Palm Sunday 2022 C

INTRO:

The Catholic Church all throughout the world has designated PALM SUNDAY as the opening of HOLY WEEK.

It recalls JESUS’ triumphal entry into JERUSALEM! It must have been quite the scene!

ASK: What is the ONE, MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM that you own?

(Do not really tell me…but think of it for just a moment. There is no wrong answer, but, in many instances the most expensive item that one owns IS EXTREMELY SPECIAL as well as valuable.
In Jesus’ day the MOST EXSPENSIVE item was THE CLOAK!

As I did a little research most people only owned ONE CLOAK/TUNIC and it was constantly mended and never discarded. For some people it was their shelter and their home!

Not sure if you noticed something different in LUKE’S GOSPEL today as we blessed palms …….
there was NO MENTION OF PALMS at all!!!!

Unlike Matthew and Mark’s Gospel accounts, Luke makes no mention of palms or palm branches being waved or put down.

In LUKE’S ACCOUNT the people place their single most expensive article of clothing – their CLOAKS – along Jesus’ path.

The people in LUKE’S narrative place all that they have at the disposal of the MESSIAH-KING.

Many call this: emptying oneself and laying it down at the feet of Jesus!

What does that mean?
And what does it have to do with HOLY WEEK?
What does it have to do with being a Catholic?

For you and me it means being ready to GIVE IT UP and let it go for the sake of another. It is all about doing something for ANOTHER HUMAN BEING …. Letting the other human being in our lives come first.

When we were kids playing games, it was all about… IT IS MY TURN TO BE FIRST!!! and we would cry about that and get angry with each other!!!!

And that is not what LUKE is calling the church to be like anymore.

We are not to be first, but to be last and give up whatever is special to us for the sake of another human being. Emptying oneself is taking on the MIND OF JESUS CHRIST.
CONCLUSION

Listening to the PASSION NARRATIVE gave us the opportunity to hear about the REAL PRESENCE of JESUS for us in the consecrated bread and wine served to us at this altar of sacrifice. This is His self-emptying for US
to nourish us,
to maintain us,
to move us and
to guide us!

We truly are a blessed faith.