By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
Palms, Psalms and the Passion
March 27, 2021: The Palm Sunday
Mark 11: 1-10; Isaiah 50: 4-7; Philippians 2: 6-11; Mark 14:1 – 15:47
The first phase of Lent this year is over, and we enter into the Holy Week, the concluding week that reminds us of so many intense happenings within the Christ-event that have defined our faith, our experience with God and our very identity as disciples of the Crucified and Risen Lord. The entry point is the Palm Sunday – literally the entry point, as we commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. There are three things that mark this day and that would mark the developments during the week too: the palms, the psalms and the passion!
The Palms:
The celebration mode! That is what it was when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They celebrated, they sang and danced around him, they raised slogans and cheered for him! They were so enthusiastic about his coming. Blessed is he who comes they shouted! They saw in Jesus, a messiah, a liberator, a leader, a king, someone who is going to change their lives!
Yes Jesus was all that! He was the messiah promised; he was the liberator, the redeemer; he was the leader, the shepherd come to gather the flock together; he was the king, the king of all kings, come to set up the Reign of God; some one was destined to change their lives, not just their’s, but the whole humanity’s. Their enthusiasm was real, it was true but was it the right type of enthusiasm needed. The litmus test of an enthusiasm is, how long it endures!
They would soon scatter and go their way; they would soon get tired of Jesus because he was not living up to their expectations…he was not the messiah of the type that they expected; he was not the liberator of the warring type that they wanted; he was not the king that they wanted to take on the Romans; yes, he was challenging to change their lives, but they were not ready for the type of changes that he was proposing! They wanted it all their way!
In our lives too..when Jesus enters, we are all enthusiastic. The question is, how long? Soon we lose the initial enthusiasm, the fervour of the new found experience dies within a while to give rise to boredom and seeking of other experiences. The palms that we hold today tell us: I will dry very soon…will your enthusiasm too wither so fast?
The Psalms:
Blessed is the one who comes, they shouted – that was not any slogan; that was scripture! They were singing psalms. This will repeat itself this week very many times – in the pasch festival that they were gathered for they would be singing and reciting psalms; the disciples and Jesus would sings psalms; Jesus would repeat verses and the high priests will quote phrases…this week there will be so much of the psalms and the sacred scriptures quoted and cited.
They sang songs, they chanted the psalms and recited the prayers… so regularly and so diligently. But was it making any change in their lives? Were they attentive to the Word who was so alive amidst them and calling them to change and new life? Were they really mindful of what God was working out right in front of their eyes: their own salvation, in the blood of the Lamb! They were too busy with their fixed ideas and ritual performances. They cared nothing for what Jesus was calling attention to.
It is an attitude that we are called to – not merely parading our knowledge or memory skills or the capacity to make a show of our piety. We are called to an attitude of prayer, an attitude of living our daily lives attentive to the voice of the Lord, the Word of the Lord. It sets the tone for the whole holy week – telling us, this week remain with the Word, meditate on the Word, ruminate on all that the Word made flesh went through for your sake.
It is an attitude that is asked of us, to spend more time with the Word this week – reading, reflecting, listening, encountering, dialoguing, sharing and opening our hearts to the Word and allowing the Word to touch our very beings. All that we did, or atleast tried to do during the Lent, they can be brought into the presence of the Word and made sense of, asking the Word of God to throw light on the meaning and call that we have for our lives.
The Passion:
This Sunday is also called, the Passion Sunday! Not only because the Passion narrative of the Lord is ready during the Mass, but because the passion, death and resurrection as the culminating episode of the Christ-event was beginning this day. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, there was a new episode beginning…it looked all celebration and fun, but it was ultimately going to be a sacrifice, a covenantal sacrifice, that would change everything that ever was and everything that would ever be!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the crowd said. Hosanna, they acclaimed. But would soon denounce him and crucify him. Jesus knew it… he knew what is there in store! It was not difficult for him to know it… for all the convictions that he had, for all the teaching about the Reign that he imparted, for all the values that he lived for, for all the critique of the self-righteousness and senseless pride that he made… he knew what would be the result! But he did not hesitate.
When he realised that his death was near, he said to those who were around him – I know the hour has come, so what do I do? Should I ask the Father to remove this cup from me? No it is for this I came. Look at that clarity! That was the commitment and dedication that Jesus had for the will of God, towards making present the Reign of God here and now. He was ready for anything. He was prepared for the passion. He was looking square at the face of suffering and death!
The call is clear, and it is going to repeat itself all through this week. Are you ready to suffer? How much suffering are you ready to take up? How prepared are you for sacrifices for the sake of the will of God and the Reign of God? We have this whole week to answer that question.
Blessed is he who comes… yes! But are we ready to accept the call that he brings?
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.