40th Day of Lent: Palm Sunday: April 13, 2014: “Hosana to the King”!

      40^th Day of Lent:

          Palm Sunday: 

             April 13, 2014:

             “Hosana to the King”!

Here we are on Palm Sunday marking Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem.

            

People greeted Him with olive branches, palms, and hymns. 

This Holy Week we will see the best and the worst in humanity. 

We will see the ‘seeming’ defeat of what is best in humanity but the ultimate glorification of the human person by the revelation of Jesus’ divinity. 

We see the Son of God embracing 

the cross of sin, shame and embarrassment and harassment but hang on we will witness how the cross of shame becomes cross of pride, grace, salvation and redemption. 

We will see the crucifixion of Truth but at the same the resurrection of Truth, Justice, Love and Life. We see the worst of humanity but the best of divinity. We will see the worst side of a few men of power who thought that by eliminating and terminating a person of great influence they can maintain their own power.

A kingdom they hold dear will slowly ease out of their grasp for the Kingdom of God is eased into their midst. A few good women will bring out their best what they are good at in the face of human tragedy to reflect the divine comedy. 

If women kept a distance from all the ‘happenings’ in the holy week in fact they were the biggest supporters, bearers of strength, consolation and encouragement to the Son of God when he needed it most. 

We see the length of betrayal and denial of friends of Jesus which is most painful to the master. We see also the width and depth of friendship, the width of the cross, for “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. 

So where do we see ourselves on Palm Sunday? 

Are we among the cheering crowd? 

Are we among the disciples who ran away out of fear? 

Are we among the Roman soldiers who had the dirty job of executing the criminals? 

Are we among the thieves who jeered at Jesus?

The palms remind us of our own human fickleness when we hail the hero today and make the same person a villain tomorrow. 

We acclaim one today and subject the same person to derision tomorrow. 

The palms also place us right within the Passion. The characters of the passion are us when we learn to identify with Peter’s denial, with Judas’ betrayal, with the flight of disciples, with Pilate’s cowardice, with the leaders’ cynicism or with the crowd’s mindless frenzy.

According to Fr. Joseph Krempa the palms remind us of Christ’s love. Despite what all these people did to Him, Jesus died for all of them, all of us. 

We find our strength, triumph, victory, and hope in Jesus who mirrored what is best in the humanity and what is best in divinity. 

Let the palms remind us of our own sins and failures while at the same Christ’s redeeming love and grace which alone can make us whole and strong.

Let us enter into the paschal mysteries with deep compunction, sorrow and shame of our own sins to emerge victorious with Jesus. Hail to the King of our lives!

God Bless you always!

Sincerely Yours,
Rev. Fr. Cyriac Chandy Mattathilanickal, MS

Wishing you and yours A Holy Lent!

Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.

Shrine Director

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nr7MT1qfNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutmEjdbedE&list=PL858FABB2B7CCD50A#aid=P94emP6A3xY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Pk2NHKg_o&list=PL858FABB2B7CCD50A

COME BE WITH US AS WE CELEBRATE HOLY WEEK!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLJ0IjLAmOA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tVReXsioM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_GLY7kPnyE

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