OMELIE / Omelie EN

13 apr 2025

13/04/2024 - Palm Sunday - Year C

13/04/2024 - Palm Sunday - Year C

LK 19,28-40 – Reading 1 IS 50,4-7 Psalm 21/22 Reading 2 PHIL 2:6-11 Gospel LK 22,14 - 23,56

Today we follow Jesus as he enters solemnly into Jerusalem as the Messianic King, accompanied by his disciples: they applaud him and express their joy, fuelled by the certainty that he will finally start the kingdom of God. The branches of the olive tree, or of other plants, we hold in our hands, help us to walk like we were present and active in that celebration.

Today we show our faith in Christ the Lord, sent by the Father to bring us into his Kingdom. And immediately, already prepared by the frosty welcome, not to say the rejection that was reserved for him by the Jews, we listen to the recounting of his passion and death. We are helped by the prophet Isaiah and Psalm 22: so we hear about the various moments of the trial and torture inflicted on Jesus, not as a consequence of a failure, but as the mysterious fulfilment, at the hands of evil people, of the Father’s desire of salvation for all mankind.

The Apostle Paul helps us to see the scandal of Jesus' death on the cross not as humiliation, but as a voluntary act of love, even though it involves great humility. By being a perfect love, it shows us the beauty and greatness of the God of love.

From this point on, therefore, begins his exaltation, which we also participate in by calling out his name not only with respect, but with adoration and with the desire and will to listen to him and obey him. In this way the olive branches will remain in our house as a sign of the greatness of Jesus, but also as a reminder and memory of our willingness to welcome him. We will continue to proclaim him Lord with all our life.

The story of the passion according to Luke begins with the Last Supper, out of which are highlighted the words spoken by the Lord over the unleavened bread and the cup. He gives thanks to the Father for that bread and wine by talking of “my body” and “my blood”. So Jesus gives thanks to the Father for the offering of his own life

through death: this makes his very person become nourishment and support of the believers, establishment of the communion among them, freedom from the worst of evils, which is sin.

We will pay attention to all Jesus’ teachings, to the way in which his prayer and his love for all is highlighted, including for the thieves, the way in which he dies without place for resentment, pride, hostility. In particular, however, we will experience our participation in the communion of the Body of Christ with a more attentive mind and with the attitude of someone who offers himself to fulfil each day God’s plans.

If we can, let us also plan to spend next week in such a way to make it a special week, in which each

days sees us engaged in a time of personal reflection and in which each day we participate in a community prayer or celebration.

The whole Church makes herself holy by taking part in the love experienced by Jesus in his passion. The whole Church needs it, the whole Church realises in this way the fact that she is the Body of Christ.