Homily Reflection Palm Sunday- Carrying Crosses

Carrying Crosses

(At the Procession with Palms: Mark 11:1-10; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24;  Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47)

If we look at the passion of Jesus we can see ourselves in so many places. We find similarities in our relationships with Jesus Christ with the ones of those who witnessed his passion.  

As Christians we want to celebrate be people waving palm branches as he rode into Jerusalem or give Him our best like the woman with the alabaster jar of perfume. Then maybe becoming so comfortable in our faith and relationship with Jesus, we fall asleep. If you fall asleep in this world, things begin to happen.

Maybe, we start to become like Judas and money becomes important. Or Pilate, who was obvious to what was right; but let others change his mind. We can fall into jealously like those who accused Jesus. Like the crowds, we blindly follow the world; a world that makes it easy to ridicule faith and even deny it. Peter denied Jesus. All the disciples said “Surely not I” before they ran away.

Even in all these similarities, I still see in each and every one of us that Roman Centurion, who looked into Jesus’ face and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

We look to Jesus and realize the truth of Christ - we the Church - you and I. The Church made of all gathered together in the name of Christ. A Church that is today living in the same world people have always lived in. Just like all those people in the passion. And, Jesus was in their midst. Today, Christ Jesus is in our midst. Now just like then, He was in the midst of sinners.

Jesus went through the suffering and pain and carrying that cross for the sins of the people we find in his passion: those who spit on him and beat him, those who ridiculed, those who mocked, those who betrayed, those who ran away, and even those who denied him. Jesus took the cross of sin from each ones shoulder and put it on his own.

Jesus carried that cross for them and he carries it for us. Jesus hung on the cross between two broken and sinful men; but, no matter how broken, being God’s creation; they had the potential for good. The Gospel of Luke tells us one does find goodness. He asks Jesus, Remember me. 

The sinner and centurion both realize the truth of Jesus and the meaning of the cross. 

Jesus’ cross is every cross; the cross on my shoulders and your shoulders. We all carry crosses; some are more visible than others. We carry crosses like Judas and Pilate made by our lack of respect of others, our greed, pride and selfishness. His cross is for these. His cross is for crosses of brokenness and sinfulness of those like the men who hung beside him.

But Jesus’ cross is also for the crosses we carry in our worry for loved ones, waiting for lab results, coping with loss, a job loss or financial catastrophe, as we become burdened by frailties of age.

Through our crosses, we can realize that Jesus is “Truly the son of God” and we ask Jesus to remember us as we pray to be better than we are and receive better than we deserve. We pray to be full of the goodness of God’s creation.

Christ is in our midst in a Church full of crosses carried by broken people and sinners. Each of us has a cross and because of the promise of His cross, we will be remembered in paradise.