How can we look forward to Easter if there are so many people who are suffering and dying from COVID-19? How can we look forward to Easter if there are so many in NSW and Queensland who are suffering from the recent floods?
Sisters and Brothers! Thanks to some of our parishioners we have today both: crosses made of palms and branches of palms. We are holding the Passion Sunday in one hand and the Palm Sunday in the other. The crosses focus on suffering while the branches of palms announce the victory. Should we choose one and drop the other? At the time of human family’s suffering more than ever we need to hold up both: the crosses and the branches.
Hold the crosses up because we mustn’t turn a blind eye on the suffering of our sisters and brothers. These crosses in our hands unite us with those who are suffering at this time. Theses crosses in our hands also unite us with Jesus Crucified. “He was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross.”
Hold the branches of palms up too because “God raised Jesus on high and gave him the name which is above all other names.”
In our hands now we have the whole mystery of Christ: his Death and his Resurrection. In our hands now we have the whole of our human mystery too, the mystery which includes both the present suffering and the Resurrection to come. This is what God has promised us. This is what God accomplished during that first Holy Week two thousand years ago. This is what God wants to accomplish in us and all people, in our own common hour of need and suffering, therefore he gives us this Holy Week 2021.
In a short while when the Body and Blood of Christ will be present on this altar we will say: ‘We proclaim your death, O Lord and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” This year, more than ever, we see Jesus suffering in his and ours sisters and brothers. This is what we proclaim. This year, more than ever, we need to believe in his Resurrection in his and ours sisters and brothers. This is what we profess.
How can we look forward to Easter this year? We can and we must because the vaccine or insurance payment will not heal the wounds people carry in their souls. But the Lord Jesus who refused to come down from the cross so that the Salvation could be accomplished will come to us as the Risen Lord to raise us all up. So don’t be shy to celebrate the Holy Week and Easter. The suffering world needs it. Amen.
Sisters and Brothers! Thanks to some of our parishioners we have today both: crosses made of palms and branches of palms. We are holding the Passion Sunday in one hand and the Palm Sunday in the other. The crosses focus on suffering while the branches of palms announce the victory. Should we choose one and drop the other? At the time of human family’s suffering more than ever we need to hold up both: the crosses and the branches.
Hold the crosses up because we mustn’t turn a blind eye on the suffering of our sisters and brothers. These crosses in our hands unite us with those who are suffering at this time. Theses crosses in our hands also unite us with Jesus Crucified. “He was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross.”
Hold the branches of palms up too because “God raised Jesus on high and gave him the name which is above all other names.”
In our hands now we have the whole mystery of Christ: his Death and his Resurrection. In our hands now we have the whole of our human mystery too, the mystery which includes both the present suffering and the Resurrection to come. This is what God has promised us. This is what God accomplished during that first Holy Week two thousand years ago. This is what God wants to accomplish in us and all people, in our own common hour of need and suffering, therefore he gives us this Holy Week 2021.
In a short while when the Body and Blood of Christ will be present on this altar we will say: ‘We proclaim your death, O Lord and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” This year, more than ever, we see Jesus suffering in his and ours sisters and brothers. This is what we proclaim. This year, more than ever, we need to believe in his Resurrection in his and ours sisters and brothers. This is what we profess.
How can we look forward to Easter this year? We can and we must because the vaccine or insurance payment will not heal the wounds people carry in their souls. But the Lord Jesus who refused to come down from the cross so that the Salvation could be accomplished will come to us as the Risen Lord to raise us all up. So don’t be shy to celebrate the Holy Week and Easter. The suffering world needs it. Amen.
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