Entering Jerusalem

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion April 5, 2009

Gospel of the Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem (Mk 11:1-10)

When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should say to you, 'Why are you doing this?' reply, 'The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.'"

So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it.

So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.

Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!"

Gospel (Mk 15:1-39)

As soon as morning came, the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

He said to him in reply, "You say so."

The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of."

Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed.

Pilate answered, "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead.

Pilate again said to them in reply, "Then what do you want me to do with the man you call the king of the Jews?"

They shouted again, "Crucify him."

Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" They only shouted the louder, "Crucify him."

So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. They began to salute him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.

They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. They brought him to the place of Golgotha which is translated Place of the Skull. They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross."

Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.

At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Some of the bystanders who heard it said, "Look, he is calling Elijah."

One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down."

Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

The two Gospel readings we hear today present contrasting scenes. In the first, we hear of how Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem amidst shouts of "Hosanna!" But in the second, we hear of how He was presented to Pilate amidst shouts of "Crucify him!"

Jesus boldly entered Jerusalem, knowing that He will face His final hours there. Despite the praise He was receiving as He entered, He knew what was to come. The people themselves shouted about the "kingdom of David" that is to come. But only Jesus knew what will be happening. He was there for His hour had come. He bravely faced Jerusalem - the place where He is to suffer and die for the salvation of man. He faced all this because of His love for us.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, we too enter into Holy Week. As we commemorate the suffering and death of the Lord during these holy days, we are reminded of His great love for us and we feel sorrow for our sins because we realize how much it cost Jesus to save us. As Jesus bravely entered the place where He would die, we are all called to enter into a life of self-giving love, a life free from sin and worldly passions. This call is not only for Holy Week, but for our entire lives.

In the Gospel narrative of Jesus' Passion, we hardly hear any words from Jesus. He did not defend Himself nor complained that it was too much. He graciously accepted His suffering and death though He was innocent. Pilate himself knew that Jesus did nothing wrong. Jesus was blameless and was thus the perfect Victim - the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Like Jesus, we too are called to stand for the truth, to be blameless even amidst difficult situation. He Himself said that those who are persecuted because of Him are truly blessed.

As the world hated Jesus, so the world will hate us (Jn 15:18). But we must not be afraid. We must remain faithful to our Christian calling and not succumb to the ways of the world to save our lives. Like Jesus, we must be courageous. If we have to face suffering just to stand up for what is true, then we must. We should never compromise to save our lives, for whoever loves His life loses it (Jn 12:25).

As we commemorate today Jesus' entry into the Jerusalem of His Passion, we too, enter into where God wills us to be. May we not be afraid to be obedient to God's will despite the difficulties. And may our faithfulness to our God become stronger and last not just until this week ends, but our whole life through.

Putting the "Holy" in Holy Week

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion April 5, 2009 (Mk 11:1-10)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.

When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!"

(Mk 15:1-39)

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.

"Crucify him!" they shouted.

"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"

In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

The liturgy of Palm Sunday presents to us two Gospel narratives. In the first narrative, we commemorate that joyful and triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the city where He's destined to die. In the second, we recall Jesus' passion and death which He endured with submission and an amazing silence which would surprise just anyone. The two, obviously, are connected, as the first leads to the events of the second.

Jesus entered Jerusalem because He knew He had to. He knew the physical and emotional pain that He would undergo in that city. Nevertheless, He went there for His hour had come. It was precisely for this moment that He was sent to this world. It is His mission to suffer and die, in obedience to the Father (cf. Phil 2:8). He never lost sight of this heavenly mandate.

The people who joyously welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem recognized Him as a holy man. They were enlightened enough to know that Jesus comes in the name of the Lord and that the Kingdom of David is being re-established (cf. Mk 11:9-10) . They recognized the "things above", the things which were of heaven. They knew that God was at work in their midst in the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Reading the second Gospel passage, we hear these same people who shouted, "Hosanna!", now shouting, "Crucify him!" This they did because they were forced, bribed even, by their religious leaders. They were easily influenced by the world in which they live, by money and by the people around them. They, therefore, lost sight of the marvels that God has revealed to them when they were welcoming Jesus. Because of the power of this earth over them, they failed to give value to the heavenly things.

Jesus, on the other hand, never lost sight of the heavenly things. In fact, He was deprived all earthly comforts and pleasures in His passion. He was deprived sleep, the company of His friends, and many more until He was finally deprived His life. This proves that Jesus gives more value to what is spiritual than to what is material. In experiencing all these privations, He redeemed the world.

This Holy Week, we are once again challenged to give value to what is holy, to what is heavenly. This week is not an opportunity to party at Boracay, as our showbiz icons do. It is an opportunity which the Church gives us to reflect on and recognize the marvels that God has done and is doing for our redemption.

The great liturgies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday until Easter Sunday give us a glimpse of what happened to Jesus during the last hours of His life until His resurrection. These liturgies put us into that drama and make us part of it. I recommend you participate in these liturgical services. I also suggest reflecting on the Word of God, especially on the Passion narratives.

May this Holy Week be "truly holy" for all of us. May it not be another holiday that will just pass by, leaving us unchanged. May the drama of Holy Week make our hearts cry in appreciation of the great deeds God has done, all for us sinners.

Have a "truly holy" Holy Week!