Palm Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima
Theme: A call to be messengers of peace, hope and victory in
Christ
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Readings:
Is 50:4-7; 2 Phil 2:6-11; Lk 22:14-23:56
Dearest
brothers and sisters, Palm Sunday is a special Sunday in the liturgical year. It
is a Sunday that opens the door to a great week – the Holy Week – for us. It
ushers us into a week that is rich with the reminiscence of the events that
saved us from sin, the events that restored us to God’s friendship, and the
events that restored us to life.
Today,
we carry branches of Palms or olives and follow Jesus into our churches, the New
Jerusalem, the same way the people of Jerusalem cut branches of trees and
spread them on the way as Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. These branches
of olive or palm that have been blessed have become sacramentals. They will be
burnt on Ash Wednesday next year, and ashes from them will be used to usher us
into another period of Lent.
Therefore,
dearest friends, today, we have the symbol of peace in our hands – the branches
of palm or olive. These days, our world needs peace more than any other thing
because she has been battered by problems and wars from all her quarters. We
have seen the situation between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Palestine.
Acts of terrorism and banditry are engulfing many countries of Africa. Many
other parts of the world have also been engulfed by unreported crises and
unrest. It is also known to everyone that peace is the greatest gift we, as
Christians, can give to our families and friends. With these branches of olive/palm,
let us become messengers of peace to our world, our families, and friends. Indeed,
it will be a contradiction if the bearer of olive/palm branches is not a
promoter of peace in his/her neighbourhood.
The
olive/palm branch also signifies victory. Today, we have recalled Christ’s
triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where he became victorious over the forces of
darkness and death. We have also read the Passion of Christ, which showed us
Christ’s journey to victory. We are witnesses to this victorious power of
Christ over evil and death. Hence, as we carry these branches of palm/olive, a
sign of victory, let us remind the world that our Saviour is a victorious king;
let us be witnesses to the victorious power of Christ over sin and death in our
society. Friends, we are children of victory. In fact, if anybody asks you why
you have the branches of olive/palm in your hands today, tell that person that our
victorious King is passing by today, and he has victoriously entered our
neighbourhood to fight our battles of life and to give us victory. Hence, it
will be a contradiction if children of victory are afraid to proclaim Christ to
their friends.
The
olive/palm branch also signifies hope. This is evident in the book of Genesis
when the dove that was sent out by Noah returned with an olive branch, a sign
of the hope of a new beginning. The difficulties we have seen in our world have
made many people lose hope in life and in God. Many people are searching for
where to anchor their hope.
Dear
friends, today, we have the sign of the hope of a new beginning in our hands,
which is the branches of olive/palm. Let us go out and spread this message of
hope. Let us tell the world that in Jesus, there is the hope of a new
beginning. The resurrection of Christ is a guarantee of a new beginning; it is an
ensemble of hope. Let us be torchbearers of hope wherever we enter, starting
from today.
Friends,
we have the vocation to spread the message of peace, hope and Christ’s victory in
our world. As we do this, it is good to remember that Christ wants us to be true
witnesses. Jesus needs those who will stay with Him both in good times and in
bad times, those who will stay with Him when it is joyful and when it is
sorrowful. Our witness to Christ should not be like that of the crowd who
shouted Hosanna at the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem but did not
come out to defend Him when He was unjustly tried and condemned to death. Many
of them denied him and chose Barabbas in his place, as we read in the Passion
narrative of today. Many of them shouted ‘Crucify him, crucify him’ with the
same intensity with which they shouted ‘Hosanna, Son of David’.
Dear
friends, many concrete situations of our lives demand us to witness to the
truths of the Gospel. We have all noticed that our world has been penetrated by
many doctrines, ideologies and lifestyles that are contrary to the truth of the
Gospel. These evil lifestyles and ideologies are promoted and advertised as
fashionable models by many governments of the world and, especially, by our
so-called celebrities and our culture industries. It is unfortunate that some of
them go to the extent of forcing their ungodly views on others. Dear friends,
we would be acting like the crowd in the Passion Narrative if we continue to
keep quiet and watch our world being battered by these people. We deny Christ
and our faith whenever we keep quiet in the presence of such teachings and
lifestyles. We deny Christ any time we decide to play the card of indifference
in the face of evil. We choose Barabbas any time we swim against the truth of
the gospel. May we not remain indifferent and unconcerned in the face of the
anti-life ideologies that have entered our societies. May we stop being
politically correct in the face of evil. Let us speak out for Christ.
Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima
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