"This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."-
Matthew 21:11

Palm Sunday

Homily by Fr. Gunther Kerkmann, SJ
St. Ignatius Church, Tokyo　

A. The Palm procession.

1. The bystanders. They are enthusiastic. They shout Hosanna. They see in Jesus the “Son of David”, the new King of Jerusalem. They dream about a new paradise on earth, a glorious future of their country, freed from being a colony of the Roman Empire.
2. The followers. They are proud to belong to this new movement. They want to sit at the right and left of the new Messiah-King, when He ascends His throne and rules the whole world with Jerusalem in the center. How great it will be! They continue to ask Jesus “When will you establish your Kingdom?”
   They follow Jesus when the following is easy and promising. Yes, they are followers of Jesus, but they do not yet understand what that means and what the consequences are.

B. Then there is the second procession, the way of the Cross.

1. The bystanders, the observers. They are shocked. They feel sorry for the poor man who walks to his execution, e.g. the weeping women by the wayside. They ridicule him, they make sarcastic remarks, and finally they shout “Crucify him!”
2. There are also followers here. Some unwillingly and very reluctant, e.g. Simon of Cyrene. Some did not really understand what was happening, e.g. “women who had followed Jesus from Galilee.” Some followed secretly, because they did not have the courage to reveal themselves as followers of Jesus, e.g. Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and also the apostle, John. Others followed Jesus in great silence, e.g. His mother Mary.
   But they all followed Him, even till under the Cross! They were rewarded with the experience of the Resurrection!

REFLECTION

To which group do we belong? Observing bystanders or followers?

In the palm processions: Are we enthusiastic, but with a little understanding? Are we attracted by the glory of the Church, travelling to Rome, seeing the Holy Father, etc.? Are we Christians because we were raised in the Christian, or more precisely, in a Catholic culture? Do we consider Christianity as part of our cultural identity? Do we therefore, feel that our faith is challenged when we live in a non-Christian culture? Or does it flip to the other side, meaning; does our being Catholic tempt us to feel culturally and religiously superior to non-Christians?
Or let us consider ourselves as part of the other procession, the way of the cross. The Church as the mystical body of Christ is walking the way of the Cross.
What is our attitude towards the Church? We see that the Church encounters all kinds of difficulties. Are we in solidarity with the Church, or are we only bystanders who feel pity for her?
Or are we followers? Maybe we follow the Church secretly. We do not have the courage to admit that we are Catholics. We do not dare to defend Her when she is ridiculed or criticized. Or are we quietly believing, but suffering with the Church?
But we have to admit that we have a great advantage compared to the people then.

We know already that there is a resurrection. We know that the palm procession and the Way of the Cross finally come together into one way, the way that leads to the joy of Easter, the joy of encountering the Risen Lord, the way that leads also to Pentecost, to the coming of the Holy Spirit, which means a life in Christ and with Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that gives life and joy to the Church and to all of us. Amen!