Sunday, March 24, 2024
“Christ’s whole life is a mystery of recapitulation. All Jesus did, said and suffered had for its aim restoring fallen man to his original vocation: When Christ became incarnate and was made man, he recapitulated in himself the long history of mankind and procured for us a “short cut” to salvation, so that what we had lost in Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we might recover in Christ Jesus. For this reason Christ experienced all the stages of life, thereby giving communion with God to all men.” (Catechism §518). In addition to His death on the cross, Jesus recapitulated human history, restoring us to the Father. The hardships that Isaiah suffered we read about in today’s Old Testament reading and how God helped him overcome them can also describe the sufferings of Jesus. Jesus came not only to die but also to fulfill the Scriptures.
Today, the Church celebrates Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday. Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing that He would be arrested and put to death. The Gospel tells us that this was troubling and distressing to Him. His soul was sorrowful. Just like He always has and taught us to do when we face hardships, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed. He prayed for the Father to take the cup of sorrows away from Him and concluded by saying, “Not what I will but what You will.” We often petition God in our hour of need, but we don’t always submit to or faithfully accept His will as Jesus did. The lengthy Gospel reading of today recounts the plot by the priests and scribes to arrest Jesus, the betrayal by Judas, the preparation for the Passover, the Lord’s Supper, the agony in Gethsemane, His arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial. It all underlines the humanity of Jesus. But unlike Adam and us, Jesus remained faithful to God’s plan of salvation until the end.
We think of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as a triumphant King with the crowd cheering him, and crying Hosanna! Save us! We, too, sing Hosanna at each mass in the “Holy, holy, holy” prayer. The Church beautifully and adeptly describes His entrance into Jerusalem, “Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion [Jerusalem], a figure of his Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness to the truth. And so the subjects of his kingdom on that day are children and God’s poor, who acclaim him as had the angels when they announced him to the shepherds.” (Catechism §559). Neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness to the truth. This is our humble King who came and lived in humility. Imagine yourself standing there in Calvary at the foot of the cross of Jesus as daylight starts to turn into darkness. There are many there beside you, but Jesus is lovingly gazing at you. What do you say to Him? Now turn your head and see Mary, the Blessed Mother of the Church. Speak to her?
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.