(See the readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion)
After three weeks in the Gospel According to John we return to the Gospel According to Matthew for the reading of the Passion. If you are at a Mass with the Blessing of Palms and Procession there will be two Gospel passages, beginning with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The entry points to the faithfulness of Christ Jesus, particularly in view of the fickleness of the people’s response to Him in faith. Here they acclaim Him king. In a matter of days, the forces of evil will move that crowd to reject Jesus in favor of Barabbas and to call out “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”
He who is the king of glory remains faithful unto the end. His faith in the Father fulfills the faith of Israel who acclaim God as king.
Jesus enfleshes the words of Isaiah from the first reading for Palm Sunday’s liturgy. He speaks “to the weary a word that will rouse them.” He rouses them to faith in God’s faithfulness through His faithfulness. “I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.”
Jesus, in the words of the prophet, acclaims His faith: “The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”
Faith shines through the anguish of the cross as Jesus calls out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” He is praying Psalm 22. The psalm, which is used as the responsorial for the Mass, is a lament for the one suffering with unbearable pain, mockery, isolation and the forces of evil. The psalmist identifies these and then speaks again to God a word of faith: “But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you ….”
The Philippians Hymn serves as the second reading. Here St. Paul speaks of the humility of Christ who empties Himself, placing all His faith in the Father. “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave; coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, death on the cross.”
And because of His faithfulness the Father has exalted Him so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” He is the Lord of life and the Lord of love.
The king of glory takes on the brokenness of man as He endures His passion and death. He does this in faithfulness to the Father and with love for humanity. The weight of the world is literally on His shoulders as He carries the cross. The instrument of death becomes the sign of life.
As He is dying on the cross, the soldiers unwittingly give witness to God’s love as they place the sign: “This was the King of the Jews.” The fruits of His death are immediately seen when the centurion and those with him acclaim: “Truly, this was the Son of God!” The call to faith has been answered.
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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Penndel and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Read more reflections by Msgr. Prior here.
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