Palm Sunday Pull

Palm Sunday pulls us into a new stage of Lent: Holy Week. Our liturgy this week highlights the disparity between our world and a true Christian society. We are pulled between the allure of a Spring Break mentality and the long-standing traditions of contemplating the suffering and death of our Lord. When we see Jesus going up into Jerusalem, we can think of our spiritual lives as well as a certain “going up the mountain.”

Going Up the Mountain

Mount Washington is one of the tallest mountains on the East Coast and the highest mountain in New Hampshire. Ot was one of our typical destinations while on vacation with the seminarians during my stint as a formator. Admittedly, I was able to arrange a “study day” one year and did a partial hike and then visited some friends another year but I remember vividly the day that I did join them for the long hike up and down the mountain.

One of my complaints was that the trail would disappear from time to time and go through powerful streams and up slippery rock surfaces. I could feel a pull between the desire for a sense of accomplishment on the one hand and experiencing the physical discomfort on the other. Eventually, I did make it up the mountain, although I returned to the trailhead a bit later than the rest of the crew.

Getting to Know Ourselves

Going up a mountain always challenges us and tells us something about ourselves. We think about our physical strength mostly, but it gives us insight into our mental strength as well. Our life on earth pulls us between good and evil. Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this one year in his Palm Sunday homily.

The Fathers of the Church maintained that human beings stand at the point of intersection between two gravitational fields. First, there is the force of gravity which pulls us down – towards selfishness, falsehood and evil; the gravity which diminishes us and distances us from the heights of God. On the other hand, there is the gravitational force of God’s love: the fact that we are loved by God and respond in love attracts us upwards. Man finds himself betwixt this twofold gravitational force; everything depends on our escaping the gravitational field of evil and becoming free to be attracted completely by the gravitational force of God, which makes us authentic, elevates us and grants us true freedom (Pope Benedict XVI, 17 April 2011).

What do we let pull us the most? Is the weight of our own selfishness, falsehood, and evil pulling us down or are we pulled by the gravitational force of God? As we enter Holy Week, it is appropriate to reflect on these oppositional pulls and opt for Jesus and the good.

One Sunday with Two Gospels

The way that the Palm Sunday liturgy proposes two Gospels to us always fascinates me. Everything seems a little different. We begin the mass with a Gospel and then a procession. Then, we continue the Mass in the regular way and hear another Gospel, this time speaking about the Passion and Death of Jesus. We begin by hearing about the joyous entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, only to be sobered by the story of his painful suffering and death on the Cross. What is the uniting theme of the liturgy? It is the story of Christ the King.

Christ reigns in a simple and humble way, giving an example of service, love, and devotion to God the Father. He receives the accolades of Palm Sunday worthily because he is truly God and worthy of all praise. We remember this procession at every Mass when we pray the Hosanna between the Preface and the Eucharistic Prayer. As we prepare for the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we recall the glorious entry into Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday Pull

I love it how Pope Benedict XVI speaks about two gravitational fields. Often, we are aware of being pulled down by sin, but how often do we think about being pulled up by grace? God’s grace is like a helping hand pulling us out of the quicksand of sin. The gravitational force of God’s love makes us authentic, elevates us, and grants us true freedom. Holy Week is a great time to contemplate these two gravitational forces. Contemplating the Passion of the Christ is one of the best ways to enter the great gravitational force of the love of God.

I suggest opening your Bible to Isaiah 53 to read the Song of the Suffering Servant. The Church applies these words to Jesus, and they give us a glimpse into his heart and what he was experiencing during his Passion and Death. By reading and praying with these words, you open your heart to the gravitational pull of God.

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