Homily:Palm Sunday C
 

Is 50:4-7/Ps 22/Phil 2:6-11/Lk 23:1-49

  Introduction
 

Every movie has trailer and write-ups/ or review. The producers want to make sure that the preview is well done. If it can capture the whole substance of the movie within 5 minutes movie trailer then it is good. With a perfect preview and nice review, the whole movie is set to hit in the Box Office.

Today’s Palm Sunday reading is a preview of what is about to happen in this coming whole week holy celebrations. The whole story of God’s love as shown in Christ passion and sacrifice is well captured in today’s Gospel. It is like the opening of the first petal that reveals to hidden beauty of a rose.

  
   
  Background
 

  1. The passion narrative of Luke relies on Mark for its basic outline and content. However Luke was able to shape his own version according to his personal theological tone and literary artistry. For him, Jesus begins a long journey narrative which ends with Jesus entering Jerusalem. He is traveling to his death to the very city that had a reputation of killing the prophets.

  2. Christ was probably trying to smile, wave his hands to recognize the alleluias of the people carrying palms. But we might see an expression of Jesus’ happiness in his face, but if look closely how he prayed in Gethsemane; we can imagine he carried out that great agony deep inside his heart. His prayer, “if it is possible take this cup away from me” (v. 41) tells it all.

  3. Previews are being shown several times before they are actually being shown into the theaters to put into the memory of the audience how good it will be. We run and read this same story of the Lords passion every year for us to remember, and never to forget how much God loved us, in his Son’s suffering and death. We have to repeat it again and again, to remember it.  To remember is to value, to value is to love.   
 
  Reflection:  
 
  1. It is more painful if you are being persecuted and condemned by your own people, especially by those you loved and helped. It’s very frustrating to know some ironies in life, people that you think will understand you will come out to be the very people who are set to condemn you. When it happens, the pains within you is doubled, it penetrates deeply into the heart. The people of Jerusalem made a happy welcoming for Jesus in the beginning but unfortunately at the end, they will the same people to condemn him.

  2. Alleluias and praises are necessary to uplift a person. Unfortunately, affirmation is a value that we oftentimes miss. It is so simple and yet can do a great act of charity to those lonely and afflicted hearts. Jesus entered Jerusalem, with the Alleluias, although he knows that in a little while he will crucified. We know that at least those praises, gave him the encouragement to go on and continue his journey until embraced his own cross.

  3. Every king deserves a great horse. Donkey is for the poor people who can not afford to buy even a young horse. Christ preferred a donkey to better symbolize his own humility and abasement. Up to the very end, he is faithful to his principle, that to be great is to be humble, to be leader is to serve.
  
  Conclusion  
 

         The beauty of a trailer is that - whenever we watch movies, at least we have an idea of how it will go. And when we pay for it we wish to get what we expect. Christ has given us the preview of his passion, to set an example of how the lives of Christians should be. In this preview, God will be watching our whole life, to know if we will remain faithful to that same preview set before us. We pray in today’s mass that our own stories will be the same as His story: the same story of the cross, the same story of love.