Procession Gospel: Mk 11:1-10
Reading I: Is 50:4-7
Reading II: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel: Mk 14:1—15:47 Full Readings
Jesus, Abandoned and Crucified Man
The entrance Gospel above shows Jesus asking for a colt and entering into Jerusalem. What a solemn welcome, what a hail, it was so marvelous from the crowd. It was just four short days before He would be arrested, He was received with great joy. As He entered, riding a donkey, the crowds spread their cloaks, strewed palm branches before Him and cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Mt. 21:9). Jesus was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He was given a Kingly welcome.
Jerusalem itself was the place of the Temple where so many of the ancient kings of Israel offered sacrifice to God. Year after year, decade after decade, and century after century, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies within the Temple to offer sacrifice to God. However, little did anyone know that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the entire city became the new Temple and Jesus became the final and definitive Priest. He entered this new Holy of Holies as a King and Priest, and He died as the Sacrificial Lamb. He was greeted with shouts of “Hosanna” only to soon hear “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Today’s readings point us to an abandoned and crucified Man, the son of God. All the people who were with Jesus didn't walk with him, in his suffering, until he was crucified. As first Reading says though nobody was there for him, he gave up his back for those who struck him and offered to carry all the sins of the world, as we saw yesterday that it was better for one person to die instead of all the nation. Jesus then fulfilled his mission but it's unfortunate that his friends, disciples and others left him alone. Who abandoned Jesus?
The disciples. Three or more instances of abandoning Jesus during his passion. Firstly, in the garden they couldn't stay with him for one hour, they slept, secondly even after swearing led by Peter, that they will die with him, they abandoned him and left him alone when he was arrested, thirdly we see the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and then denial by Peter. All of them were trying to save their lives and Judas was driven by wealth. They abandoned Jesus even at the time when he needed them more as a human being.
The crowd which listened to Jesus, saw his miracles, welcomed him, hailed him as king and prophet, also abandoned him. What a change of emotions, what a dramatic change! Perhaps, as many hold, the crowd might have been influenced by the religious leaders. The crowd's dramatic change shows no true love of a person. When one loves a person, he or she is ready to be with him all the time, in joyous and sad moments. They shouted crucify him which added Jesus more pain.
We also see soldiers, high priests Sanhedrin also mocking Jesus, and nobody was there to console him. They slapped him, beat him up, spat on him, mocked him, with all kinds of insults, he saved others, let him save himself, but despite all the pain he saved the human race from sin including his persecutors.
Reflect today on how you have abandoned your friend in need, and on those who stand by you in need. Pray for them and also pray to be a good friend who does not abandon others in need. Sometimes people who hail you, praise you, are sometimes sarcastic and may be putting you to test, and let's pray for them, and as Christians we should not be like that.
Finally, Jesus also felt that God had abandoned him, as the psalm says, my God, my God why have you forsaken me. However, God did not abandon him, as we saw yesterday, but since Jesus, though he was God as the second reading says he didn't redeem equality with God, he accepted death on the cross, by taking away sins of the world, the sins which had distanced us from God. God needed us back and so he left Jesus to take away our burdens which separated us from him. Also, since Jesus was like a sinner, though he was not, God was as if he is distanced from sinners until they return to him. God didn't abandon Jesus, it was Jesus who willingly accepted his death but also accepted the will of the Father as we see in his prayer in the garden, God if possible, take me this cup but let be according to your will not mine. God was with him until the end and raised him and gave him the name above all other names so that everyone and all things in heaven and earth should bend before him as saint Paul tells us in the second reading.
At the cross, Jesus said his last seven words which we will reflect upon later on Good Friday and gave up his spirit and died. His death was not in vain but achieved the real mission he was sent for by the happenings that happened that us the veil of the temple split into two and the confession of the centurion. Firstly, the veil of the temple has two significant meanings (to be reflected upon on Good Friday) that is the historical meaning of destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, and secondly the theological meaning which means Jesus opened the place of Holy of Holies for everyone to enter, it was formally meant for the priest alone who would enter once a year.
The centurion's confession is a perfect example of a believer, to believe without seeing and to confess Christ as son of God. Jesus was denied not to be Christ by his own people but was confessed to be Christ by an outsider who had not seen his deeds and heard his words. We are also challenged by the centurion, not to always seek for miracles in order to believe but to always believe, for the blessed is the one who believes without seeing.
What's does Palm Sunday and holy week teach us? There will be days in our lives when we will feel like it’s Palm Sunday. People waving branches at and singing Hosannas for us. But there will also be days in which we will, like Jesus in the garden, feel terribly alone, surrounded by people who are asleep, by friends who will betray us, even thinking as if God has abandoned us. This is also part of our Christian life, be ready for it and always remember that God will never leave you alone just as he never left Jesus alone; never be desperate, trust in God.
What's the invitation today? Brethren as we start Holy Week, let us not abandon Jesus, it is the time to keenly look at our lives, see our sufferings, move with our sufferings with those of Jesus, that as Jesus conquered at Easter we may also be conquerors in his name. It is a time of intent prayer, to be with Jesus, and especially this difficult time, to pray hard that the Lord who suffered and took away all the sins may come to our rescue this week. It is also the time, as we saw yesterday’s reflection, when God wants us to look at his cross, from all angels, to look at what Jesus is going through, disciples too, even what is taking places in the mind of Pharisees and chief priests and relate such experiences in our lives, determine where we fall and then set our path to the way of salvation. Since we, as Catholics, know the end of the story, there is a temptation to gloss over the grim reality of Holy Week. Therefore, “Do not pass one day without devoting a half-hour, or at least a quarter of an hour, to meditation on the sorrowful Passion of your Savior. Have a continual remembrance of the agonies of your crucified Love, and know that the greatest saints, who now, in heaven, triumph in holy love, arrived at perfection in this way” (St. Paul of the Cross).
Reflect today on how willingly and ready you are to take up the Cross and walk with Jesus this Holy week but also as conquerors, to be ready to see that victory on Easter Sunday as we receive the light of the risen Christ.
Let us Pray
My glorious King, You are worthy of all praise and adoration. Hosanna to You, hosanna in the highest! Draw me into Your glorious passion, dear Lord, and help me to see the glory of Your Cross. As I see its glory, give me the grace I need to share more fully in Your life of transforming sacrificial love. Amen
Be blessed and Prayerful Holy Week.
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