Homily: April 10, 2022, Palm Sunday

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 REFLECTION FOR PROCESSION READING

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The multitudes declared as Jesus enters Jerusalem. We too declare ‘Praise the Lord!’ when something we have been praying for is answered according to our wish. What would we say if our prayers were not answered in the way we expected it?

What did the people say about Jesus just a few days after this triumphant entry?

Palm Sunday leads us into Holy week, our final week of Lent, Jesus’ final week of His earthly life. Jesus is indeed the King, the Messiah, the One who is to save all people, but not in the worldly sense.

When we discover the truth about His kingship, would we still declare Him our Lord and God?


HOMILY

Imagine, if you were not a Catholic, nor a Christian, and today is the first time you hear about God and Jesus in this Gospel narrative, what would you think?

Jesus seems weak, lowly and was finally defeated. His disciples seem so lost and helpless too. And God did not seem to do anything to help, He let Jesus suffer and die.

Would you wonder, “Is this really God? Is Jesus really the Savior of the world?”

Yes, this is our God, this is our Savior, our King.

Jesus is hailed as king as He enters Jerusalem on a donkey, then in a matter of days, the people turn against Him and demands, “Away with this man! … Crucify him! Crucify him!”

From the triumphant entry to the cruel death of Jesus, everything that happens in this final week is deep in meaning and purpose. Let us look at some today.

Why did Jesus choose to ride on a donkey?

Prophet Zachariah wrote “Behold, your king comes to you, triumphant and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a foal of an Ass”.

On the day of Solomon’s coronation, King David said to his servant, “Take my court officials with you; have my son Solomon ride my own mule”.

And so by riding on a donkey, Jesus is fulfilling the prophecy that He is indeed the humble King of the Jews, and he is going to receive His sacrificial crown.

Traditionally, entering the city on a donkey symbolizes arrival in peace instead of a war-waging king arriving on a horse. Jesus comes to establish peace in our hearts. Jesus is the King of Peace.

In the book of Genesis, we saw Abraham’s only son Isaac riding on a donkey to be sacrificed on the altar. Similarly, Jesus is the Son of God and soon going to the altar at Calvary. Jesus is the lamb to be sacrificed in atonement for our sins.

Why?

Because God is love. He wins not by overpowering the world but by undertaking its punishment. God allowed His Son to be crucified, not because Jesus deserves it, but because He is taking on what we deserve.

Because God is humble. St. Paul writes in the second reading, ‘he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likenesses. Emptying His divine state and taking on our humble condition, God is assuring us that we, in our humility will one day share in His divinity.

Jesus, the innocent preacher and healer, is condemned to die, thus Barabbas, the guilty murderer, is freed to live. He dies, so that we may live. This is our God, this is our Saviour, our King.

God’s unconditional love for us is manifested fully in the life of Jesus, especially in this last week of His earthly life.

As we enter Holy week, let us imitate the same spirit as Jesus our King. Our King is love. Our King is humility. Our King is peace. Amen.

Fr. Nivin Scaria 


Comments

  1. TL10 April 2022 at 20:17

    Amen! Thank you Fr. Nivin. Blessed Palm Sunday.

    ReplyDelete

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