Homily: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Mark 15:1-39
24 March 2024
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez
I think it is safe to say that among Catholics in the Philippines no other days in the liturgical calendar are believed to be holier than the days we commemorate the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Good Friday is observed as a Non-working public holiday. Even the malls that open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day stay closed on Good Friday. The whole nation acknowledges that day as “banal”. The Paschal Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday are not just HOLY days but also LOVED or VALUED (CHERISHED) days for all of us, Christians. We become more conscious of the call to holiness and refresh our commitment to strive to live Christ-like lives.
Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that because we call ourselves Christian, we are automatically holy. We are all a work in progress! We have a long way off the road to holiness. Notice that we began today’s liturgy with a procession. This symbolises the gradual process of becoming holy. It is a journey and a pilgrimage of sorts where we experience discomfort, tiredness, discouragement but at the same time find inspiration, learning, courage and strength. Before Christ’s followers were even known as “Christian” it is documented in The Acts of the Apostles that they were called “Followers of The Way”. (Acts 9:2; Acts 22:4)To this day, we follow the example and teachings of Jesus as we wait with hope and anticipation for the fulfilment of His promise to return. For this reason, we are called “a pilgrim people” bound for the Kingdom of God!
The practice of holding pilgrimages and processions abound during Lent and this peaks during the Holy Week. This tradition is an expression of the reality of our Christian life and identity. The Visita Iglesia is actually a pilgrimage based on the practice of visiting the seven (7) important Basilicas in Rome to pray and seek penance. Processions are mini-pilgrimages stemming from the practice of visiting sacred places in the Holy Land associated with the life, ministry, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Bernhard Raas observes that “processions become a manifestation of the Christian commitment to follow Christ and to live out the values of his message and the kingdom.” May kasabihan tayong: “Sa hinabahaba ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy.“ (We have a saying: “No matter how long the procession is, it will always lead us back to the church.) It refers to the lengthy and roundabout nature of an experience that essentially ends where it began. It is an apt observation on how “most of our processions are ‘circum-abulatory’, that is, they begin and end in the same church”, reminding us that our origin and destination is the One and the same God. Our processions should lead us to the Church, to a deeper adoration of God, to a greater love for Him, expressed concretely in our love for others, especially the poor and the powerless.
No procession begins and ends instantaneously. There is a certain passage of time depending on the route you take. There is something about being in the moment of walking together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, toward the Church, that invites reflection. Each year as we journey into the Holy Week, we have the chance to reflect on the extent of God’s love and mercy toward us as we commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is the time to look upon ourselves and see how we fail our Lord because of our sinfulness and to recognise how much we are in need of His mercy if we are to be holy. For many of us, holiness is associated with being merciful. We consider ‘awa’ as a very vital concept of holiness because God, who is Holy, has been merciful to us. Our Filipino expressions are proof of this. When consoling one who is exasperated or depressed, we say, “May awa ang Diyos” (God is merciful); when asked how we are doing, we respond “Mabuti naman, sa awa ng Diyos! (By God’s mercy, I’m all right!); in our local custom of kissing an elderly person’s hand as a sign of respect, a blessing is dispensed, “Ka-awaan ka ng Diyos.” (May God be merciful to you.)
In a talk, Cardinal Chito Tagle once pointed out that the word “UNAWA” (understand) contains the words ‘UNA’ (First) at (and) ‘AWA’ (Mercy)… Inu-UNA ang AWA. (Mercy comes first.) Unahin ang AWA. (Before all else, Mercy!) Inu-UNA ang iba. (Others come first.) This is the characteristic of a holy person. A holy person sees the value of every neighbour. Who is the best example of this but Jesus Christ Himself? In our First Reading, Isaiah prophesies a suffering servant who shows concern for others, “speaking to the weary a word of comfort” (Isaiah 50:4). We know full well that Jesus was the fulfilment of this prophecy. In the Second Reading, St. Paul tells us how “Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a slave, coming in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:7) This condescension is the best proof of Christ’s genuine compassion for suffering humanity, having entered into the human experience, Himself. To follow in Christ’s footsteps, we too must review aspects of our life where we need to be less selfish and more attuned to others. We need to show mercy and compassion even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone, or making some personal sacrifice. Acts like these will help us grow in holiness — help us be more like Jesus.
As we enter Holy Week, let us bear in mind these two (2) concepts to help us have a meaningful experience: First, let us see all our actions this week as a continuation of today’s procession with palms — joining ourselves with Jesus on His way to the cross as part of the journey to receive new life. Secondly, let us commit to being especially sensitive and responsive to those around us in need even if our journey leads us to the cross. After all, Jesus was always compassionate toward those around Him even in His darkest hour. May we have truly meaningful and holy days ahead!
Sunday Gospel Reflections 