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. Remember that the voices that praising Jesus also called for his death. Remember that 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. 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 things. 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 crowd that puts on an impressive display for a funeral or wedding or a 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 streets, 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. He is with the unwanted and unloved, the bullied and abused. “Why have you abandoned me?” Do we hear him? We find ways to justify our choices. Whenever we choose death over life, sin over the gospel, indifference or disdain over love – in short, whenever we have turned away from Christ – we betrayed him. We have said, in effect, “Crucify him.” And we have done it with palms in our hands and the echoes of “Hosanna” in the air. We need this Sunday to remember that. And we need these palms as a reminder – and a challenge. And these palms challenge us to keep crying “Hosanna,” to keep proclaiming the Good News – even when the world tempts us to do otherwise, even when it seems like it would be easier to go with the crowd and simply choose Barabbas.
These palms challenge us to not turn our back and walk away. They challenge us to not step over Christ, or ignore him. And they challenge us not only to remember what we have done to him, but what he has done for us. That is what this week is about. My brothers and sisters, if the crowd knew that Jesus was Son of the God, if the crowd had a deep faith in Jesus and their support was sincere, they would not reject Him ( ignore ) crying crucify Him. That is why today, it is an opportunity for us to remember what Jesus has done for us. It is an opportunity to remember that Jesus continues to suffer through the needy people we meet every day.
We have to ask ourselves, how many times we deny Jesus. How many times we betray Jesus in our lives. How many times we abandon Jesus. But the Good News is Jesus is praying : Father , forgive them because they do not know what they do. This what Palm Sunday is about : To remember what Jesus has done us. Passion Sunday is a time to reflect on the pains, suffering and death of our Lord Jesus. With only a few days left in the Lenten Season, it is appropriate for each of us to take a few moments to personally reflect on the love of Jesus who endured so much for each and every one of us.
