Sixth Sunday of Lent: Palm Sunday

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna
Blessed is He.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of our God.
Blessed is He.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of our God.

The hymn rings out and the people cry in exaltation for the One who comes in the Name of God.

What extremes of emotions pivot today’s readings.  In Mark’s Gospel read following  the blessing  of the palm, we hear the people crying out “Hosanna.”  And then during the Mass  the Passion according to Mark is proclaimed. In this extended version of the Gospel, the scene begins in Bethany where Jesus is among his friends for the Feast of Passover. An unnamed woman broke an expensive alabaster jar of perfumed oil and poured it on Jesus’ head.  The drama of the next three days has begun.  The woman sensed the darkness beginning to unfold around Jesus.  Jesus defends her saying ; “She has done a good thing for me.  She has done what she could.  She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.”

The rest of the Passion story we know so well, the foretelling of betrayal, the breaking of the bread and sharing of the wine, the garden of Gethsemane,  the arrest, trial, torture and finally the crucifixion.  During  this heart-breaking time we hear Jesus warning the disciples that their faith will be shaken.  We hear  Jesus say  ; “My soul is sorrowful even to death.” We hear the denial of Peter.  And finally we are with Jesus the Christ crucified, standing with women, his Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and Joses, and Salome. Joseph of Arimathea receives the body of Jesus and with the women, buries this sacred corpse in a tomb hewn from stone.

This drama is more than we can bear it seems. Yet what else can we do but remember,
lest we forget.  We remember the fidelity of Jesus the Christ to His God, to God’s message of love given to Jesus for us all.  We remember the fear of the disciples and their sorrow.

We remember the unwavering faithfulness of the women.  We ponder, where would we be on that day.  How are we faithful today to this Jesus the Christ who gave so much for us. Would Jesus say of us “She has done what she could.”  We remember that we are already living the resurrected life in Jesus the Christ.  So in gratitude we say “Hosanna”  Christ our Light.