Passion Sunday (A)

Today is the beginning of the week we Catholics call Holy. It is the culmination of the plan God had in sending his only Son into the world, and, as it unfolds, we are shown in dramatic ways the impact he had on the people of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem. Events depend on people, so let us look at the characters who were God’s instruments in making this week holy.

It begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He was known as a prophet by that time, perhaps even as the Messiah and as one who preached with authority and not as the scribes. (Mt 7:29) No one had spoken like that before. That had seen his miracles of healing like the man born blind (Jn 9) and knew of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Today, which we call Palm Sunday, he arrived meekly enough riding on a donkey, but was hailed by the people as the son of David, who came in the name of the Lord in order to establish the long awaited, all-conquering kingdom of God here on earth. The crowd rejoiced mightily while their leaders told Jesus to have them calm down, to which he replied: “I tell you, if they keep silence the very stones will cry out.” (Lk 19:40) A triumphant entry indeed.

But … Five days later on Friday (which we strangely call Good) the crowd was present again when Jesus was presented to them as King of the Jews. The hosannas of only five days before were replaced by: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and “Release the notorious Barabbas; crucify Jesus.” Somewhere the psalmist warns us not to place our trust in man, but only in God. Certainly we have here the fickleness of people and confirmation of the wisdom of that advice.

On Monday Jesus withdrew from Jerusalem to stay in Bethany where he was invited to supper. That’s when a woman anointed his feet with a very expensive perfumed ointment and the occasion when Judas decided to abandon this strange Master whom he had followed for three years. Jesus had approved of the action that Judas condemned as a waste of money that could have been given to the poor. (Jn 12:6). The evangelist tells us that he really was not concerned for the poor but for the lost opportunity of getting a few shekels for himself. At that stage he decided Jesus was a lost cause, and he determined to get something out of it by handing him over to those who hated him and wanted to kill him. Alas, as we see later in the story, he carried out his plans and betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver. Much as he afterwards regretted it, his action led him to despair and suicide.

Magdalen, of course, continued to have no human respect, turned up again at the foot of the cross, and is a principal player in the drama of the resurrection.

Peter is a prominent figure throughout. He boasted of his willingness to be faithful to Jesus even if everyone else would abandon him. He would even die with him if it came to that. Taking no heed to Jesus’ warning that he would in fact deny him three times before the cock crowed, he cowardly denied that he even knew him and that before a simple servant girl. The rest of the disciples except the mysterious “disciple whom Jesus loved’, could not stay awake during his agony in the garden and appear not at all in the rest of the passion story. Despite all their promises!

The chief priests and other leaders of the people had for a long time been jealous of Jesus’ influenced among the people, hated him, and wanted to kill him. Caiaphas, the high priest, had earlier unwittingly prophesied that “it is better for one man to die for the people than have the whole nation destroyed” (Jn 11:50) This was in reaction to Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead and the subsequent adulation of the people. After his arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus was brought before the high priest and the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of Israel). It was this august body which insisted that he tell them if he were the Christ or not, and, when he did they accused him of blasphemy and should be put to death. So upset were they that they lost control completely and all semblance of human dignity as well: “They began to spit in his face and hit him. Others slapped his face mocking him: ‘Play the prophet for us. Who slapped you?’” Thus the supreme governing body of Israel! Later before Pontius Pilate, their hatred for Jesus and desire to be rid of him led them to deny the strong principle of their religion: “We have no king but Caesar.”

Then there was Pilate, the representative of Caesar of Rome, who had the power to condemn Jesus or release him. Though unable to find any fault in Jesus, out of fear of the Jewish leaders if he released “the King of the Jews”, this cowardly man still condemned him to torture and death. In St. John’s account, the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate underscores the truth that Jesus, ostensibly the victim, was in control of the situation throughout. Pilate and the Jewish leaders were much more on trial than he was.

He had said long before, “The Father loves me for this: that I lay down my life to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down freely and have power to take it up again.” (Jn 10:17-18) At his trial he had said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me whatever unless it were given you from above.” Jesus was saying that Pilate was in fact carrying out what he had spoken of before: his being lifted up. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:14) Once I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” (Jn 12:32)

Others who had a role in the passion and death of the Lord were his mother Mary and the women on the way and at the foot of the cross, who quietly and with great dignity condoled with the dying Jesus, unafraid what the mob might think or do. Of the males Jesus was a MAN. Though battered and bloody, he was the only one who showed strength and courage, facing torture and death without fear. Once he had surrendered to the will of his Father in the garden, he silently accepts whatever they will throw at him. “Behold the man!” (Jn 19:5)

This is surely a holy week for us Catholics. We are given a chance to recall in a special way all that happened that fateful week when Jesus showed us how much he loved us. He who told us, “Greater love than this no one has than that he lay down his life for his friends,” showed us how to live and how to die. Even now he calls us to live through our own passion and death that as ‘we die with him we shall also live with him.’

LORD, HELP ME TO BE FAITHFUL. HELP ME TO ACCEPT MY OWN LITTLE DEATHS AND TO LIVE FOR YOU WHO DIED FOR ME. MAY EVERY WEEK BE A HOLY WEEK FOR ME. AMEN