HOSANNA AND OTHER WORDS

A MESSAGE FOR Palm Sunday

What a tremendous contradiction is contained in today’s liturgy.  We begin with the commemoration of the triumphant entry of our Lord into his holy city of Jerusalem, a glorious reminder that Christ is King.  And then we move forward to the events that were to occur later in that holiest of history’s weeks, reading St. Matthew’s Passion, and meditating on each detail of the humiliation suffered by this same Christ the King. 

But is it really a contradiction?  Or are we seeing only the outward appearances and ignoring the real meaning behind them?  Is it not, after all, the essence of Christ’s kingship that his crown is one of thorns, and that all the splendid hosannas that we sing so fervently on Palm Sunday will quickly give way to our own betrayal of our Lord once we leave Mass today?  Betrayal?  It’s a strong word, but how else could we describe our sinful actions, the neglect of our prayers and other religious duties, all the terrible and secret wickedness of our lives with which we blithely indulge ourselves so soon after meditating on Christ’s sufferings?

Christ rides into Jerusalem in triumph.  The people laud him and strew his way with palm leaves.  By Friday of this week they will be shouting out again as our Lord is brought before them, words no longer of love and adoration, but of hatred, not “Hosanna” but “Crucify him.”  Almost everyone he knew would let him down, from Judas who would do the unthinkable for thirty miserable pieces of silver, to St. Peter who would deny him three times.  The apostles who had witnessed his glorious Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, would now sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, ignoring the agony of their Master, whose soul was suffering “even unto death.”  Are we any better?

Ironically, it is precisely because we are sinners, that Christ chose to suffer these humiliations and pain.  If our souls were stainless, there would have been no reason for him to die for us.  It is not our hosannas that nailed him to the cross, but all those unpleasant little secrets that we whisper to the priest in the confessional, all those thoughts, words and deeds by which we choose to crucify him.  But the greater the sin, the greater love he showed in forgiving us. 

Only one person lived up to the expectations of our loving God.  Only one had a soul that was truly immaculate, and who never offended, or denied, or betrayed her Son.  This Blessed Mother is the one we must turn to this week.  We go to holy Mary because she truly is holy, holy on an entirely different level from the other saints.  We go to her at this time of her Son’s crucifixion to share her pain, ironically because she is the only one who does not share our sins.  Be assured she will share God’s graces and clemency with us, helping us reach a heaven we don’t deserve, but whose gates were nevertheless opened to us by her Son.  Hosanna!