Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Brothers
and sisters, during this Holy Week, we remember the days leading up to Jesus’
suffering and death. He was not
stricken by a terminal illness, but as He took the full weight of sin upon
Himself, fewer and fewer stood by Him, and no one quite understood the pain He
was undergoing as He freely offered His life, the full gift of Himself, to the
Father. You may not have to take
time off work, or travel long distances, but will you be with Jesus this
week? Will you challenge yourself
to stand with Jesus at Mass as He undergoes His passion? Whether it’s the 6:30 a.m. Mass Monday
through Wednesday at St. Thomas, or the 12:15 p.m. Mass Monday and Wednesday,
or the 9:15 p.m. Mass Tuesday at St. John, will you accompany Jesus? Will you stay with Jesus on Monday as
Mary, the sister of Martha, takes the costly perfumed oil and anoints Jesus’
feet? Will you stay with Jesus on
Tuesday in the Upper Room as the Betrayer is announced and Judas leaves the
twelve? Will you stay with Jesus on
Spy Wednesday, as Judas goes to the Chief Priests and offers to betray Jesus
for thirty pieces of silver?
Will
you walk with Jesus through the Sacred Triduum? The Mass of the Lord’s Supper begins this commemoration at 7
p.m. at St. John, and at 7:30 p.m. at St. Thomas. Will you walk with Jesus to the Upper Room as He institutes
the Priesthood and the Eucharist on Holy Thursday? Will you walk with Jesus through the Kidron Valley to the
Garden of Gethsemane as we process with Jesus’ true presence in the Eucharist
from St. John to St. Thomas, and then we all walk around St. Thomas to the
Chapel of Repose? Will you walk
with Jesus on the way of the cross as we celebrate Good Friday of the Passion
of the Lord? Will you stand at the
foot of the cross with Mary, the Mother of God, Mary, the wife of Clopas, Mary
of Magdala, and St. John, the Beloved Disciple? Will you wait on Holy Saturday, and then go to the
tomb on Saturday night or Sunday morning?
Will you be there for Jesus?
As
He died on the cross, Jesus prayed the words of Psalm 22—“‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?’” “‘My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me?’”—as He felt the full weight of sin and its punishment fall upon
Him. Let us not give Jesus reason
to ask why we have abandoned Him in the hour He desires us to be with Him the
most.