Reflection on Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

I came to Loretto on Sept. 15, the feast of our Sorrowful Mother, and it went over my head. But back then our other major feast day, the celebration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, happened on the Friday of Passion Week, the Friday before Palm Sunday, the day before yesterday. There, near the end of Lent, a period of silence and penance like I had never known, we had a day of joyous celebration of our Sorrowful Mother. A paradox, a contradiction in terms – that we celebrate and honor a woman who suffered so much and our honor comes in recognizing and celebrating her sorrow. We had recreation all day, even at breakfast! My first Lent here at Loretto, that was something.

Today’s celebration is a similar paradox. Most parishes are reading the Passion today. But our Community here chose to celebrate Jesus entering Jerusalem. It is a glorious moment, all the more glorious in that we know what’s coming next.

Isaiah says that God awakens us, morning by morning, instructing us to know what is right and that we do not hide our faces from mocking and spitting. Paul says to the Philippians that Jesus  “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.” These are mysteries, God teaching us day by day and God becoming human like us. When Jesus mounts a young donkey and rides into the city of Jerusalem, it is a moment for us to celebrate. 

I knew, even back when I was 18, that being able to have recreation all day didn’t get to the heart of the celebration. What we know to be the heart of the matter is joy. Joy is a matter of the moment. We give a gasp of recognition. We know ourselves to be astounded at the revelation of God. O Suffering Jesus, O Sorrowful Mary, We give you glory, thanks and praise. O bless our works and guide our ways. Mostly we are not astounded. We are human. But this Community’s decision to celebrate a revelation of joy is an expression of our embrace of the paradox, that in our suffering Jesus and our sorrowful Mary we find joy.

We get an insight of truth, a sliver of knowledge of the mystery. Knowing all the terrible things around us, all the crucifixions to come – not Jesus’ death alone but all of human suffering, some of which we are accountable for – knowing all this, still, in this moment we find joy. 

“The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

What we have today is God’s invitation to lift our hearts.