Triumph over tragedy, victory in defeat

Homily for Palm Sunday Lent Year A 2014

Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 Philippians 2:6-11 Matthew 26:14 - Matthew 27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54

Introduction

One of the distinctive features of New Orleans is our parades.  We have parades for just about anything: the Mardi Gras parades before Ash Wednesday and the Irish-Italian parades around the feasts of St. Joseph and St. Patrick.  We are also well known for the second line parades or processions, as well as the Jazz funerals with their brass bands. 

Was the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that we celebrate and re-enact today, just another parade?

Scripture and Tradition

The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem has both similarities and differences with the parades of New Orleans.  Just as parades express joy, victory, triumph, celebration, so does the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem express joy, victory, triumph and celebration.

·        For example, like King Rex and the Zulu King and other celebrities ride on floats through our streets, Jesus rode on a donkey which the people had adorned with their clothes.

·        We also heard that the very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road, just like we also gather along the parade routes with all kinds of decorations and costumes.

·        Our crowds usually shout out: “throw me something mister.”  The crowds preceding and following Jesus cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”

But even in these similarities you can already see the big differences: a humble donkey for Jesus, but an expensive float for us.  But the greatest difference between them is that the victory, triumph and joy that the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem represents is much superior to any victory, triumph and joy that our parades celebrate.  His is a victory over sin and death, the victory of salvation, life with God, heaven.  As marvellous as our parades are, they cannot much that victory.

Even the means of achieving this victory is different.  The joy we celebrate during the parades costs no more than a couple of beads, coconuts and other trinkets from our parades.  The victory of Jesus comes at great cost; his death.  That is why as we celebrate Palm Sunday with palms and celebration, we read the long gospel passage of the Passion.  We hear about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.  In this way we are reminded that the victory which we anticipate on Palm Sunday was not achieved easily and should not be taken lightly.

Perhaps the closest example of a parade with the same meaning as Palm Sunday is the parade you sometimes see in small towns or in movies, held for soldiers coming back home.  Their family, friends and fellow citizens celebrate the return home from war for one of their sons or daughters.  The mood is often joyous, but also sombre, recognizing that this victory has come at great cost.  This is especially the case when the returning soldier has been injured in a serious way.

Similarly what we will celebrate separately on Good Friday and Easter, we celebrate together on Palm Sunday: we celebrate the pain of the cross and the victory of the resurrection all in one.  We are reminded that the two go together, because without the Cross the victory is hollow, like some of our parades.  But without Victory our crosses have no hope, like some the despair felt by many people who do not know Jesus Christ.

Christian Application

As we begin Holy Week, which is really one continuous celebration of God’s love for us, let us not lose sight of what it is all about.  Let us therefore make full use of this Holy Week, to allow God to make us holy too.

First let us take advantage of the special liturgies of this week, which in a very dramatic way remind us of the central mysteries of our faith.  We will have three processions or parades in Church this week.

·        We have begun the week expressing triumph with a procession of palms.

·        We will end the week expressing victory with a procession of candles that show light at the Easter vigil.

·        Sandwiched in between on Good Friday, we will have the procession of the Cross, in which we acknowledge how our victory came about.

Although in the popular culture Christmas is the greatest celebration, actually for Christians the celebrations of this week, culminating in Easter have the greatest meaning for us.  Without this week, Christmas is deprived of its meaning.  And so let us check the schedules of our parish and other parishes, to see what liturgies we can be a part of, so that we can recognize more and more, that the victory we celebrate and enjoy as Christians, has come at a great price – the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, in addition to our liturgical participation, let us commit ourselves to completing the Lenten sacrifices that we have been carrying on during these past few weeks, especially our extra prayer, depriving ourselves of the things we like and sharing what we have with others.  And if we have not done any of these things during Lent, there is still time for us in the coming few days to make up for lost time.

Conclusion

May the celebrations of this week renew our hope for eternal life with God.