The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, will not be accompanied by the physical experiences of vocal praise, sweeping palms, procession and endurance in solidarity that normally accompany the liturgy when gathering in community is possible.
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| Palm Sunday |
The initial reading from the Gospel of Matthew describes Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
* [21:1–11] Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem is in accordance with the divine will that he must go there (cf. Mt 16:21) to suffer, die, and be raised. He prepares for his entry into the city in such a way as to make it a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zec 9:9 (Mt 21:2) that emphasizes the humility of the king who comes (Mt 21:5). That prophecy, absent from the Marcan parallel account (Mk 11:1–11) although found also in the Johannine account of the entry (Jn 12:15), is the center of the Matthean story. During the procession from Bethphage to Jerusalem, Jesus is acclaimed as the Davidic messianic king by the crowds who accompany him (Mt 21:9). On his arrival the whole city was shaken, and to the inquiry of the amazed populace about Jesus’ identity the crowds with him reply that he is the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee (Mt 21:10, 11).1
The “suffering servant” reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah details the servant’s humiliation and vindication.
* [50:4–11] The third of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4); in vv. 4–9 the servant speaks; in vv. 10–11 God addresses the people directly.2
Psalm 22 is important in the New Testament. Its opening words occur on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
* [Psalm 22] A lament unusual in structure and in intensity of feeling. The psalmist’s present distress is contrasted with God’s past mercy in Ps 22:2–12. In Ps 22:13–22 enemies surround the psalmist. The last third is an invitation to praise God (Ps 22:23–27), becoming a universal chorus of praise (Ps 22:28–31). The Psalm is important in the New Testament. Its opening words occur on the lips of the crucified Jesus (Mk 15:34; Mt 27:46), and several other verses are quoted, or at least alluded to, in the accounts of Jesus’ passion (Mt 27:35, 43; Jn 19:24).3
The hymn from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians is a statement about Christ Jesus and his humbling of self and obedience to the point of death.
* [2:1–11] The admonition to likemindedness and unity (Phil 2:2–5) is based on the believers’ threefold experience with Christ, God’s love, and the Spirit. The appeal to humility (Phil 2:3) and to obedience (Phil 2:12) is rooted in christology, specifically in a statement about Christ Jesus (Phil 2:6–11) and his humbling of self and obedience to the point of death (Phil 2:8).4
The Gospel from Matthew is an account of the Passion and Death of Jesus.
* [26:60–61] Two: cf. Dt 19:15. I can destroy…rebuild it: there are significant differences from the Marcan parallel (Mk 14:58). Matthew omits “made with hands” and “not made with hands” and changes Mark’s “will destroy” and “will build another” to can destroy and (can) rebuild. The charge is probably based on Jesus’ prediction of the temple’s destruction; see notes on Mt 23:37–39; 24:2; and Jn 2:19. A similar prediction by Jeremiah was considered as deserving death; cf. Jer 7:1–15; 26:1–8.5
Andy Alexander, S.J. comments that today we recall carrying that palm branch home, wondering what to do with it, wondering what it means for us this week.
I want to let the palm branch get me through Holy Week. I really want to let it represent my desire to let Holy Thursday teach me deeper gratitude for his self-giving love for me - so powerfully expressed in today's second reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians. I want the palm to represent my desire to be a servant for others, like Jesus, with Jesus. And, I want the palm to be with me on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, to help me stay grateful for the gift of his life for me. And, I want that palm to be close to me on Easter Sunday. I want to remember that his Passion - any participation I have in carrying my cross, in his name - leads to his Resurrection and mine, the gift of eternal life.6
Don Schwager quotes “The following of Christ,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Come, follow Me, says the Lord. Do you love? He has hastened on, He has flown on ahead. Look and see where. O Christian, don't you know where your Lord has gone? I ask you: Don't you wish to follow Him there? Through trials, insults, the cross, and death. Why do you hesitate? Look, the way has been shown you." (excerpt from Sermon 64,5)7
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 21:1-11 suggests that we know the answer to the question posed by the people of Jerusalem: “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10). We know that Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a brilliant teacher, more than a miracle worker. We know that he is the Son of God and our Lord.
In the words of St. Andrew of Crete, monk, bishop, and hymn writer from the seventh and eighth centuries...
Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. . . . Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. . . . Let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves. (Sermon for Palm Sunday, Oratio 9)8
Friar Jude Winkler shares some of the significant symbols in the details of the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Like the suffering servant of Isaiah, Jesus defeats evil through being willing to suffer. Friar Jude reminds us Jesus kenosis leads to his highest moment of love on the cross.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in the larger-than-life, spiritually transformed people he has met, he always finds one common denominator: in some sense, they have all died before they died. They have followed in the self-emptying steps of Jesus, a path from death to life that Christians from all over the world celebrate this week.
At some point, such people were led to the edge of their private resources, and that breakdown, which surely felt like dying, led them into a larger life. They broke through in what felt like breaking down. Instead of avoiding a personal death or raging at it, they went through a death of their old, small self and came out the other side knowing that death could no longer hurt them. This process of transformation is known in many cultures as initiation. For many Christians, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the preeminent example of this pattern. Following Jesus, we need to trust the down, and God will take care of the up. Although even there, we still must offer our yes.9
May missing the physical connections of the Liturgy of Palm Sunday this year generate compassion for those from whom we are separated as we prepare to follow Jesus in Holy Week.
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