Palm (Passion) Sunday, 28 March 2010

No other week in any year ever saw the events that we are about to celebrate. We stand ready to go with Christ from the joy of crowd waving palms on His entry into Jerusalem to people waving their fists and calling for His Death. For us this is not only history, it is Mystery and we are part of it. We are etched in the mind of Jesus as His momentous journey begins, we are close to His heart and we are carved on the palms of His hands. This Holy Week happens for us.

Jesus was born for this week. His eyes were fixed on Jerusalem during His ministry. He knew that all was leading to the Cross and that Calvary would be the altar of sacrifice. Packed into this week are so many events that we need to take each day of this week into our prayer and let the Holy Spirit be our guide. This week is rich in meaning.

Monday is the day when the excitement of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem calms down a little. Jesus knows that this is the calm before the storm. Already Satan has put it into the heart of Judas to betray his Master. You may remember that on the First Sunday of Lent, the Gospel that day finished with, “Having exhausted all these ways of tempting Jesus, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time” (Luke 4:13) The Passion is the appointed time and Satan is back.

Judas Iscariot was personally chosen by Jesus to be an apostle, to be one of His first priests. He must have started off in this extraordinary calling with such high hopes. He would do anything for Christ. Then bit by bit, Judas began to slip. He became fixated by the money he was minding and complained that costly ointment was being ‘wasted’ on Jesus when it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Many serious falls from grace come as a result of becoming careless and letting standards slip gradually. On ‘Spy Wednesday’ in Holy Week, Judas prepares to betray Jesus. Now he needs opportunity.

On Thursday this week, Jesus does the unimaginable and institutes the Eucharist during the Passover Meal. Jesus washes the rough feet of His followers and Judas slips out into the night to betray Jesus. After the first Mass, Jesus goes to the garden and prays. Peter, John and James who were with Jesus at the Transfiguration, (2 nd Sunday of Lent) are here with Him again. This time there is no trace of glory, but drops of blood caused by the prospect of what is to happen. Then, the saddest kiss in history occurs. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss and indentifies Him.

On Friday, called Good, Jesus hands over His spirit to the Father and forgives His executioners. The wood of the Cross is no longer the sign of shame but the sign of victory over sin and death. It goes very quiet that Friday night and all through Saturday. Nothing seems to happen.

But it is not the end of story of Jesus but the beginning of our story, the story of the Church. Out of the tomb, Jesus rises and now He comes back to those who are devastated by His death. Sadly, Judas is not there to meet Jesus and I am certain to be forgiven. Judas could not live with his guilt any longer.

On Saturday night at the Easter Vigil we will be asked to renew our baptismal commitment and continue the journey of faith. We will rejoice in welcoming our RCIA catechumens who will be baptised in the name of the Trinity and receive the Eucharist for the first time. We will be witnesses to the coming down of the Holy Spirit on the candidates from RCIA who will be confirmed. Joy, thanksgiving and a sense of being in the presence of the Mystery of God will be ours.

Aidan Troy, C.P. [Aodhn Troighthigh, C.P.]