a job at the
local zoo. The gorilla had died, and since it had been the children’s favorite
animal, the zoo officials decided to put someone in a gorilla costume until a
real replacement could be found. To the minister’s surprise, he liked the job.
He enjoyed ministering to children as the donkey on Palm Sunday carried Jesus.
He got lots of attention and could eat all he wanted. There was no stress:
there were no deadlines, complaints or committees. And he could take a nap
anytime he wanted. One day he was feeling particularly frisky. So he began
swinging on the trapeze. Higher and higher he went. But suddenly he lost his
grip, flipped a couple of times, and landed in the next cage. Stunned and
dazed, he looked up and saw a ferocious lion. In his panic he forgot he was
supposed to be a gorilla and yelled, “Help! Help!” That ferocious lion turned
in his direction and said, “0h, shut up, man, I’m a minister too.” — Unlike
these gorilla and lion ministers, all of us are supposed to be donkey ministers
by becoming donkey-givers like the man Jesus met long ago, who loaned his
donkey to Jesus to ride as He entered Jerusalem for the last time. We become
donkey-givers when we give something that promotes Jesus and His Kingdom. Five
hundred years from now as we delight in the glory of God’s Kingdom, we will not
even remember how much money we earned on earth or how big our houses were or
whether we had much status or popularity. But we will celebrate forever every
single donkey we gave to the Master in the form of little things we have done
for others in Jesus’ name for God’s glory. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021.
21) Speaking Donkey: Ever wonder why the donkey
is the only animal in the Bible that speaks? Karl Barth at his 80th birthday
party offered this testimony: “In the Bible there’s talk of a donkey, or to be
quite correct, an ass. It was allowed to carry Jesus to Jerusalem. If I have
achieved anything in this life, then I did so as a relative of the ass who at
that time was going his way carrying an important burden. The disciples had
said to its owner: ‘The Master has need of it.’ And so, it seems to have
pleased God to have used me at this time. Apparently, I was permitted to be the
ass which was allowed to carry as best I could a better theology, a little
piece” [as quoted by John Robert McFarland’s Preacher’s Workshop in “The
Illustration is the Point,” The Christian Ministry,
(January-February, 1988), 21.] Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
22) “The Traveler”: Richard Matheson wrote a
science-fiction story called “The Traveler.” It’s about a scientist
called Paul Jairus, who is part of a research time that has developed an energy
screen to permit people to travel back into time. The first trip is scheduled
to take place a few days before Christmas and Jairus has been picked to make
the trip. He decided to go back in time to the crucifixion of Jesus on Calvary.
Jairus is a non-believer and anticipates finding the crucifixion different from
the way the Bible describes it. When the historic moment comes, Jairus steps into
the energy screen and soon finds himself soaring back into time -100 years,
1000 years, 2000 years. The energy screen touches down on target and Calvary is
swarming with people, everybody’s attention is focused on three men nailed to
crosses about 100 feet away. Immediately Jairus asks the Command Centre for
permission to move closer to the crosses, they grant it, but tell him to stay
inside the energy screen. Jairus moves closer and as he does, his eyes come to
rest on Jesus. Suddenly something remarkable begins to happen, Jairus feels
drawn to Jesus, as a tiny piece of metal is drawn to a magnet. He is deeply
moved by the love radiating from Jesus, it’s something he’d never experienced
before. Then contrary to all his expectations, events on Calvary begin to
unfold exactly as the Gospel described them. Jairus is visibly shaken. — The
Command Centre realizes this and fears he’s becoming emotionally involved. They
tell him to prepare for immediate return to the 20th century. Jairus protests,
but to no avail. The trip back goes smoothly. When Jairus steps from
the energy screen, it’s clear he’s a changed man. (Mark Link). Fr.
Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
23) Victory of St. Polycarp: In Christian art, the martyrs
are almost always shown holding palm branches as symbols of victory over
temptation and suffering. These martyrs are our older brothers and sisters in
the Faith — God wants us to learn from and be encouraged by them. Take the
example of St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. • In the year 155, Polycarp was
condemned to death for refusing to give idolatrous worship to the Roman
Emperor. As he was a well-known Christian leader, even though he was already in
his 80s, his execution was made into a large public spectacle. • He was burned
to death in the city stadium. • Normally, criminals executed that way were
actually fastened to the pile of wood, so that they wouldn’t climb out of the
fire. • But not Polycarp. • He told his guards: “He who gives me strength to
endure the fire will also grant me to stay on the pyre unflinching even without
your making sure of it with nails.” • According to eye witnesses, his last
words were a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to God for giving him the
honor of sharing Christ’s cup of suffering. • Those same eye witnesses tell us
that when the fire was lit, • a great flame blazed up, • but instead of burning
Polycarp right away, • it surrounded him like a fiery force field; • his face
was serene and his body glowed like gold being refined in a furnace. • As he
peacefully breathed his last, the onlookers perceived a fragrant smell, as if
incense were being offered. — This is the paradox of Palm Sunday, which God
wants us all to experience: that Christ’s limitless love • can strengthen us to
resist even the greatest temptations, • and fill us with interior peace and joy
even amidst the flames of suffering that torment us here on earth. (E-
Priest) . Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
24) Helplessness of a terminal cancer patient: The
renowned spiritual writer Henri Nouwen, shares how he once went to a hospital
to visit a man dying of cancer. The man was still relatively young and had been
a very hardworking and generative person. He was the father of a family and
provided well for them. He was the chief executive officer in a large company
and took good care of both the company and his employees. Moreover, he was
involved in many other organizations, including his Church, and, because of his
leadership abilities, was often the one in charge. But now, this once-so-active
man, this person who was so used to being in control of things, was lying on a
hospital bed, dying, unable to take care of even his most basic needs. As
Nouwen approached the bed, the man took his hand. It’s significant to note the
particular frustration he expressed: “Father, you have to help me! I’m dying,
and I am trying to make peace with that, but there is something else too: You
know me, I have always been in charge—I took care of my family. I took care of
the company. I took care of the Church. I took care of things! Now I am lying
here, on this bed and I can’t even take care of myself. I can’t even go to the
bathroom! Dying is one thing, but this is another! I’m helpless! I can’t do
anything anymore!” Despite his exceptional pastoral skills, Nouwen, like any of
us in a similar situation, was left rather helpless in the face of this man’s
plea. The man was undergoing an agonizing passivity. He was now a patient. He
had once been active, the one in charge; and now, like Jesus in the hours
leading up to his death, he was reduced being a patient, one who is ministered
to by others. Nouwen, for his part, tried to help the man see the connection
between what he was undergoing and what Jesus endured in his passion,
especially how this time of helplessness, diminishment, and passivity is meant
to be a time where we can give something deeper to those around us. (Quoted by
Fr. Ron Rolheiser). — Among other things, Nouwen read the Passion narratives of
the Gospels aloud to him because what this man was enduring parallels very
clearly what Jesus endured in the hours leading up to his death, a time we
Christians entitle, “the Passion of Jesus.” What exactly was the Passion of Jesus?
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
2021.
25) Obediently accepting death on a cross: Andy lived in Jersey City. His father worked for the great meat-packing firm of Swift and Company. Andy’s dad used every opportunity to educate his son along practical lines. One day when the boy was about ten, he took him on a tour of the Swift packinghouses in Newark to show him how they killed animals for the meat-markets. Swift called these places their “abattoirs.” The French word abattoir sounds a little less gross, but it means the same as the English “slaughter-house.” What the butchers did there was a necessary but bloody business, not always easy for a visitor to stomach. Andy noticed in particular the way in which the different types of animals reacted to impending death. The beef cattle and calves struggled and bellowed with fear. Pigs squealed and squirmed and tried to escape. But the sheep were different. They simply stood there meek and silent, offering no resistance to their slayers. When Andy grew up, he became a priest. He never forgot the way he had seen sheep behave in the face of death, and he often pointed out in his Holy Week sermons how appropriately the Christ who died for us is called “the Lamb.” The Jews of Bible times knew very well how sheep acted under these circumstances. Sheep and goats were their main livestock. Isaiah spoke out of experience when he foretold in vision how the Messiah would die: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth.” (Is 53:7) — Today as we enter upon Passion Week, let us bear in mind this symbol of Christ as a lamb, and during the narrative of His passion and death see how well it was fulfilled. (Father Robert F. McNamara). Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) 2021. L/21
2. Fr. Jude Botelho:
In the first part of this service we remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem acclaimed by all the people. We could dwell on the thoughts of those who were present there. Firstly there are the disciples and the crowds, which were growing in their admiration of Jesus the master. They must have been particularly happy to see their master thus publicly acknowledged by the multitude. Then there are the Jewish leaders who understood what was happening as the crowds proclaimed: "Hosanna to the Son of David." They wanted Jesus to silence the crowd but he didn't. Then there is Jesus himself and his thoughts were very different from those of his disciples and the crowd. He did gratefully accept the praises of the people since they were sincere, but these praises did not make him proud. He still remained humble and that is the reason he comes on a donkey fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.
Triumph and Tragedy
In 1978 President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was given to them for their joint efforts to reduce Mideast hostilities by framing and signing the U.S. mediated Camp David peace accord. The agreement was an unprecedented move on Sadat's part because he was the first major Arab leader to accept Israel's existence as a sovereign state. Only five years earlier, in 1973, he was hailed as a hero for successfully sending Egyptian forces across the Suez Canal to recapture Israeli-occupied territories. But in 1978 Sadat was called a traitor by Arab radicals. President Sadat was assassinated by some Arab extremists in 1981. Ironically, he was killed while viewing a parade to celebrate the anniversary of the 1973 battle that had made him an Arab hero. The life and death of Anwar Sadat suggest some striking similarities to the life and death of Jesus, similarities that stand out on Palm Sunday. For both Sadat and Jesus had loyal followers who acclaimed them, but also enemies who eventually killed them. Both men entered their final scene to sounds of triumph, only to depart from it on a note of tragedy.
Albert Cylwicki in 'His Word Resounds'
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah, who lived seven hundred years before Christ, wrote about the sufferings of the suffering servant in such detail that one would have thought that he was an eye witness of the passion and death of Jesus Christ himself. The spirit of God prompted him to say and write as he did. In particular, in today's reading, Isaiah will highlight one key aspect of the suffering servant of Yahweh that he would be obedient and uncomplaining in his acceptance of whatever he had to endure. In all that he suffered he would trust in his Father and surrender to His will.
As we listen to the narrative of the passion we need to remind ourselves that the gospels were not written at a stretch but gradually. The account of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus were among the very first sections of the Gospels to be put into writing as nothing was dearer to the followers than to recall and relive the very last moments of Jesus and all that he had said and done before he died. On listening to the narrative of the passion, those Christians and millions of others were empowered and fortified to remain faithful to Jesus in times of persecution. We too, as we listen to the narrative of the passion will find the courage and strength to carry our own crosses and follow after him. As we enter into his passion we need to make an act of faith. Jesus died but he still lives on and continues to be in our midst. During Holy Week Jesus comes in a special way not only to listen to us but also to speak to us and to work in us and through us. Times have changed and the settings have changed. There are no apostles and no Jews but we have taken their place. Jesus is undergoing his passion today through the people who suffer, those who are unjustly condemned to death; those who are betrayed by their very own; those who suffer for their stand against aggression, injustices, human rights; those who are manipulated by power hungry forces; those who are the victims of war; victims of terrorism; the narrative of the passion is unfolding in our very times. May our meditation on the passion and death of Jesus Christ lead us and all those who suffer, into the fullness of the Resurrection.
The people, in them I see the face of God
In one of his plays Padraig Pearse tells the story of Mac Dara, the Singer, who returns home and tells his old school teacher Maoilsheachlainn about his loss of faith. "Once as I knelt at the cross of Kilgobbin, it became clear to me with awful clearness, that there was no God. Why pray after that? I burst into a fit of laughter at the folly of men in thinking there is a God. I felt inclined to run through the village and cry aloud, "People, it is all a mistake. There is no God." Then I said, 'Why take away their illusion? If they find there is no God, their hearts will be as lonely as mine.' So I walked the roads with my secret." To which Maoilsheachlainn replied, "Mac Dara, I am sorry for this. You must pray, you must pray. You will find God again. He has only hidden his face from you." "No," said Mac Dara, "He has revealed his face to me, the people, Maoilsheachlainn, the dumb, suffering people. In them I saw or seemed to see again the face of God." In the people and his concern that his unbelief might disturb their simple faith, Mac Dara rediscovered the face of God.
James A Feeban from 'Story Power'
Do you think he loved me?
Manning and Brennen were part of a platoon in Vietnam making their way through the jungle when, suddenly, Manning was sent flying into the bushes, when Brennen threw himself on the ground. There was a terrific explosion, as a landmine blew Brennen to bits, and Manning escaped without a mark. Manning was deeply shocked, of course, but he was also profoundly overcome that his friend had sacrificed his own life for him. His right foot was just about to come down on the mine when Brennen spotted it, and dived. His intention was to get Manning out of the way, but it was impossible to do that without throwing himself in the line of fire. When Manning returned to the US, he joined a branch of the Franciscans, called Canons Regular and took 'Brennen' as his religious name. Some years after his ordination, he was visiting the mother of his friend Brennen, who was now quite old. She was a quiet little woman, and constant prayer was her daily sustenance. By way of saying something during a lull in the conversation, Manning turned to her and asked, "Do you think that he really loved me?" The quiet little woman sprang to life, was on her feet, and was pointing a finger into his face as she spoke with a clear firm voice: "Don't you ever ask me that question again. Of course he loved you. Didn't he die for you? What further proof could you need?"
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth'
I have already died
Henri Nouwen tells of a Lutheran Bishop who was imprisoned in a German concentration camp during World War II and beaten by an SS Officer in order to extract a confession from him about his political action. The beatings continued to increase in intensity, but the bishop maintained his silence. Finally, the infuriated officer shrieked, "Don't you know that I can kill you?" The bishop looked into the eyes of his torturer and said, "Yes, I know -do what you want - but I have already died." Instantly as though paralyzed, the officer could no longer raise his arm. It was as if power over the bishop had been taken from him. All his cruelties had been based on the assumption that the bishop's physical life was his most precious possession and therefore he would be willing to make any concession to save it. But with the grounds for violence gone, torture was futile.
Anthony Castle in 'More Quotes and Anecdotes'
Ready to die that others may live
There was a report of a coal mining accident. Many miners escaped with their lives, but three men were trapped somewhere deep within the earth's crust. Whether they were dead or alive no one knew. What made the accident even more frustrating was the presence of intense heat and noxious gases within the mine itself. If the rocks had not crushed them, they very well would have been asphyxiated by the fumes or killed by the heat. Two days went by before a search expedition was allowed to even enter the mine because of heat and fumes. Even then there was a great danger in store for anyone who would dare descend into what could be a deep black grave. A brief interview was conducted with one of the members of the search expedition as he was preparing to enter the mine. A reporter asked him, "Sir, are you aware of the noxious gases and the extreme danger of the mines." The fireman replied, "Yes, I am aware." The reporter asked again, "Are you still going down?" And the man replied, "The men may still be alive." Without another word of explanation he put on his gas mask, climbed into the elevator and descended into the black inferno of the mine. That rescuer put his life on the line that others might live. That's what Jesus did - by entering Jerusalem, He put his life on the line that others might have life.
John Rose in 'John's Sunday Homilies'
Specially for you
The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered. And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
Anonymous
We join our sufferings to those of Christ, then they make sense
A.J. Cronin tells of his days as a medical officer to the Welsh mining company in his book Adventures in Two Worlds. I have told you of Olwen Davies, the middle aged district nurse who for more than twenty years, with fortitude and patience, calmness and selflessness, served the people of Tregenny. This unconscious selflessness, which above all seemed the keynote of her character, was so poorly rewarded, it worried me. Although she was much beloved by the people, her salary was most inadequate. And late one night after a particularly strenuous case, I ventured to protest to her as we drank a cup of tea together. "Nurse," I said, "Why don't you make them pay you more? It is ridiculous that you should work for so little." She raised her eyebrows slightly. But she smiled. "I have enough to get along." "No, really," I persisted, "you ought to have an extra pound a week at least. God knows you are worth it." There was a pause. Her smile remained, but her gaze held a gravity which startled me. "Doctor," she said, "if God knows I am worth it, that's all that matters to me." - Are we content to do our work in silence, knowing that God knows our efforts, concerns and sufferings?
Gerard Fuller in 'Stories for All Seasons'
3. From Sermons.com
I read about one of the fastest growing churches in the world, with branches in 32 countries already. It is called the Winners Church, and according to its leaders, it lives by a motto that comes from America's religious culture. Here's the motto: "Be happy. Be successful. Join the winners." People flock to that kind of church, I guess. But it all depends, doesn't it, on how we define winning? I wonder what kind of church you would have if your motto were "Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant." Or about this one for a motto, "Those who want to save their lives will lose them and those who lose their lives for my sake, will find them."
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Surprising and inevitable. Palm Sunday and the events of Holy Week are both surprising and inevitable. The truth is that we are not completely sure what to make of Palm Sunday. After forty days of Lenten travel that have often focused on serious and sometimes dark subjects, suddenly we arrive at a day that seems at first blush to be surprisingly cheery. The Palm Sunday parade has color and spectacle, cheering and singing, festive voices and joyful exuberance. This seems like a happy day. Yet it would be completely appropriate if you were to ask, "What in the world is this day doing here given how close we are now to the cross!?" Is Palm Sunday a bright spot in the midst of the otherwise darker hues of Lent? Are we, for just a little while this morning, supposed to forget about all things dreary so that we can cry out some full-throated "Hosannas!"? Or is there also a sadness to this day that we must bear in mind?
Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations
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We Are Responsible for a Dead Church
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More Anecdotes:
There's an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting on a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy, and gave him some gentle instruction. "Son," he said, "if you're waiting on the bus, you need to move to the street corner. That's where the bus stops for passengers."
"It's OK," said the boy. "I'll just wait right here, and the bus will stop for me."
The man repeated his argument, but the boy never moved. Just then, the bus appeared. Amazingly, the bus pulled over to where the boy stood, and the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway and said, "Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, because the bus driver is my dad!"
When you've got a family relationship with the bus driver, you don't need a bus stop. If your mother is a US Senator, you won't need an appointment to slip into her office. If you've given your heart to the King of Kings, you're in a royal family of unspeakable proportions.
Studying Sargent's brass relief, one could better understand why Cicero wrote that crucifixion was the "most heartless and most harrowing" manner of execution.
This solitary work by the master artist Sargent was a fulfillment of the line of a priest who said so prophetically, "The world can never get away from that strange Man on the cross."
The crucifixion was of a type that I had never seen before. It had been made for the Boston Public Library about 1899. Beneath each of the outstretched arms of the Christ, there stood a figure. One was clearly the young disciple John. The other was a woman, no doubt His mother.
Each one held a chalice. They were catching His precious blood as it flowed from His hands wounded by the nails. They obviously wished to collect each and every drop of it.
The right foot of the Saviour was standing on a serpent. He was meant by Sargent to be a symbol for Satan. By His death Jesus the Christ had bested him.
Sargent had himself squeezed a great deal of theology into one brass relief. For me, John Singer Sargent had brought some fresh insights into the horrible and painful death of the Messiah. It was also the case for other spectators. Many stood around his crucifixion work studying every detail. No one spoke. They were transfixed. They better understood I think the awesome price the redemption had cost the Christ.
Yet, I do think Mr Sargent would have been surprised to learn that the cross did not appear as a Christian symbol till about the fifth century. Many archaeological digs have discovered early Christian symbols other than the cross. One thinks immediately of the ever-popular fish whose Greek letters stand for "Jesus Christ Son of God Saviour." There was the anchor which symbolized hope for the early Christians. And there were various types of Christograms. These were the first letters of Jesus Christ in Greek placed one on top of the other. But there were no crosses to be found among these early century finds.
Why? No less an authority than Dominican Father Jerome Murphy O'Connor, a professor at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem, answers the question for Catholic News Services. "The cross at the time," he says, "was being used for crucifixion and torture. To wear it around one's neck would be like wearing a miniature electric chair around your neck today. The idea was repulsive." Furthermore, many Christians felt it would be dreadful to utilize a symbol of sheer disgrace for their flourishing creed. Other scholars confirm Fr Murphy O'Connor's view. Some observers also go on to declare that if the Christians were to wear a cross, they would be inviting serious troubles from the police. They would be broadcasting the fact that they were indeed the followers of the Christ - Him who had been crucified outside Jerusalem by the Romans. So wisely they chose the more subtle symbols of the fish, the anchor, and the Christograms. These were codes that those who did not follow Jesus Christ would not fathom. These early centuries were of course the period in which the Christians underwent serious persecutions for their faith.
In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Happily he brought an abrupt halt to the centuries-old barbarous crucifixion. Then and only then did Christians accept the cross as their universal symbol. But intriguingly Fr Murphy O'Connor asserts it took another two centuries before the Christ figure was placed on that cross. The why of it remains a mystery.
As we begin this solemn week, we should carry with us this refrain: no one is too bad to be forgiven.
Sermons. com
On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more popular than their own heroes. The same thing was true in England and Italy. In a Vienna hospital a Red Cross worker had to tell the children that there would be no Christmas presents because of the war and the hard times. The children didn't believe her. They said that President Wilson was coming and they knew that everything would be all right.
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