From the beginning of Lent, we prepare ourselves with works of penance and charity. On Palm Sunday, the Church remembers the entrance of Our Lord Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem, to consummate His paschal mystery.
It was to realize this mystery of His Death and Resurrection that Jesus Christ entered in the Holy City. Therefore, remembering with faith and devotion this triumphal entrance in this sacred place, we will accompany the Lord, of the way that, participating now in His cross, we merit one day to have part in His Resurrection.
The attentive reading of the Passion of Christ raises and inevitable question: who was responsible for the death of Jesus, the Jews or the Romans?
In the Death of Jesus political and religious motives are mingled, although the responsibility falls most directly– according to the evangelical narrative – on the Jewish authorities from that time and not on all the people.
Therefore, the reading of the Gospel with an eye of faith, ends, by discovering others responsible for the Death of Christ, or maybe, all of us.
He was rejected for our iniquities (cf Is 53:3) We all can hear, directed to each one of us personally, the words of the Prophet Nathan to David when he asked him who was the evil one who killed the only lamb of the poor man. He responded to David “That man is you!” (II Kings 12:7)
Yes it was you. It was me, It was all of us. Each man and woman is responsible for the Death of Christ. It was not only Judas who betrayed Him, Peter who denied him, Pilate who washed his hands and the multitude who repeated: “Crucify Him!”; the soldiers who divided among themselves the clothes of the Condemned, the thieves. We are are responsible in this situation.
But we cannot remain here. We know that Jesus did not only die and was buried. We know also that He resurrected on the third day, He ascended and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He died for our sins and rose for our salvation.
From today we already have to look to Easter Sunday. But in order that this look may not have an empty meaning, we need to bring it truly to seriousness, that is, dying, through repenting of and confessing our sins – especially mortal sins – and thus rising to a life of Grace.
“Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The Palm Sunday liturgy is as the solemn entrance to Holy Week.
This liturgy associated two contrasting moments: the welcoming of Jesus in Jerusalem and the drama of the Passion; the “Hosanna!” of the feast and the repeated cries: “Crucify Him!” The triumphal entrance and the apparent defeat of death on the cross. Thus it anticipates the “moment” in which the Messiah will suffer greatly, will die and will resurrect on the third day (cf Mt 16:21) and prepare ourselves to live in the fullness of the paschal mystery.
Therefore, “Cry out in jubilation, Daughter of Jerusalem! The one that is your king comes to you.” (Zechariah 9:9) Jerusalem, the city in which lives the memory of David rejoices upon receiving Jesus. The city of prophets, many of whom suffered and died for the cause of Truth. The city of peace, that through the centuries knew violence, war and deportation.
In a certain way, Jerusalem could be considered the “symbolic city” of humanity, over all in the dramatic time in which we live in this third millennium. Therefore, the rites of Palm Sunday acquire a particular eloquence. The words of Zechariah resonate comfort: “Exult in joy, daughter of Zion! Cry out in jubilation, Daughter of Jerusalem! The one that is your king comes to you: he is just and victorious, humble, mounted on a donkey. The bow of war will be broken. Peace will be proclaimed to the nations.” (Zc 9:9-10) Today we are in a feast, for Jesus – the King of Peace – enters into Jerusalem.
“Truly this man was the Son of God!” We hear again the clear profession of faith, pronounced by the centurion, that “saw Him die in that manner“. Of what he saw, brought forth an amazing testimony of the roman soldier, the first to proclaim that this Man crucified “was the Son of God”.
The Lord Jesus, we see that you suffered and died for us. Faith to the extreme, You freed us from death with Your death. Lord Jesus as the Roman Official, we confession Your condition of Son of God crucified. Taht we may understand the true meaning of Your passion and we may be able to profess: TRULY THIS MAN WAS THE SON OF GOD!
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israle. Hosanna in the hightest!
Father Bantu Mendonça
Fr. Bantu Mendonça Katchipwi Sayla is a priest for the Diocese of Tubarão, Angola
translated from Portuguese