Brothers and Sisters, the Christian world begins these Holy Week Ceremonies with Palm
Sunday recalling happy crowds saluting Jesus while he was entering Jerusalem.
The joy of “Hosanna” on people’s lips was quickly changed into angry shouts “Crucify Him, Crucify Him”.
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah presents to us distressed feelings of a
servant of the Lord. Isaiah wrote, “I made no resistance, neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face against insult and spittle” (Is 50:8-9). From the
Christian perspective it was about a future passion of the Messiah.
Today’s Psalm 21 refers to what Jesus went through before dying on the cross.
We read, “They tear holes in my hands and my feet. I can count every one of
my bones” [...]. “They divided my clothing among them. They cast lots for my robe” (Ps 21:17-18).
In his letter to the Philippians Saint Paul reminds us that Jesus’ state was divine and yet
"he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave
and became as men are” (Phil 2:6). He explains that Christ was so humble that he accepted the
death on the cross. We need to remember that that kind of death was reserved for real criminals.
Today’s long Gospel continues the theme of the Passion of Christ offered for our salvation. When
Jesus was hanging on the cross, he repeated the psalmist’s distressed prayer, “My God,
my God, why have you deserted me? […] Why have you abandoned me?” (Ps 21:1). Even though Jesus
felt to be on his own in his suffering, Saint Paul explains that God never abandoned his Son.
In fact, his heavenly Father “raised him high and gave him the name, which is above all other
names so that all beings [...] should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue
should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-10).
Dear friends, please, think for a moment about your daily crosses.
Sometimes we are overburdened by different kinds of problems.
Possibly our family members stopped talking to us.
Perhaps we even thought that we were abandoned by God.
Today’s liturgy of the Word assures us that God never left us alone. He is always close to us
and he will never abandon us. His love for us is unconditional and everlasting.
On our baptism day He lifted us up so we could take part in his eternal kingdom.
May this consoling thought accompany us during the celebrations of this Holy Week.