PASSION OF GOD FOR MAN OR WHEN GOD SUFFERS WITH US.

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April 05 2020: Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - A

READINGS: Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66 or 27:11-54.
An Arabic proverb says, “It is good to know the truth, but it is better to speak of palm trees.” Another Japanese proverb adds, “The extreme form of passionate love is secret love.”
Suffering is a reality which has always and will always be hard to understand and accept. And when we go through hardship, the first temptation is to ask where is God. Many are they who think when exposed to trials and difficulties that God has forsaken them. How many times, in this moment of the COVID-19 pandemic, have we not heard or even felt the temptation to ask, “Where is God?” Today’s liturgy comes to teach us that we have a God who suffers with us, more, we have a God who suffers for us.
Glory and suffering, sorrow and love are intrinsically linked. No one can dream of glory without suffering, nor can love be authentic without passion. On this day, we recall the glorious entrance of Jesus in the Holy City, Jerusalem. This is, however, for him to fulfill the Scriptures, to accomplish the Paschal Mystery. The Lord, solemnly enters the City over the acclamation of the people, with palm and young branches in hands. Then, surprisingly, from the same city, a few days after, the same Lord Jesus who was welcomed over acclamations will be brought out, under insults, mockeries, and lashes. These two events of Jesus’ life depict very well the intimate link between love and Passion. Love, in its perfection, leads to suffering. No one can truly love without suffering. No one can reach the glory without pain.
We are celebrating today the ‘Palm of the Passion’, the summit of love. The readings are well in tune with the fact that love leads to suffering.
In the first part of our liturgy, the Gospel of the blessing of the palms ends with shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” These are an expression of the rejoicing of the people. Then, when we enter the Eucharistic celebration, the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading portrays the sufferings of the “servant of God”. The Psalm is a cry, a song filled with tears, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” These are the tears of each one of us when we experience the reverses of love. We always question, why is it that one needs to suffer when he loves? Thus, the French people in a popular song can exclaim, “l’amour est ingrat. Il fait souffrir qui aime et rire qui n’aime pas” (Love is ungrateful. It makes suffer those who love and laugh who does not love.) But actually, love has nothing of ungrateful. It only reaches its perfection in suffering.
St. Paul, in the second reading, would agree with that when he affirms the abasement of the Son of God. Jesus Christ humbled himself because of his love for mankind. God, therefore, raised him high for greater glory. For, God never abandons those who suffer for love’s sake.
The Gospel of Matthew comes as the most beautiful page of love’s story. It is the chronicle of the Passion of Christ. We are told through this narration that he who loves must always be ready to pay the highest wage for his love. Christ Jesus loved till giving up his own life, his body hanging on the cross and the last drop of blood from his heart, for the salvation of mankind. Through this, He got the ‘Golden Palm’ of passion.
After the Lord’s example, we are also challenged to not be afraid to suffer for those we love. For, Jesus himself said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). Let us not dissociate the passion of our Love. Rather, may we always love passionately without counting the cost. For, love that costs you nothing is not worth to be expressed. And love without passion is mere egotism and narcissism. God today suffers for us, so that we too may suffer out of love for one another. He suffers from the fullness of generosity with us, so that we may be generous in love and suffering for others and with others. God is always with us, in rejoicing as well as in mourning. This pandemic of the COVID-19 is not an expression of God’s absence. Instead, it should be a time for us to discover his greatest love. For, God, in these days, cries with the whole universe.

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