Palm Sunday reflection by Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J., Ph.D.

Palm Sunday Reflection

Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J., Ph.D.

Today we remember a DEAD MAN WALKING*

Today we remember what happened to Jesus almost 2000 years ago.

Today we pay attention to what is happening to so many others crucified in our times.

This week, we re-enact, symbolically, what really happened to Jesus.

This week, in and thru our liturgical re-enactment, what really happened to Jesus, really happens to us.

Now, we enter into the mystery of Holy week.

Now, God calls us to be with Jesus as Jesus goes to the cross for us.

Now, God calls us to continue Jesus' work of bringing forth the Kingdom of God in our times and places.

Now, God calls us to cry for a creation bent and blurred and beaten by sin and suffering.

Now, God calls us to heal a world filled with people who have been crushed by cruelty and intimidated by intolerance.

Now, God calls us to prophetically cry out and resist those who hate and hurt others.

Now, God calls us to convert those whose hearts are hardened, those who are blinded by desires for revenge.  An "eye for an eye" mentality leads to a world gone blind.

Now, God calls us to Love in Word and Deed; Truly Love to the point of no return; Truly Love to the point of going where Jesus is going, to the cross.

Now, with Jesus we must go to stand on the side of those who throughout history, have been, and are, and will be, butchered and beaten by the powerful and oppressive. 

This week, in and thru our liturgical re-enactment, what really happened to Jesus, really happens to us.

This week, we re-enact, symbolically, what really happened to Jesus.

Today we pay attention to what is happening to so many others crucified today.

Today we remember what happened to Jesus almost 2000 years ago.

Today we remember a DEAD MAN WALKING.*

(* “Dead Man Walking” is what they call someone in prison being walked to the execution chamber).

This week we accompany Jesus.  Our God is a God who is for us.  This God became a victim of human greed and intolerance and hate.  Our Lord suffered at the hands of oppressors.  Our God came among us and went to the cross to save us.  Jesus enters into the dynamics of evil and death and by doing so transforms them.  He saves and frees us from all the sin and horror of our human existence.  He saves and frees us from all the pettiness and selfishness that irritates and demeans us.  He saves and frees us from all that addicts and afflicts us.  He saves and frees us from all that destroys human persons and human community.  He saves us to set us free to believe, to hope and to love.

We need to give time to Jesus so we can become Jesus in our world today.  Many this semester have seen The Human Experience.  Young men no older than Scranton students traveled the world and found hope and happiness among the pain and tragedy of human existence.  On the cross, Jesus shows us the way through suffering and death to life and life eternal. 

We learn by imitating others.  Whom will you imitate?  Bernie Madoff?  Charlie Sheen?  Lindsay Lohan? “Snooki”?  Or those who follow Christ?  Will you be like disciples of Jesus like Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. whom works with gang members in LA and Sr. Mary Scullion, RSM, who has transformed the situation for the homeless in Philly, or imitate mindless celebrities chasing their next appearance on Entertainment Tonight?  Will you be like the guy who started Tom’s Shoes, or Donald Trump?

To imitate and follow Christ, we have to know him and love him, and pay attention to him.  Especially this week, this Holy Week, as he goes to the Cross yet again for us, listen to Jesus.  Pay Attention.