Holy Week 2009: Hosanna Sunday

First Reading (Phil. 2:5-11, RSV):

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Psalm (118:22-26, RSV):

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is the LORD's doing;it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech thee, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech thee, give us success! Blessed be he who enters in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD."

Gospel (John 12:12-19, RSV)

"The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming,sitting on an ass's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him."

"The reason the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign." The sign in question is the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44). It is also because of this act on Jesus' part, according to John 11:45-12:11, that Jesus' powerful enemies decide that he must die (and Lazarus too). So, today, on Palm Sunday, Hosanna Sunday, the crowd comes out to acclaim Jesus, but on Friday, that same crowd will cry out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Let us never forget that WE are a part of that crowd: WE crucify the Lord of glory.

And yet, He loves us with an everlasting, infinite love and desires nothing so much than that we love him in return and be united with him forever.

This week:
Pray: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
Go to Confession.
Reflect on the Most Blessed Trinity's everlasting and infinite love for us, "the sheep that had gone astray," revealed in the execution of Jesus Christ the Eternal Word of God.