This Sermon is prepared by
Rev.Fr.Peter Jayakanthan sss
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
Corpus Christi Catholic Church,
Houston, Texas, US
Palm or Passion Sunday – Holy WeekPuzzling and thrilling…… Entry!Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mk 11:1-10; Mk 14: 1--15:47 or Mk 15: 1-39Dear Sisters, Brothers and Children, we begin a historical holy week; this was being celebrated annually from the days of the early Church. This is called Holy Week because the suffering, dying and rising of Holy Jesus made our suffering, dying and rising meaningful and fruitful. It is also known as Passion Week because of the salvation brought about through the participatory Passion of Jesus Christ. We may fully participate with Jesus and the Holy Church in this week’s liturgies as a family and community. Our journey with Jesus may lift us up from our brokenness, struggle and suffering of all kinds. We shall become aware of all the symbolism in the liturgies of this week and receive their richness to fill our journey with peace.Entering into high school and college life is exciting……. Entry into a new job is thrilling…… Entering into new home is fulfilling……. Entry into married life is a new beginning…. Entry of a first child into our family is overwhelming……… Entering into a new treatment is puzzling….. Every new entry is exciting, thrilling, fulfilling and puzzling too. It is exciting and thrilling because of the newness and the unknown elements. It is puzzling because of contrast realities present in every reality. New life, new job and new place all involve happy moments and times of struggle, yet we enter believing and hoping to have peace. This peace is possible in our puzzling realities only when we allow Jesus to enter into our life. When someone says that I am sinking into my unresolved problems and unresolved problems, he or she has not allowed Jesus to enter into them. Though the Gospel reading is about the Passion of Jesus, I invite you to stay with the reading we had during our procession with palms. It is about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jerusalem had 11 gates; Jesus was entering through the eighth gate, known as the Golden Gate. It is the eighth long day of Jesus’ Passion, which begins with His entry. It is good to analyze how Jesus’ entry becomes an example of peace among our life with contrast realities: Power Vs Peace: Kings and rulers came on horses to express their power before and during war, they came on a donkey to symbolize peace. Jesus was sitting on a donkey as Prince of Peace. Zechariah9:9 “your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass”. 1King1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethites went down, and mounting Solomon on King David's mule, escorted him to Gihon. Hosanna Vs Crucify: People shouted with Hosanna, Son of David. Hosanna means save us now. People who were burdened with the Jewish countless laws and rituals, then with the pressure of the Roman rule, desperately wanted someone to save them. So they called, save us now-Hosanna. In contrast, they became submissive to their corrupted religious leaders and shouted “crucify Him.” This reveals the lack of conviction in our choices and decisions in life. Olive branches Vs Empty betrayal: The olive signifies peace. Olive leaves were used officially to agree on peace between nations and rulers. The Greeks used the olive feather to signify their concern for peace. Olive wreaths were worn by royal brides and awarded to Olympic victors. Genesis 8:11, “In the evening the dove came back to (Noah) him, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf! So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.” People, who welcomed Jesus with exaltation and olive branches, will soon betray Jesus, joining with the power-craving Pharisees and Scribes. This is a story full of contrasts. Let us ponder some of them: • The generosity of the woman who anointed Jesus; the greed of Judas, who sold Him for profit • The Apostles’ repeatedly falling asleep in Gethsemane; Jesus in watchful and agonized prayer • The raucous, conflicting false testimony in the Council; the silence of Jesus • The silence of Jesus during His beating by the Temple guards; the loud denials and cursing of Peter when he was identified as a disciple • The release of a convicted, murderous insurrectionist; the condemnation of the innocent Jesus on charges of insurrection • The crowd calling for Jesus to demonstrate His power on the Cross by delivering Himself; His cry of abandonment • The Jews mocking and ridiculing their King; the cosmos paying homage to its Creator by darkening the sun • The Apostles fleeing; the women remaining, watching and remaining with Jesus to the end. Life is full of contrasts. This story, being completely human, is as well. However, Jesus brought the Divine into the human story. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem reveals that He is going to be the New Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Temple was misused, disrespected and plundered. He will die to all contrasts and be a peace-filled New Jerusalem. He is entering into our lives to offer peace. In the midst of contrast reality, as we go home with palms in our hands, shall we experience the entry of Jesus into our lives? Are we ready to enter Jerusalem with Him? At the conclusion of the Stations of the Cross, at Rome’s Colosseum on Good Friday night in the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II spoke these moving and powerful words: o “Who, if not the condemned Savior, can fully understand the pain of those unjustly condemned? o Who, if not the King scorned and humiliated, can meet the expectations of the countless men and women who live without hope or dignity? o Who, if not the crucified Son of God, can know the sorrow and loneliness of so many lives shattered and without a future?” o What a Savior we have! He truly understands our human condition. He walks with us and shares our sorrows, loneliness and suffering.” Our prayer of this week will be, Hosanna King Jesus, save us from the contrast realities and enter with your peace-Amen. 
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