PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2022

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION

FIRST READING: ISAIAH 50:4-7

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: PSALMS 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24

SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 2:6-1

GOSPEL: LUKE 22:14–23:56

Today we celebrate the Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy week. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilling the prophecy of Zachariah 9:9 which is an invitation to rejoice and celebrate for the arrival of the king, son of David, a humble and peaceable king. He does not ride on a horse like warrior kings but on an ass. As he comes, the people declare, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” This is a clear reference to Psalm 118: 26 – 27 which is about the messianic king who is also a priest that will come into Jerusalem and go up to the altar. Jesus enters Jerusalem as king and high priest. He went up to the altar, but it was not the altar of sacrifice in the temple, but the altar of the cross and offers the true sacrifice of himself that satisfies the Father.

Each of the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give a passion narrative, that is, an account of the arrest, trial and crucifixion of our Lord. On this Palm Sunday, we are presented with the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.  I want to highlight some of the unique insights that Luke brings to the passion narrative.

Luke’s account begins with the Institution of the Eucharist. He alone tells us that during last supper, Jesus declared his kingship and appointed his Apostles to share in his reign. In 22: 29 he says, “as the Father appointed a kingdom for me, so do I appoint for you.” And in verse 30, he says, “that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus is constituting a new Israel, his Church. The Apostles will rule over this new Israel. He gives Peter a special role. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you (plural) that he might sift you (plural) like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” Here we see Peter having a unique role to strengthen the other Apostles. He will deny Jesus but he will return and strengthen his brothers.

Fundamentalists often question the dogma of papal infallibility and the primacy of Peter. And sometimes we try to justify it from Matthew 16 where Jesus said, ‘you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.’ That is okay, but the definition of papal infallibility which comes from Vatican I and which we also see in the writings of some Fathers of the Church is actually based on this passage, Jesus’s prayer that Peter’s faith will not fail and the he strengthens his brethren. From the earliest times, the Church applied it to the role of Peter and his successors as the supreme doctrinal authority and to his role to strengthen the others.

When supper was ended, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with the Apostles, then came the band coming to arrest him led by Judas. One of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. Only John tells us it was Peter who struck the servant and gives the servant’s name as Malchus. Luke adds something very important, Jesus “touched the servant’s ear and healed him.” Why is this detail very important for Luke? Jesus who throughout his life went about healing, now heals one of those who came to arrest him. Luke wants to highlight the essential meaning of the passion which is best summarized by the prophet Isaiah, “by his wounds, we are healed.”

The theme of forgiveness is prominent in the Gospel of Luke more than in the other Gospels. He alone told the parable of the lost coin and the prodigal son. Luke alone tells us that after the crucifixion, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” That is the climax of the theme of forgiveness that he preached throughout his ministry. Luke will later tell us in the Acts of the Apostles that Stephen, the first Christian martyr died forgiving his enemies with those same words. Luke is telling us something very important; true Christians will be hated and persecuted just as Jesus and Stephen but they must never respond with bitterness, but always with forgiveness.

Finally, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus jeered at him, “are you not the Christ? Save yourself and save us.” And the other rebuked him and said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Both thieves were in the same position; in the presence of the Eternal High Priest as he offers himself in sacrifice for them and for all mankind. One of them hardens his heart, despairs and blasphemes, while the other repents, prays with confidence to Christ and is promised immediate salvation. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” It is only in Luke that we find this incredible forgiveness. He wants us to know that whoever repents, even if it is in the final moment of life, will be forgiven by God and taken to heaven. We are all sinners, and the liturgy today puts us again in this solemn position. We can harden our hearts, curse and despair or we can repent and obtain mercy and salvation.

Happy Sunday and a fruitful Holy Week

Rev. Fr.  Chidi Onwuka MSSCC