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Palm Sunday

March 20, 2005

My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 50: 4-7

Christ humbled himself. Because of this God greatly exalted him.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 2: 6-11

This past week I have been showing Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ to my high school students. It is gripping. After a particularly brutal scene I was sensing the kids getting angry with the Jews and the Romans who were inflicting so much pain on Jesus. I stopped the movie and asked, “Who killed Jesus?” They said, “The Jews and the Romans.” I said. “No. It was sin that killed Jesus, your sins and my sins. Every time we sin we hit Jesus, spit on him. Then one of my female students spontaneously said, “That makes me never want to sin.” That’s it; she got it-out of the mouths of babes. The whole Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of Jesus is nothing but a picture of the reality of sin. Each of us has personally contributed to the suffering of Jesus- a blow, a scourge, a nail in his hands or feet.

Watching the movie, The Passion, hearing the account of it today and Good Friday, doing the stations of the cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, should make us say with the girl in my class, “That makes me not want to sin.”

Not only does the Passion show the reality of human sin, it also shows God’s response to sin. Jesus did not respond with anger and revenge. He allowed it to happen, he accepted it freely. As Isaiah says, “Like a sheep led to slaughter he made not a sound.” Jesus freely accepts all the evil and sin of the whole world for all time like a lightning rod, and then breaks its power.

The Passion at once demonstrates the honor of sin and the mercy of God. Without Christ’s Passion, sin would have ended in certain death; with Christ sin is forgiven opening up the possibility of Eternal Life.

Jesus has paid the price. The innocent blood of the Lamb has been poured, the innocent victim slain, and the blood continues to pour out at each Mass for the remission of sins.

The blood of the lamb is available, but it must be received. Each person must personally approach the Cross of Christ humbly acknowledging their part in crucifying God and there stand below the cross with Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene.

As we stand there with eyes of faith and sorrow for our sins, we witness the thrust of the spear in the side of Christ and blood and water spewing forth from the heart of Christ. Standing there we are covered with his blood making us a new creation, turning us away from sin and death and giving us grace and life. Mary is standing close-by.

Today begins the holiest week of the Christian year, Holy Week, it is a journey to the foot of the cross to stand next to Mary and allow ourselves to be bathed in the blood of Christ- the fountain of Divine Mercy. No words need to be spoken; we know why we are there. The pain can be incredible, but we have to stay there, taken up in the reality of what is going on.

No one passes from death to life without standing at the foot of the cross. There we allow Jesus to nail our sins to the cross, taking them away. There we are purged, cleansed, purified, sanctified, readied to receive the joys of Eternal Life. The Resurrection only comes after the Passion, for Christ and for us.

Let us go this week and not be afraid to stand at the foot of the cross, Mary will be there close at hand, and allow ourselves to be bathed in the blood of Christ.

Father Vincent Gilmore O. Praem.