Experience Renewal,
Rebirth Of Discipleship

Homily 04 13 2014
Palm Sunday - A

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We begin the drama of Holy Week. During the coming week the themes change day by day, but the days are united into a whole as we celebrate the Triduum.

Thursday night we celebrate the love between Jesus and his community as it is enacted in the Last Supper. Friday, we mourn his death with afternoon services and the traditional service at night...and on Saturday at the Vigil we light the sacred fire and celebrate New Life and welcome two men into our community.

This is a week to slow down, to take time to be present at the different services, to let the images of Holy Week flood our minds. We need this upcoming week . We look through the Cross to find meaning.

On Palm Sunday Christ our Lord, entered Jerusalem as suffering Servant ready to go to death that we might find victory. Having provided his readers with the assurance that Jesus' cross was not a tragic accident but an integral aspect of God's saving plan, Matthew also alerted Jesus' disciples to the fact that their lives must be similarly marked by the cross because "no disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master" (10:24).

The feast we celebrate has a blurry history. Augustine in the 5th century in Rome spoke of the Paschal celebration and called it the Triduum of Christ referring to Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter.

In the 5th century also, a nun from Spain named Egeria came to Jerusalem and wrote a diary about the liturgy and on the Sunday before Easter, she noted the people in Jerusalem gathered at the Mt. of Olives and read the Scriptures and in the evening there was a procession to Jerusalem carrying Olive and Palm Branches.

The custom of blessing Palms is recorded in the 8th century. But other tree branches were also used. By the 12th century the procession became very dramatic.

Since 1955 our liturgy emphasizes The Passion as the primary focus of this Sunday and the use of Palms is secondary.

As much as people may like to receive palms today, our primary focus is the Passion. I want to invite each of you to be more present to your Bible this week, to take time to read parts of the Passion each day. If you are able come to Mass this week each day, or to the services provided.

When we come together to listen see how Jesus is present to so many people. He suffers; yet, he lives so fully and dies so fully. I'd especially invite you to the 'Easter Vigil' Mass to celebrate the baptisms and the special liturgy of such a brilliant night of the Church.

The whole purpose of Holy Week is to produce in us a similar experience as that of the apostles, an experience of Renewal, of Rebirth, of Discipleship.

jjl

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