Passion or Palm Sunday 2020, St Augustine of Canterbury Parish
Theme: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46)
Introduction
In the Gospel of the procession of 2020 Palm Sunday, we read that when Jesus entered
Jerusalem to begin his passion, the whole city was in crisis and distress at the moment:
“When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?”
The crowds were saying,
“This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21.10-11)
As a coincidence, we too are entering the 2020 Passion Week of Christ during CODVID-
19 turmoil and crisis. This scripture is fulfilled in our time:
“This took place
to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ((Matthew 21.4-5)
Just as Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem to complete and accomplish the saving works of
his Father, the reliving and celebration of the passion of Jesus Christ this 2020 is our
singular and graceful opportunity to enter the sacred time and sphere of his redemptive
works.
The Lord calls as to learn from him
So many things are happening in the whole world. At the time of the Prophet Isaiah, so
many things occurred as well. The Prophet Isaiah encouraged the people of his time.
Today, he is encouraging us that whatever is happening in our lives and in the world, it is
better for us to turn to the Lord and listen to him for his guidance and help in order to
help each other as individuals, as a province, as a nation, and as humanity:
“The servant of the Lord said:
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backward.” (Isaiah 50.4-5)
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
In Psalm 22, which Jesus prayed and cited when he was crucified, we observe that amidst
turmoil, crisis, distress and suffering a psalmist still kept the faith, and turned to the Lord
for help and strength. We can count on Jesus, who while suffering on the cross on our
behalf, made Psalm 22 his own on behalf of the whole humanity:
“But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!” (Psalm 22: 22-23)
During the worldwide pandemic 2020, we can also enter the prayer of Jesus in order to
obtain its benefits and effects.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
The mind of God is the best. Jesus accepted and integrated into the mind of God so that
eventually God “highly exalted” him above “every other name”. We can imitate Jesus by
entering into his obedience, by emptying our personality and by adopting his humility in
a concrete way during this 2020 celebration of the Passion of Jesus Christ:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God highly exalted him
and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2.6-11)
The Passion of Christ and Time of Distress
The time of the Passion of Jesus was filled with many instances of distress: Judas was
distressed because he was “looking for an opportunity” to betray his teacher (and Lord);
the chief priests were distressed because they were looking for the chance to arrest Jesus
in order to betray him to the authorities of the law; Jesus was distressed because one of
his disciples (friends) would betray him; and the disciples of Jesus were distressed about
the upcoming betrayal:
“He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him,
‘The Teacher says, My time is near;
I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them,
and they prepared the Passover meal.
When it was evening,
he took his place with the twelve;
and while they were eating, he said,
“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
And they became greatly distressed
and began to say to him one after another,
“Surely not I, Lord?” (Matthew 26: 18-22)
The celebration of the Passion of Christ is an opportunity to remove the series of distress.
Become part of the body and the cup of the blood of Christ
Today, as we enter the Passion Week, we can at least do something to reduce the
instances of distress that still hand in the members of the Body of Christ and in the whole
humanity, above whom Christ is exalted. We should try to eliminate the distress by
becoming part of the body of Christ to feed and nourish the world, spiritually, and by
becoming part of the cup of the blood of Christ “poured for the forgiveness of sins” and
poured for the reconciliation of humanity with God:
“While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread,
and after blessing it he broke it,
gave it to the disciples, and said,
“Take, eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup,
and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you;
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26: 26-28)
We can strive to be part of the body and the cup of the blood of Christ so that we may not
become scattered or deserters of Christ and his saving works:
“Then Jesus said to them,
“You will all become deserters because of me this night;
for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I am raised up,
I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter said to him,
“Though all become deserters because of you,
I will never desert you.”
Jesus said to him,
“Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times.”
Peter said to him,
“Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.”
And so said all the disciples.” (Matthew 26: 31-35)
We can be part of the saving works of Jesus by staying with him during his distress, grief
and agony:
“So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?
Stay awake and pray
that you may not come into the time of trial;
for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-41)
We can be part of the saving works of Christ by becoming his living voice in times of
darkness of the soul and times of spiritual darkness in the world:
“From noon on, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46)
Conclusions
What can we offer during this Passion Week to encourage each other in this time of
distress (health, financial, mental, and human) caused by the worldwide pandemic? We
should strive to be part of the body and blood of Christ so that all who are scattered or
deserters might try to find a way through the “torn curtain of the temple” to God.