1st
Reading – Is. 50:4-7
Psalm
– 21:8-9,17-18a, 19-20,23,24.
2nd
Reading – Phil. 2: 6-11
Gospel
– Lk 22:14-23,56 (or 23:1-49)
“They brought the donkey and colt, placed their cloaks on them, and
Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd
spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and
spread them on the road. The crowds that
went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of
David, Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest”
On our Lenten pilgrimage we are at the
final Sunday, known as the Palm Sunday and also Passion Sunday. Holy Week begins with the Palm or Passion
Sunday. Palm branches are widely recognized as symbol
of peace and victory. On this Sunday liturgy palm is blessed at the
beginning of the Holy Mass and the faithful holding the blessed palm take the presiding
priest celebrant in procession singing hymns recalling the solemn entry of
Jesus in Jerusalem riding on a donkey before his passion and death on the
cross. The use of a donkey instead of a horse is
highly symbolic, it represents the humble arrival of some in peace. According to the Jewish tradition during the feast of the
“Pass Over,” nearly 25,000 lambs were sacrificed but the lamb which was
sacrificed by the High Priest was taken to the Temple in a procession four days
before the main feast day. Symbolically it signified that on Palm Sunday,
Jesus, the true Paschal Lamb, was also taken to the Temple in a large
procession.
This Sunday serves as a preparation of
our hearts for the agony of the passion and the joy of the resurrection of
Jesus. Listening to the Gospel reading
of today taken from the Gospel of Luke there come across different people who
shared their part in causing Jesus to suffer.
Peter denied Jesus even though he made a
solemn promise to Jesus that he wouldn’t do that, Judas betrayed Jesus, Pilate acted
against his conscience and condemned Jesus, Herod ridiculed Jesus, and the
leaders of the people preserved their position by getting rid of Jesus. Failure
to understand Jesus, love for money, pride, fear, jealousy etc., were the reasons
that led Jesus to the cross. When I
point my fingers to the above said people let us ask ourselves in what way I
share my part causing to suffering of Jesus? We all have a share in the passion and death
of Jesus by our sins. It is not enough today to sing and satisfied holding the
palm on the hand like the crowd of Jerusalem, rather, let us know that the
merciful and loving Lord wants us to repent and return to him so that we can
participate in the joy of His resurrection.
By - Rev. Fr. Maria Arul CMF
arulcmf@gmail.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment