Homily-Palm Sunday
It is Palm Sunday. It is the day we remember the beginning of the end. We remember how Jesus rode on the back of a donkey into Jerusalem. The crowd is whipped into a frenzy. They are celebrating His entry and rejoicing. They are placing palm fronds and robes in His path. They are crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Palm Sunday is a day we are called to reflect about how Jesus suffered, was crucified and died for our Salvation. Palm Sunday is a time to meditate on the love of Jesus who endured so much for each and every one of us. Recall the pain to be betrayed by one of his apostle, Judas. Remember when He was carrying his Cross. Remember when He was crucified for hours. Remember the insult , they mocked as the king of Jews. Remember when they spit on his face. Remember the suffering to be condemned to death. Remember when He was beaten.
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week. Today we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We remember that day when the crowd, the people of Israel welcome Him to Jerusalem with great joy and fanfare, palms and olive branches waving high, great joy and happiness. They were singing , crying out Hosanna, Hosanna, Son of David…….. But the mood changed so quickly. Because days later, the same crowd, the same people denied Jesus…..the same rejected Jesus. The same crowd betrayed Jesus crying out crucify Him, crucify Him. The same crowd that cheered Jesus also condemned Him. The voices that praising Jesus also called for his death. Those who loved Him also abandoned Him, and betrayed Him. What happened ? Why dramatic change in the mood of the crowd of people in Jerusalem from Palm Sunday to Good Friday? Why the change from “Hosanna to Son of David” to “crucify Him!”? But there is something that shocked me on Palm Sunday. It is the fact the crowd changed the mood.
Every year, after the gospel reading, I ask myself the same question : why did the crowd were excited to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem but days later, the same crowds change the mood ? Why the change from Hosanna to crucify Him ? That crowd changed so quick the mood and turn against Jesus because their faith was superficial, their praise was not true. Their welcome and shouts were superficial. Their support for Him was only skin deep. When something is superficial, it disappears so quick. Their feeling was superficial. It did not come from their conviction or hearts. But from their lips. That crowd did not know who Jesus was. They expected that Jesus was a political leader who free them from romans. They did not understand Jesus’ mission. That is why when they realized that Jesus did not fill their expectations , they turned against Him. They rejected Him.
Now, after 2000 year ago, we do the same thing we know that story happened 2000 years. We continue to betray Jesus. We continue to deny Jesus and reject Him in many ways. Nowadays, it was easy to be part of a crowd that welcomed Jesus and it was easy to be part of a crowd that condemned him to death. It is easy to be part of the crowd that receives First Holy Communion. It is easy to be part of the crowd that receives Confirmation. How many of that crowd come to meet Jesus during Mass every Sunday ? It is easy to be part of the crow that puts on an impressive display for funeral or wedding or baptism. How many of that crowd come to meet Jesus on Sunday ? It is easy to be part of the crowd. But in the account of the passion the crowd was not there for Jesus when he needed them most. The crowd did not go to the cross. The crowd abandoned Jesus. Only a few women and John went to the cross. So much for the crowd. How often do we praise God on Sunday…and damn Him on Monday?
How often do we see suffering in the faces of those in need, and simply turn away? Christ continues to bleed and weep and cry out, “Why have you abandoned me?” He cries out today to us. Whatever you do to the least of these, he said, you do to me. What do we do? We encounter him on the subway, step over him on the sidewalk, and go out of our way to avoid him when we feel like he might make demands on our time. At the office, we make jokes at his expense, or spread gossip about him at the water cooler. We suck up to people who are more popular, or attractive, or influential at work – and barely give the unimportant person who answers the phone the time of day. Whether we realize it or not, we see Jesus every day, read about him in the papers, hear about him in the news. He is everywhere there is someone who is small, or neglected, or disrespected, or discarded.
