It's Sunday! 4-17-11 (Palm/Passion Sunday)

Jesus the king... riding on a donkey, sold for the price of a slave!



April 17 - Palm Sunday


The first five Sundays of Lent are seen as a continuous preparation for the Easter mystery of Christ's death and Resurrection. In past times the celebration of Lent was extended backwards for several weeks but since the reform of the Second Vatican Council it begins with Ash Wednesday which both believers and non-believers continue to see as a day when all Christians acknowledge themselves to be sinners.


On Palm Sunday we have an introductory Gospel, reminding us of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is marked by jubilation - misplaced - on the part of the people (Jesus has no intention of beginning a revolution against the occupying Romans. His goal is far more extensive than that). It is marked by the anger of his enemies who finally realize that he has stolen their thunder - so to speak. It is a triumphant procession, albeit a very minor one physically, but only in the sense that his agonizing death on the cross is triumphant.


There are many levels of meaning in all these prayers and actions. And, it has to be said regretfully, there are too many people who have largely ignored the meaning of Lent and are coming to celebrate something which for them is mostly a memory of their childhood or perhaps something secondary and superstitious. But the mercy of God bears patiently with our ignorance year after year, hoping against hope to save some of the millions out there living in darkness and the shadow of death.


It is interesting to note that scholars link this page of the Gospel with the story of Moses in the Old Tesatment. The parallel is to be found in Exodus 4:20, where we read that "Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey and set out with them for Egypt. On the orders of God he is going to confront Pharaoh and his court and will have some rather violent contacts with him and the magicians, but he begins these contacts in this low- key way and this also is how the Lord also approaches his clash with evil.


In the Mass, the First Reading is the third of the "Servant songs already mentioned. All three of these highlight the connection between what happens to the Servant and what happens to Christ. This particular poem describes Christ's sufferings and his reaction, but also the ever-present protection by his Father. The Responsorial Psalm is an obvious continuation of the same theme.


In the Second Reading, St.Paul in Philippians apparently quotes an ancient hymn describing the general approach of the Savior: essentially all-powerful in every way, he seems to make a point of becoming weak and "walked the path of obedience all the way to the cross." And so he is now forever to be honored and his name to be esteemed above all others.


In the Gospel, scholars point out some special references. The ancient incident associated with the 30 pieces of silver is found in Exodus 21: 32where it is described as the price of a slave. Jesus was valued at the same level! The remainder of the text is well-known to us and needs no special commentary. Scholars, however, point out that although we should reflect deeply and often on the Lord's terrible sufferings, concentrating on the pain leads to a misunderstanding of what really happened on Calvary. This can be corrected by combining it with the Second Reading where the power of God was triumphant in and through weakness.