March 27-28, 2010
Isaiah 50:4-7 Philippians 2:6-11 The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ Palm/Passion Sunday – Beginning of Holy Week
Accompanied by the feint rustle of palms, the drama of Holy Week begins to unfold with our first hearing of ‘the Passion’, the story of Jesus’ final week of human life, ending with his crucifixion and burial. As much as most of us are already focused on our Easter plans, brunch reservations and chocolate bunnies from See’s, the Church focuses our attention not so much on Easter Sunday but on the CROSS of Good Friday. For all our wearing of crosses as decorative elements, our culture has an aversion to meaningful encounters with the cross. We quickly gloss over the harsh events that have occurred within our lives, we isolate our experiences of the cross and do not speak of them. Our own crucifixions and encounters with the cross are seen with embarrassment, as failures and certainly not worthy of praise or prolonged consideration. Yet, our encounters with the cross have transformed our lives more reliably than our encounters with the empty tombs of Easter. Bliss and happiness are fleeting ethereal wisps whereas harsh encounters with the cross leave permanent marks on our lives. We easily recall the moment we learned of the death of a loved one, our eyes become clouded when we recall the fear and stink of a Vietnamese, Afghan or Iraqi foxhole, we replay in our minds what we did following our layoff, RIF or divorce decree.
Through encounters with the cross our lives, our futures, were changed, our perceptions of ourselves were altered. Since mid-February we have journeyed with Jesus in a very lengthy Lenten conversation. We have been encouraged to look within our lives and take an accounting of where our lives are heading, how we got to wherever we are and to perceive if we are heading where we want to go. Palm/Passion Sunday ratchets up this conversation by encouraging us to call to mind our own ‘passions’: when have we soared only to crash, when have we been betrayed, when have we been rejected and isolated, alone and afraid? When have we had to say goodbye, when have we had to carry heavy burdens, fallen, risen and fallen again and again and again? When have we stood bereft and lost as our lives and loves evaporated? When have we stared into the future and seen nothing but darkness? When have we waited and waited and waited for life to get back to ‘normal?’ How have we changed with each ‘passionate’ encounter? Are we wiser or bitter; at peace or raging with anger; resentful or accepting; still dead or living a fresh life? The palms are rustling, how has the Passion been lived in YOUR life?
Thank you for sharing this Palm/Passion weekend with our Corpus Christi Community. Blessed Palms are available for your retrieval from the large display on the courtyard as you depart from Mass, take as many as you desire. Don’t forget to help with our Easter decorating by dropping off your potted Spring flowers this week in the kitchen. Please consider yourself invited to ALL our Holy Week events, particularly Holy Thursday and Good Friday components of Triduum (both starting at 7:00 p.m. each day.)
The Bulletin has last minute information pertaining to next weekend’s Easter Sunday Masses (8, 10 and 12 Noon)….remember, it will be CROWDED…let’s make sure we put on our EASTER MORNING SMILES and welcome with JOY all those who gather with us next weekend!!! Parking will be available on the street but make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get here and become settled on Easter Sunday morning….last minute arrivals will probably put you somewhere out on the lawn! The rustle of palms will soon be replaced with the hopeful sounds of Alleluia and Lenten purple will give way to the brilliance of Spring colors…as we experience Holy Week together, remember, you are loved. FKB
