Homilies

PASSION SUNDAY: A STORY OF BETRAYAL, ABANDONMENT, AND DEATH

THERE IS something of a paradox in the celebration of the Palm Sunday: welcoming Jesus, and crucifying Him; a glory and a tragedy. The gospel serves as a synopsis of the whole celebration of the Holy Week. We remember the great event, the great story of our salvation in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The gospel journeys us back to the peak or crowning moments of Jesus’ life. It is the summary and the core of why was Jesus being sent by the Father to this world. The ultimate meaning of his coming into this world is being clearly seen in this great paschal event.

Let us try to pick up some significant things in the passion narrative. I can think of three sad things: a) betrayal; b) abandonment; and c) death.

First, the gospel is to be seen as a story of betrayal. We heard of Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, who betrayed Jesus. Likewise, we have Peter, the trusted disciple, who did not join Jesus in praying at Gethsemane and who denied Him in the presence of the high priest’s maids.

Second, the gospel is also seen as a story of abandonment. There were people who abandoned Him. Likewise, His loud cry, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani,” demonstrates a “seeming’ abandonment by the Father.

Third, the gospel ends in crucifixion and death of Jesus. But the death of Jesus is rather seen as the fulfillment of what he lived for. It is the highest moment of God’s salvific plan for us. It is God’s greatest expression of his love for us.

The stories of betrayal, abandonment and death are also our own stories.

On the one hand, we have experienced these in our relationship with others. Often we are victims of betrayal, abandonment, and death. But in some occasions, we were also the “victimizers” to others. We can hear stories of wives betrayed by husbands, and husbands betrayed by their wives. Infidelities seem to be rampant these days. It is unfortunate that migration has contributed to this occurrence. We can also hear stories of people betrayed and abandoned by their siblings. We can also hear stories of friends being betrayed and killed by their friends. Thus, stories of betrayal, abandonment, and death are real stories. These are stories that some people would either love or hate to talk about. These are stories which are in need of a process of forgiveness; the kind of forgiveness that Jesus gave to his tormentors.

On the other hand, these stories are also true in our relationship with God. Modernism, secularism, consumerism, atheism…. all these contribute to the betrayal, abandonment, and death of God in our midst. How have we betrayed Him? Believing in Him and yet doing non-christian practices is a betrayal. Professing the faith but do not live it out is a betrayal. The absence of the “sense of sin” is a betrayal to God who always asks us to repent and undergo conversion.

Have we abandoned God? Yes, we have abandoned Him! Secularism is an obvious form of abandonment of God. If we no longer see the meaning and importance of Sunday worship is an index of abandonment of God. We have also killed God. People who experience a certain power brought about by their “own” resources would say that they no longer need God in their lives. They say that they can live all by themselves. Thus, God is killed by them and is now dead.

The Holy Week is a moment of grace for us. This is a moment of reflecting upon the great love of God for us through his suffering and death on the cross. Love is a two-way relationship. God expects us to respond to this love. But if our response is one of betrayal, abandonment, and killing God, then, we ask for his forgiveness and mercy.

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