April 14, 2019: Palm Sunday C
4-14-19 Palm Sunday C
Near Old City of Jerusalem on the southeastern slope of Mt. Zion is where the house of Caiaphas once stood. Caiaphas was the high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus. There now stands a Catholic Church called St. Peter in Gallicantu. Right below the church is the ancient dungeon where Jesus most likely spent the night after his arrest. Outside the church stands a sculpture of four persons around a column with a rooster at the top of the column. At the base of the column reads, “Non novi illum” which means “I do not know him.” (Luke 22:57) Prominent figure in the sculpture is Peter throwing his hands up in the air as if to say to the servant girl next to him, “I don’t know the guy! Quit asking me!” This is a powerful image for us to ponder during Holy Week.
Forty days ago at the beginning of Lent, we signed ourselves with ashes and committed ourselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in hopes that we may better emulate Our Lord. Throughout Lent we restrained our desires through fasting and devoted time to prayer, and we noticed the subtle ways in which we are attached to worldly allurements, selfish tendencies, and unforgiveness. Through the scriptures throughout Lent, we have traveled with Jesus, encountering temptations, sickness, healing, and opposition. Many of us have taken the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, deepening our awareness of our sins and experienced God’s merciful love for us. Now as we enter Holy Week, an important question arises, “How can we enter into Holy Week with more attention and deeper appreciation for the suffering Jesus endured for our sake?”
At the Last Supper, Peter boldly declared to Jesus, “Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and die with you.” Yet when his life was threatened, Peter was quick to say, “I don’t know him.” He later denies Jesus two more times. We bring to mind our own failure to acknowledge Jesus and to follow his commands. We may not use those words, “I don’t know him,” yet our pettiness, unforgiveness, and judgments are our ways of denying Jesus. Our Lord told Peter, “I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." Just as he did for Peter, Our Lord prays for us so that our failure will humble us and serve to strengthen our resolve to love him even more fervently.
What are we to do at the beginning of this Holy Week. What is our role? We begin by recalling the image of Peter denying Jesus three times. One way to enter into the Holy Week is to walk the journey of the Way of the Cross through the eyes of Blessed Mother. Imagine that you are with her as spectators jeer at her Son. We imagine how she felt consoled as Simon of Cyrene helps her Son carry the cross and Veronica wipes the blood and sweat of his face. We prayerfully imagine ourselves standing next to Blessed Mother as she hears her Son say from the cross, “I thirst.” The thirst that Jesus longs for is our love. He has chosen each of us to quench his thirst for love. While we may be tempted to watch Jesus’ carrying of the cross as spectators, Blessed Mother draws us to ponder the love with which Jesus bore the weight of our sins as he carried the cross. As we gaze upon the crucified Jesus, we should be filled with gratefulness and awe:
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this,
That caused the Lord of bliss,
To bear the dreadful curse,
For my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
