Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord A: April 2, 2023

Matthew 21:1-11[Blessing]; Passion of Matthew 26:14-27:66

Fr. John Tran

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, we experience emotions and feelings that run the gamut of possibilities – from almost wild, intoxicating joy to the depths of sorrow and self-loathing. First Jesus entry into the Holy City as the crowds laid their palms on the ground and waved them in the air when Jesus arrived there. In this event, the irony of the week we call Holy, comes out. We would seem to be celebrating the victory of Jesus’ ministry on earth when he openly and triumphantly enters Jerusalem even though he knew the threats against him. It brings us up short when we are sobered up later with the reading of the Passion of St. Matthew. It underlines the fact that to be a follower of Christ is not necessarily all triumph; no, in fact there is suffering involved on our way to final victory and salvation.

If we were apostles, we would not doubt almost taste the beginning of Jesus’ earthly reign as King of all the earth with this almost delirious and triumphal entry; and to begin to plan our place in it. But that is not what Jesus had in mind at all. He had told them that many times, but they had not understood. He tells us the same thing today. It is not ambition that is the way to follow Christ; rather it is humility and love.

The mood changes at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday evening; and that is where the Passion begins. It certainly changes the setting when we hear Judas selling out Jesus for money, and Jesus telling the apostles, “one of you will betray me.” And of course each replies, “Surely, it is not I, Lord.” And you and I say also, “Surely, it is not I, Lord.” And yet, is it?

We can be so sure that in an abstract way Jesus died for our sins and it seems so removed from us; we take it for granted. We take no responsibility at all because, whether we follow God’s commands or not, the way salvation came to us, almost seems to have nothing to do with us. But, we cannot just blame it all on Judas, or the Jews, or the Romans. When we respond in the Passion with the words of “The Crowd,” we must own those words since I have betrayed Jesus even though I live thousands of years later. Isn’t it true that we deny and betray Jesus each time we fail to love, to look to the benefit of another?

It is good to recognize our part in the Passion, but we cannot just despair and stay in that moment. That would be to take the way out of Judas. No, we know that something comes after Good Friday, and that is real forgiveness; it is just that we cannot take that forgiveness too lightly. It was accomplished through the death of God’s Son, and he did it freely and with love, for both the just and the unjust.

Part of the Cross that each of us takes up is the realization that we too are sometimes unfaithful. But we do not need to heap sin upon sin by feeling that all is hopeless. Rather, what the betrayal and passion teach us is that we can always begin again. The answer is that there is always forgiveness and our responsibility is to share that forgiveness with the brothers and sisters of our faith, and even more, with our brothers and sister who do not believe.

When we share forgiveness with another, we do far more than forgive; we love as Christ loves. After all he did give us a new commandment: “Love on another as I have loved you.” That is the whole meaning and purpose to Holy Week: to teach us to love as Christ did. Just look at the length Jesus went to to give us this lesson. It is a lesson that will save us forever. Truly, we face our life in Christ with humility, not ambition. We humbly take responsibility for our actions and rejoice in our sanctification. When we ask, “is it I, Lord?,” we know we may get an answer that it will be hard to live with. “But the Lord is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.” Jesus has given us to his Father as sons and daughters. But our joy is that we have already been forgiven in the same way as we forgive.. That is the very reason Jesus came to us in the first place.