Father, Forgive Them

04-10-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

Today we commemorate the solemn and triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Traditionally, this day is called “Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.” It is the first day of the Holiest week of the year when Jesus endured His passion and death, culminating with the triumphant Resurrection of our Lord.

There are two Gospel passages at the liturgy today. The first recounts Jesus’ triumphant entry into the Holy city of Jerusalem to effect our salvation. The second is called the “Passion Narrative” which tells the story of Jesus’ Passion, beginning with the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Lord’s Supper with His apostles and ends with His salvific death and burial.

In the first Gospel passage, Jesus mounted a borrowed colt to make His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. A large number of His disciples went along with Him spreading their cloaks for Him to ride on and singing His praises. It is sad to note that as the story of His arrest, trial, and Passion unfolds, the band of praise singers disappears and is replaced by a viciously animated crowd demanding His crucifixion on the cross. The attitude of the Jerusalem crowd aligns perfectly with our relationship with Jesus in our time. Many times we are fair weather Christians who profess our love and faith in Jesus as well as uncompromising fidelity to His Gospel when life is rosy and smooth, but deny Him and His doctrine at the slightest experience of trial or tribulation. Jesus does not desire part-time or fair-weather Christians, but faithful all-weather disciples who are willing to go the whole length with Him.

The second Gospel passage presents Luke’s account of the Passion of our Lord. In it, Luke tells the story of Jesus’ willful self giving first in the Eucharist, the sacramental perpetuation of His Divine presence with His disciples in every generation, and finally on the cross where He redeemed fallen creation by the expiatory blood of the Lamb. We are to contrast this with the betrayal of Judas who preferred tainted coin to His loving Master, the lukewarmness of the Apostolic three who slept while their Lord experienced great sorrow and prayed for God’s will to be done, the desertion by the Apostles who were overwhelmed by fear and self preservation, the political correctness of Pontius Pilate who would rather have an innocent man condemned to death than have a riot thereby risking his position of authority, the paradoxical choice of the Jewish people who repeatedly and unapologetically chose Barabbas the taker of life over Jesus the giver of life, as well as the vicious religious leaders of the time who mocked the Christ as He worked out their salvation on the cross. A careful introspection will reveal to us which of these characteristics sufficiently describes our attitude towards Jesus in public or in private. He did all for us, what have we done for Him?

We ask the Crucified Lord to set our hearts aflame with love of Him and aid us to selflessly renounce ourselves, courageously pick up our cross daily and follow Him faithfully.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh