PALM SUNDAY/ PASSION SUNDAY, YEAR B

Procession: Mark 11:1-10
Mass: Isaiah 50:4-7
           Philippians 2:6-11
           Mark 14:1—15:47

THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS ON EARTH

Today marks the beginning of the Holy Week. Thus, we are called upon to follow Jesus and live with him the last events of his earthly life.

In today’s liturgy, we celebrate first the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem amid the jubilation and chants of Hosanna of the crowd. Jesus enters the holy city to accomplish his mission, the mission of our redemption.

Then, the readings for the Mass narrate the Passion of Jesus: his sufferings, crucifixion and death as the humble Servant of God.  From the hosanna chants of the triumphant entry, we pass to the “crucify him” of the Passion. But the attitude of Jesus remains the same: humility and silence. He bears the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the abandonment of his close friends, the hatred of the Pharisees, chief priests and scribes, the unjust condemnation of Pilate, the scourging and beatings of the soldiers, the curses and insults of the crowd, and the shameful death of the cross in obedience to the Father for our sake.

After listening to these readings, we cannot but ask ourselves some questions. How many times have we not betrayed those who trusted us? How often have we not turned back to humiliate the same people we had appreciated? How many times have we not been accomplices to the atrocities against some people and to the condemnation of the innocents? How many times have we not exchanged justice and our integrity with the fear of losing our friends or our position? How often do we not sacrifice others on the altars of our pride and selfish desires?

In any case, whether we are agents or victims of such acts, we must always remember that God will surely save the just and the innocent. He will not put them to shame.

Amen