We begin our celebration of Holy Week by calling down God’s blessing upon the symbol that today’s feast is named for, the palms that were used to welcome our Lord to Jerusalem. “Hosanna!” the crowds cried out, praising the Son of Man as he rode into the holy city. We sing hosanna today, as we enter the holiest week of the year, the week when we recall Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.
Just a few months ago we celebrated the night that Jesus was born, God’s Son becoming part of humanity. Today we hear a horrible account of the inhumanity of nearly everyone around our Lord. One of his closet friends betrays him, another denies him, the rest abandon him, the crowd turns on him, the soldiers torture him, the authorities condemn him, and Pilate sentences him. Greed, fear, cowardice, hatred, and cruelty win over all the virtues Jesus embodied. Jesus was not able to rid the world of inhumanity. But he gave us a model of how to oppose it, endure it, and conquer it. For in remaining faithful and obedient to the will of the Father, the One revealed today to truly be the Son of God showed humanity the way to truly be human.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he replied that it was to love God and to love neighbor as yourself. For love of God and love of neighbor, Jesus was born into the world, lived out his mission, and died on the cross. Despite the horror of being nailed to a cross and left to die, Jesus accepted it out of love for the Father and love for those he was sent to save. Through his death, he showed us the depth of his love and the value of that love. In what ways can I show my love for others in a way that might seem extravagant, but meaningful to others and for me?
Love, Peace, Joy,
Fr. Bob
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