by Fr. Tommy Lane
We have listened to an account of Jesus entering Jerusalem for the last time before his passion. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us people spread their cloaks on the road and Matthew and Mark tell us about branches from trees also. John gives us more information as he tells us the branches were palm branches (12:13), as a result of which we call today Palm Sunday. People waving palm branches as Jesus entered Jerusalem meant one thing: they were welcoming Jesus as a king or conqueror because palm branches were used to welcome conquerors. (NABRE note on John 12:13) Jewish coins minted in later times during rebellions against Rome had palm branches (Gundry Commentary on the New Testament p418). As Jesus entered Jerusalem, it looks like they expected Jesus would take the city back from Rome and they would have independence once again. The people cried out “Hosanna” which means “save us.” It seems that the atmosphere was electric that day as Jesus entered Jerusalem. The palm branches anticipated a victory. Jesus was indeed victorious a week later but not as they imagined. Jesus rose victorious from the tomb after conquering death for ever. The victory Jesus was about to win was not against Rome but over death.
John gives us one other additional piece of information about that day. He tells us it was five days before the Passover (John 12:12, see 12:1). That is very significant. Something else happened in Jerusalem five days before the Passover every year. On that day every year, the head of the family went to the temple and selected the lamb that would be sacrificed for his family for Passover, during the afternoon four days later. So as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the lambs for the Passover sacrifice were being selected (NIDNTT 1:629). This is surely no coincidence! A lamb was chosen to be sacrificed by every family to commemorate their redemption from Egypt and at the same time, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was entering the city about to offer himself in sacrifice to the Father for the redemption of all humanity.
During the week ahead it would be good to read the accounts of Jesus’ passion in the four Gospels and meditate on them. They are two chapters near the end of each of the four Gospels and have many similarities but each one of them also gives us information we do not find in the others. In the Passion accounts, as we all know, following the Last Supper Jesus went to Gethsemane where he was arrested, and following that he was tried before the Sanhedrin. That was a religious trial. The Jewish leaders put Jesus on trial because of talk they heard that he was the Messiah. They wanted to have Jesus killed but did not have the authority to do it. So the Sanhedrin arranged to have Jesus tried before Pilate in a civil trial, as if Jesus were claiming to be a king. That was the only way they could get Jesus killed because Pilate had the authority to condemn Jesus to death. Pilate gave in to their demands and sent Jesus for execution. So Jesus underwent two trials, the religious trial before the Sanhedrin, for being the Messiah, and the civil trial before Pilate, for talk that he was king of the Jews. During the week ahead, it would be good to read the Passion accounts, those two chapters in each Gospel, as an act of love for Jesus and for what he did for us.
Our readings today and each day this week help us mediate on Jesus’ passion. Just one example is today’s Psalm (Ps 22). Although coming from about one thousand years before Jesus, it foresees many details in Jesus’ passion: being mocked in a way similar to what Jesus endured on the cross, casting lots for his garment, and piercing his hands and feet even though the Roman Empire which used crucifixion as its capital punishment for non-citizens did not even exist at the time of this Psalm.
To help us meditate on Jesus’ passion, here are some statements from Jesus to St. Faustina that I have gathered together from various places in her diary:
You please Me most when you meditate on My Sorrowful Passion. Join your little sufferings to My Sorrowful Passion, so that they may have infinite value before My Majesty. (Diary of St. Faustina §1512)
There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy. (Diary of St. Faustina §369)
Consider My Sorrowful Passion in all its immensity. Consider it as if it had been undertaken for your sake alone. (Diary of St. Faustina §1761)
There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion. (Diary of St. Faustina §737)
As we reflect on Jesus’ Passion, we remember the crowd on Palm Sunday waving palm branches expecting Jesus to win a victory. Jesus did win a victory, not as they hoped but infinitely better, the victory over death. We too can say Hosanna, “Save us,” but asking Jesus to save us by the fruits of his Passion:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Diary of St. Faustina §476)
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2021
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for Passion (Palm) Sunday
Jesus’ faithful love 2024
The characters in the Passion represent our sins that led to Jesus’ crucifixion 2009
The Passion of Jesus Speaks to Us 2015
Related Homilies: The Passion of Jesus shows us up as sinners and heals us
Jesus’ Sufferings Revealed by the Turin Shroud
Jesus' "Abba" Prayer in Gethsemane 2020