If you think that today’s Liturgy of the Word has been extremely long as we have already had the first Gospel at the beginning, the procession with Palms followed by two more readings and the long Gospel of Mark proclaiming to us the Passion of Our Blessed Lord let me tell you that it could be much longer if the Gospel of the Passion of Christ were sung. A couple of times I have had the blessing to listen to this long Gospel being sung, once it was even sung by the parish choir which made it even longer. Of course there is some aspect of tiredness involved in singing as well as in listening to that, however it becomes a powerful expression that what we are beginning to celebrate is the entrance of our great king on the stage of his battle. Jesus enters his battle field. Even if the Gospel is read it is still a song of victory, Jesus enter the battlefield in order to win.
My Dear fellow believers!
The Word of God for this Palm Sunday has presented us with an abundance of spiritual food to contemplate in order to nourish ourselves. I would like to simply touch a couple of moments we find in the readings for this Sunday. They all tell us about Jesus’ freedom. The story which start unfolding before our eyes it is a story of a free person who isn’t forced to do the Holy Week. Jesus chooses to do that. We could hear it in the first Gospel when he was arranging his entry to the Holy City and we can see him free even when he is brought by Pilate before the crowd. If he wanted he could turn those people at the Pilate’s courtyard into dust but he chooses to continue the path of suffering for salvation of us people.
St Albert who was also an artist prayed and contemplated that moment. The outcome of his prayers is the picture called Ecce homo – This is the man. In the picture we see Jesus maltreated horrifically but there is one interesting thing. The rope which is used to tie the prisoners actually doesn’t tie Jesus up. On the contrary, it looks more like a necklace on him. St Albert wanted to express what he understood from contemplating the Passion of Christ: Jesus accepted his suffering and death freely. He didn’t need to be tied up and pulled to the Calvary. What was “driving” him to the summit of the mountain of the Crucifixion was his love for his heavenly Father whose will he wanted to fulfill and his love for us humans whom God loves so much.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers!
As you enter more deeply into the mysteries of Jesus’ suffering, death and Resurrection, please don’t feel sorry for Jesus. Rather pray for the grace so that faced with his unconditional love you may be brought to your knees to cry over yours sins, to feel sorry for your sins and so to obtain the grace of true repentance for your sins and the grace of gratitude for what Jesus did to save you.
My Dear fellow believers!
The Word of God for this Palm Sunday has presented us with an abundance of spiritual food to contemplate in order to nourish ourselves. I would like to simply touch a couple of moments we find in the readings for this Sunday. They all tell us about Jesus’ freedom. The story which start unfolding before our eyes it is a story of a free person who isn’t forced to do the Holy Week. Jesus chooses to do that. We could hear it in the first Gospel when he was arranging his entry to the Holy City and we can see him free even when he is brought by Pilate before the crowd. If he wanted he could turn those people at the Pilate’s courtyard into dust but he chooses to continue the path of suffering for salvation of us people.
St Albert who was also an artist prayed and contemplated that moment. The outcome of his prayers is the picture called Ecce homo – This is the man. In the picture we see Jesus maltreated horrifically but there is one interesting thing. The rope which is used to tie the prisoners actually doesn’t tie Jesus up. On the contrary, it looks more like a necklace on him. St Albert wanted to express what he understood from contemplating the Passion of Christ: Jesus accepted his suffering and death freely. He didn’t need to be tied up and pulled to the Calvary. What was “driving” him to the summit of the mountain of the Crucifixion was his love for his heavenly Father whose will he wanted to fulfill and his love for us humans whom God loves so much.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers!
As you enter more deeply into the mysteries of Jesus’ suffering, death and Resurrection, please don’t feel sorry for Jesus. Rather pray for the grace so that faced with his unconditional love you may be brought to your knees to cry over yours sins, to feel sorry for your sins and so to obtain the grace of true repentance for your sins and the grace of gratitude for what Jesus did to save you.
Ecce Homo - This is the man
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