Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Our gospel story ends this Sunday at the tomb of Jesus.  He has suffered and died and a few faithful followers have quickly placed his body in a new grave as the Sabbath begins and a guard has been posted.

Every other Sunday the gospel tells of Jesus at work: healing, preaching, traveling, eating with sinners, proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven in both word and action.  He is active and alive, filled with the Holy Spirit, doing the Father’s work.  But today we remember that he has died.

In the passion account Jesus patiently and humbly endures all that was done to him: the physical pain, the betrayal, the abandonment, the denial, and the condemnation to death.  He submitted himself to all of it and in doing so emptied himself in every possible way.  And now he has died and been placed in a tomb.

I went to church early this morning so that I could walk through the parish cemetery before Mass.  Each grave is marked with a large wooden cross and is surrounded by colorful, abundant plants and flowers.  I prayed for those who were buried there.  There were all Christians, which means each of them took up their cross and followed after Jesus.  They sought to serve others as Jesus did.  They also suffered and as he did, and finally they each died as Jesus did.   Some, no doubt, lived a virtuous life and had a peaceful death: others struggled often, perhaps even at the end. Some of them died when they were but children; others reached a good old age. But they were all like Jesus and experienced what he did.

Next Sunday we celebrate the awesome reality that death is not the final word for Christians.  Jesus rose from the dead and lives today, and through our baptism and faith in him, we too will share in that resurrection.

But today it seems good to ponder the suffering that we have yet to face in our lives.  Perhaps it will be physical, mental or spiritual pain.  Maybe we will be abandoned by those closest to us or betrayed by a friend.  We have heard again in today’s gospel how Jesus endured his suffering and we pray for the same grace for ourselves for when we need it. 

We also might prayerfully consider our death.  If, during our life, we have imitated the Lord in emptying ourselves and surrendering all to God in trust, then death will simply be one final letting go.  What happens after that is the Good News of next Sunday.  But for now, we remember and realize again that suffering and the cross is the only way to get there.