Homily For Passion (Palm) Sunday, Year A.

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9. 17-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66.

“THE PAIN THAT LEADS TO GAIN”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·       Today, the church celebrates the triumphant entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Entry into his passion, death, and resurrection. Today, the Lord Jesus begins the final weeklong journey for our redemption. This week is heavily loaded; the temptation and trials of Jesus will be enormous, but the truth is that the pains he will endure will eventually lead to our gain.

·       Today’s liturgy is characterised by mood swings of the initial joy of proclaiming Jesus as the King of kings, and then suddenly it changes to a sober and sorrowful mood where the king must be made to die for his subjects.

·       It is a sad experience to witness the people who once welcomed you as their King of kings and Lord of lords turn and chorus, “Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him!” Jesus is unperturbed by this situation because that is the reason for which he came, and the will of God must be done.

·       Of the many times Jesus had to go to Jerusalem, this last entry was grandiose because it would be his last, and he would not get out until his redemptive death and resurrection. How beautiful was the “red carpet reception” that he got, which in a short time changed into an impatient rage and disgust from those he loved so dearly?

·       Dearly beloved, this is so true of the sad reality of the kind of world we live in today, the people whom we think are our close friends and allies when the dice is cast will desert us and participate in mocking and betraying us. If we are mocked or betrayed for the sake of our faith in Christ Jesus, then we must be discouraged.

·       In the first reading (Isaiah 50:4-7), the prophet Isaiah prefigured Jesus as the suffering servant, and he taught us the attitude we must learn to put up in the face of trials and tribulations of any sort. To survive the dart of the temptations of the enemy, we must constantly listen to the word of God and let it be our guide.

·       When we are filled with the word of God, and we let it permeate our lives, no matter the difficulties and trials, we will be able to stand the test of time without being discouraged. Instead, we are prepared to bear all affronts patiently because the “Lord comes to my help so that I am untouched by the insults” (Isaiah 50:7).

·       When we have to endure trials and tribulations for the sake of God, we must be happy to have some share in the passion of Christ. The second reading (Philippians 2:6-7) makes us understand that Jesus had to die our death. He had no business dying since he is God, but he had to empty himself to die like a common criminal so that we might be saved.

·       The lesson of Jesus’ redemptive death on the cross is that the pain he had to endure eventually led to his gain and our gain. Through his death, “God raised him on high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

·       Dear friends in Christ, to serve God or to do the will of God is not an easy task because it is usually marked by betrayal, distrust, suspicions, temptations, etc., and the most daring of them is that temptation from a loved one or close friend, and this is exactly what we encounter daily. No wonder the scripture tells us, “My child, if you want to serve the Lord, prepare for an ordeal” (Sirach 2:1).

·       In the passion narrative (Matthew 26:14-27:66), we see all the intrigues surrounding the eventual arrest and death of Jesus. Although Jesus’ death was redemptive and that was his mission, the thought of being betrayed by friends and allies made the pain more excruciating.

·       My dear brothers and sisters, in our daily encounters with people and in our struggles to be better Christians, we must brace up for betrayals and temptations, we must brace up to suffer severe hardship for the name of Christ. When we do so, we must be cheerful, knowing that our pains will lead to gains since no one who serves the Lord honestly will go unrewarded.

·       Dear friends, Jesus had to die so that you and I may live. Jesus had to endure this shameful death so that you and I may be graceful; he was brought low so that we can be raised to the heights. Hence, we ought to ensure that our lifestyle and attitude do not crucify him the second time.

·       When the weight of Christian witnessing becomes too heavy for us, we must call on God, who has the power to save us; we must ask for his help and strength just like Jesus did as interpreted in the responsorial psalm “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).

·       In his anguish, Jesus felt the weight of betrayal and being abandoned by friends, and he cried to God for help and strength. The Lord granted him the strength to fight to the finish because his death is redemptive, and his pain will lead to our gain!

·       As we continue this procession beginning from the entry into Jerusalem to the entry into his passion, death and resurrection, may we not repeat the actions of Peter who denied his master (John 18:15-27). May we not repeat the actions of Judas, who betrayed the Lord (Luke 22:48). May we not repeat the condemning actions of Pilate and the authorities (John 18:28-40). And finally, may we not run away like most of the disciples, who abandon the Lord during his Passion (Mark 14:50). May we rather be like the Blessed Virgin Mary and few friends who stayed close at the foot of the Cross (John 19: 25-26) so that we can rise with him.

·       May the Lord give us the grace to live truly Christian lives and not to crucify our Lord again by our lives of sin and recklessness, through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·       Happy Sunday!!!