March 29, 2015

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord B

Isaiah 50: 4-7; Philippians 2: 6-11; Mark 14: 1 – 15: 47

On this Palm Sunday I spend time with God who is crazy in love with me and always has been.

Isaiah says “Morning after morning He opens my ear that I may hear.” Each day I spend time with the Lord in my prayers and praying the Divine Office. Am I alert…do I focus that with the psalmist I am listening to a new message from God to help me get through the day and realize His love and His grace is with me? I can spend more time in just focusing on this before I rush into my prayers. Isaiah continues, “The Lord God is my help…” I look at the number of times I go to the Lord and also the number of times I stay within myself absorbed in my daydreams or fantasies. Knowledge of God is the only thing I bring with me to heaven. I have to continue to lift up my voice in praise and gratitude and just in talking ordinary talk of what is happening to me and around me.

David says in Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?” God never has left me, can I say the same for myself. I do this when I get on my own ‘pity-pot’.

Paul is writing to the Philippians and improves the image I have for God. Describing the Messiah, Paul says, “…He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave…He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.” How much am I emptying myself of the ‘things’ and ‘toys’ that seem to occupy too much of my time…especially focused on the computer and TV? Again knowledge of God is the only ‘thing’ that I can bring with me to heaven.

Mark shares the Passion narrative and so many of his words strike a reflective cord in me. The chief priest and scribes wanted to “…arrest Him by treachery and put Him to death.” They were totally closed minded…they had their own agenda and always felt they were right. I fit into that mold far too often…I must live more as though God is in me…am I showing God or me?

When the woman came to anoint Jesus, “…there were some who were indignant. ‘Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? It could have been sold…and the money given to the poor.” Indignant is such an interesting word…the thesaurus offers words that hit me point blank: irate, outraged, incensed, annoyed, angry, furious, offended, resentful…put out, in a huff. WOW how many times have this been the expression on my face and the attitude that I present to others. How can people be seeing Jesus in me?

Then Jesus directed the apostles to prepare for the Passover meal. He said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” All were furious...’why point Your finger at me?’ How many times have I directed guilt away from me? Even the times I have rationalized in looking at my sins and saying ‘they aren’t that bad.’ A sin is an offense against God…I am putting things, others, myself as being the be all and end all and not listening to God’s commands that lead to a better life for me: heaven. And Jesus said, “All of you will have your faith shaken.” I have this painting in my office I am looking at now with a youthful looking Jesus washing the feet of this older Peter who has such an arrogant look on his face. I reflect on it often especially with the arrogance that is a part of my life. Lord I must let You continue to grace me so I can be You.

And Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane. I have spent many hours in reflection in the Church of All Nations, right next to that Garden. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to You. Take this cup away from Me, but not what I will but what You will.” Jesus’ life, crucifixion and death were total obedience to the Father. And I look at my life: God has a plan for it. He knows how I am going to get to heaven. He gives me all the grace and help needed to live and grow and get to heaven. Do I want it my way or His? Do I object when it doesn’t fit in with my plans? More importantly, do I spend time each day to see the Lord’s working in my life and where and how He is leading me? And then Jesus said, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” More often than not, these words identify my daily life…can I spend more time in just being with the Lord each day…this will help immensely?

Then Jesus said, “The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.” Sinners, I am a sinner. Peter was a sinner; Judas was a sinner; and they both betrayed Jesus. My life can be so fragile; I can so easily give in to temptation. The devil can so easily play on my moods and ‘push my button’ and I sin. Lord be merciful to me a sinner.

I have spent time reflecting on the Passion of Jesus; I have watched Mel Gibson’s The Passion many times. Like so many others I find the whipping at the stake so hideous, yet it occupied such a small amount of time, about five minutes. And Mark shares the remarks of those present: “those passing by reviled Him, shaking their heads…’save Yourself by coming down from the cross.’ Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked Him…’He saved others; He cannot save Himself’…those who were crucified with Him also kept abusing Him.” Finally a Roman soldier…a pagan in charge of many troops said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

And God loves me and sent Jesus to show the total extent of that love. A love that is unconditional because God has always loved me and needs me to love. I turn again to Fr. Henri Nouwen’s Here and Now Living in the Spirit. “GOD’S HEART: What does it mean to live in the world with a truly compassionate heart, a heart that remains open to all people at all times? It is very important to realize that compassion is more than sympathy or empathy. When we are asked to listen to the pains of people and empathize with their suffering, we soon reach our emotional limits. We can listen only for a short time and only to a few people. In our society we are bombarded with so much ‘news’ about human misery that our hearts easily get numbed simply because of overload.

God God’s compassionate heart does not have limits. God’s heart is greater, infinitely greater, than the human heart. It is that divine heart that God wants to give to us so that we can love all people without burning out or becoming numb.

It is for this compassionate heart that we pray when we say: ‘A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, nor deprive me of Your Holy Spirit.’ (Psalm 51).

The Holy Spirit of God is given to us so that we can become participants in God’s compassion and so reach out to all people at all times with God’s heart.”

I reflect on the words from Mark, A Devotional Commentary: “Mark wrote his narrative for a young church beleaguered by persecution, but his message remains a word of encouragement and challenge to us today. Will we let our faith be blunted by failure, loneliness, and setbacks? Or will we, like Jesus, place our trust in our ‘Abba’ in heaven? Will we see with the disciples’ eyes the revelation of God who is with us even amid the chaos of our struggle against sin and death? Mark’s narrative discloses the wonderful truth concisely summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: ‘By His passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to Him and unite us with His redemptive Passion.’” (1505)