{"id":3445,"date":"2020-04-05T11:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T15:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=3445"},"modified":"2020-04-04T12:15:20","modified_gmt":"2020-04-04T16:15:20","slug":"passion-palm-sunday-year-a-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/passion-palm-sunday-year-a-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion (Palm) Sunday, Year A – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord<\/a>
Gospel for the Procession Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)
Philippians 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66
April 5, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appointed time draws near so Jesus goes to Jerusalem.\u00a0 As He nears Jerusalem, He receives a royal welcome as the \u201ccrowd spread their cloaks and cut branches from the trees<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 The crowds identify Jesus as the prophet.\u00a0 They have come to realize Jesus is somebody special but do not yet fully understand who He is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what happens to Jesus in his Passion, many prophecies are fulfilled.  He is mocked, his hands and feet pierced, and his garments divided.  Jesus knew what was going to happen and He willingly submitted to it.  He had been \u201cin the form of God<\/em>\u201d but \u201cdid not regard equality with God something to be grasped at.<\/em>\u201d  He willingly \u201cemptied himself<\/em>\u201d in the Incarnation \u201cbecoming obedient to the point of death<\/em>\u201d on the Cross for us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four individuals identified by name in the Passion that I would like to reflect on what motivates them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is Judas Iscariot.  He was \u201cone of the Twelve<\/em>.\u201d  That means he had been specifically called by Jesus.  That did not mean he was perfect.  In fact, he will betray Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What motivates Judas\u2019 betrayal?  We are told \u201che went to the chief priests<\/em>.\u201d  This means it was something he chose.  He was not tricked into it by those who opposed Jesus.  He says to them, \u201cWhat are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you!<\/em>\u201d  Judas\u2019 motivation appears to be greed.  Greed is one of the seven deadly sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does greed motivate your actions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next person I would like to discuss is Pilate.  Jesus is brought to Pilate by his opponents.  Pilate asks, \u201cWhy? What evil has he done?<\/em>\u201d  He sees no crime.  Pilate proclaims himself \u201cinnocent of this man\u2019s blood<\/em>\u201d yet he orders Jesus to be crucified.  Why?  To appease the crowd.  Pilate allows the crowds to dictate what he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you willing to set aside what you know is right to appease others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there is Peter.  Peter is the one who, when Jesus asked, \u201cWho do you say that I am,<\/em>\u201d identified Jesus as the Christ.  One might think Peter\u2019s faith is strong.  In the Passion, we see Peter\u2019s fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus tells the disciples that their faith will be shaken and when it is \u201cthe sheep of the flock will be dispersed<\/em>.\u201d  Peter replies that his faith will never be shaken.  We could only hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus tells Peter, \u201cbefore the cock crows, you will deny me three times<\/em>.\u201d  Peter remains adamant that He will not deny Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus is then arrested.  The disciples do scatter, including Peter.  Peter watches from a distance.  When others recognize Peter as one who was with Jesus, Peter does indeed deny Jesus three times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?  Fear!  Fear for his life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At what times in your life has your faith been shaken?  Does the closing of churches and the Coronavirus cause you fear?  I pray that your faith is strong and this time without public Masses makes you yearn for Jesus even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps you have experienced something else in your life that shakes your faith, that makes you afraid.  Do not let your fear control you.  Hand your fears over to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So that\u2019s Judas, Pilate, and Peter.  Of course, the fourth person named in the Passion I want to talk about Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus knew exactly what was coming.  He did not run from it even though it caused him agony in the garden.  Knowing what is about to happen, He goes off to pray.  Three times He prays.  He prays, \u201cMy Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He does not want to suffer.  He does not want to die.  Yet He is \u201cobedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<\/em>\u201d  Jesus surrenders himself to his Father\u2019s Will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then comes his betrayal.  Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Jesus knew this was going to happen.  He could have easily stopped Judas but He did not.  He knows that it must be or else, \u201chow would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must come to pass in this way?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He trusted in God.  Yet, that did not make it easy.  Jesus is fully divine but He is also fully human.  In his humanity He suffered greatly as He was mocked and scourged.  He was nailed to the Cross for our sins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As He hung on the Cross in agony, He called out, \u201cMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me.<\/em>\u201d  Yet, even then He submitted to the Father\u2019s Will and \u201cgave up his spirit.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, in Jesus\u2019 suffering death, our salvation was won. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was sacred moment.  It was a powerful moment in the history of God\u2019s people.  \u201cThe earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that moment, Jesus was recognized for who He is.  It was not the Jews who first recognized the power and grace of the moment.  It was a centurion, a Roman, and his men who called out in that moment, \u201cTruly, this was the Son of God<\/u><\/em><\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judas was motivated by greed.  Peter was motivated by fear.  Pilate acted as he did to appease the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What motivated Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love<\/u><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus had nothing to gain for himself.  He did not empty himself for his own good when He became man in the Incarnation.  He did it for us.  He did it to show us the way to the Father.  He did it because He loved us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your greatest motivation?  Greed?  Fear? Making others happy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray that all our actions be motivated by love, the love of Jesus on the Cross.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the LordGospel for the Procession Matthew 21:1-11Isaiah 50:4-7Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)Philippians 2:6-11Matthew 26:14-27:66April 5, 2020 The appointed time draws near so Jesus goes to Jerusalem.\u00a0 As He nears Jerusalem, He receives a royal welcome as the \u201ccrowd spread their cloaks and cut branches from the trees.\u201d\u00a0 The …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Passion (Palm) Sunday, Year A – Homily’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[714,26,82,260],"tags":[726,727],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMTPk-Tz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3445"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3448,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3445\/revisions\/3448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}