Palm Sunday 20 Mar 2016 Sermon

Palm Sunday 20.3.16

On this Sunday we consider two events – Our Lord’s coming into Jerusalem with the adulation of the crowd.

And then, a short time later, the same crowd turns against Him and He is crucified.

We can repeat the adulation, and for this purpose we wave palms and olive branches. The only difference in our case is that we do not then turn against Our Lord. We keep waving the palms, and otherwise expressing solidarity with Him.

There is a contrast between the two events, and a contrast also within the second event, the Crucifixion.

This event could be called the worst and the best thing ever to happen in human history.

Worst: because it is the furthest the human race has gone in defiance of its Creator. To put God to death has to be about the worst thing possible to do. Even though people were ignorant of Our Lord’s divine nature they should have known, at least from all the signs He had given, that He was from God. The horror and ugliness of the event take hold of us, and makes us feel contrite.

Best: because by His death God the Son makes of Himself a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. He offers Himself to the Father, in reparation for all sins, past, present and future; and the Father is pleased with this offering of love and obedience. It is a fragrant offering, the fragrance overcoming the stench of sin.

There is great beauty in this otherwise ugly event: the best and noblest of human behaviour is on display.

God is displeased with what the people are doing to His Son; and pleased with what the Son is doing to the people!

Ultimately the good element far outweighs the bad, and the Death of Christ comes down to us as a lifeline to eternal happiness.

We know we do not deserve it, but we will eagerly receive it.

When we partake of Mass, and Holy Communion; when we engage in worship of the Blessed Sacrament - we are expressing sorrow for human obstinacy (including our own share), with gratitude and hope for the graces which make possible our salvation.

We want to be as aware as we possibly can be of these two aspects, so that we never become complacent about our sin, nor ever lose hope of final salvation.

All the more so do we keep this awareness in Holy Week, which we are now beginning.