Whew/Sigh. Some homilists might say that our long Gospel today – Luke’s passion narrative – needs no homily. Well, if this was your expectation, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
I hope to make two points. First, I want to reflect on the Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and especially the people’s acclamation: ‘Hosanna in the highest’. Second, I want to give some suggestions for Holy Week.
First – a short story.
12 years ago, then President Obama came to visit the hospital where I work. This was after the tragic Boston Marathon Bombing, and he was coming to visit the injured patients and the ICU staff that were caring for them. I remember the day well. Before the president arrived, everyone was very excited. The red carpet had been rolled out. Nurses and doctors were dolled up, people -even big wig administrators – rearranged their schedules to come to the ICU early. All the staff - both Democrats and Republicans – were hoping they’d get a chance to see or even touch the President. The excitement was almost palpable.
We see even greater excitement in the first Gospel reading–Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
We read that [quote] ‘the whole multitude … began to praise God aloud with joy’. And they rolled out the equivalent of the red carpet, throwing their on cloaks on the dusty ground for Jesus’ colt to walk over. This is what you would do for a king in ancient times.
The people cry out
“Blessed is the king who comesin the name of the Lord.”
They make so much noise, that the Pharisees ask Jesus to silence them. Jesus replies:
"I tell you, if they keep silent,the stones will cry out!"
They cannot contain their excitement.
It is this reading – especially the Matthew’s version – that forms part of our Mass – the ‘Sanctus’, or
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
We’ve prayed that prayer hundreds of times, but maybe you’re like me, and half the time when you pray it you’re distracted, just rattling off the words ‘holy holy holy …’ as you’re trying to put down the kneeler, since what immediately follows is the Eucharistic prayer when we’re kneeling.
Let’s reflect on this prayer. The Hosanna prayer has been part of Christian liturgy from the beginning – it’s mentioned in a document from 100AD called the Didache. Today’s Sanctus is usually prefaced by the words: “together with the angels and saints we declare your glory as with one voice we acclaim… Holy Holy Holy, Lord of Hosts.’
And those words, holy holy holy, come from Isaiah 6 – it is a vision of Heaven, of God seated on his throne and the seraphim – the highest order of angels- crying out these words of praise. So yes, we are praying together with the angels and saints – they are joining us right here as we start our Eucharistic prayer. [See this youtube video for what it might look like if we could see with the eyes of faith.] It’s amazing.
So that’s the first part of the Sanctus. It continues:
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
This part comes from Psalm 118, which was a song that pilgrims would sing as they entered Jerusalem and went up to the Temple. I’d encourage you to go look at the Psalm when you get home – it’s fascinating how it exactly foretells Palm Sunday, centuries later.
There is a reference to opening the city gates, joining a procession with ‘leafy branches’ up to the temple, to the stone which the builder’s rejected which became the cornerstone. Just so, today we recall how the people processed with palm branches, how Jerusalem opened its gates for this humble preacher from Nazareth – like a stone rejected by the Sarahedrin but the cornerstone of a new Temple.
The psalm echoes the jubilation of Palm Sunday, with people processing with leafy branches. Palms were an ancient symbol of victory and jubilation – almost like kids wave flags at parades or cheerleaders use pom-poms. You wave them around in joy – so if your kid is waving them around during Mass , that’s fine!
The psalm says “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’. Jesus fulfills this – not just coming in the name of the Lord, but actually BEING the Lord.
Towards the end of the psalm is has the words: ‘Yehovah – Hoshia-nah!’ – or Yawheh – Hosannah. which means – God, grant salvation – God please save us!
‘Hosanna is Hebrew for ‘save us!’ and Jesus fulfills this prayer: he comes to save us. Indeed, the name Jesus or Yeshua means ‘God saves.’ We cry Hosanna – God save us, and God replies with Yeshua – God saves, through Jesus.
So the Sanctus that we will pray in a short while is packed with layers of meaning.
The first part is the prayer of the seraphim before the throne of God.
The second part is the prayer of Hebrew pilgrims up to the Temple - thought to be the dwelling of God on earth.
So it’s a song to celebrate God coming to meet us. What a perfect prayer just before the Eucharistic prayer - before God makes himself truly present – body and blood, soul and divinity – on this altar. Before we recall ‘the night he was betrayed’, we recall Palm Sunday, we sing the song of Hosanna. It’s as if we are accompanying Jesus as he enters – not on a donkey, but in the humble form of bread and wine – entering into this new Jerusalem of our Church. The Israelites revered the Ark of the Covenant, which was adorned with golden statues of seraphim - but we kneel before God himself, who is worshipped here with us with seraphim, angels, and saints. And so I’d encourage everyone – try not to get distracted when you sing the Sanctus today … take off whatever cloak of anxiety and distraction you have, and lay it down before the Lord. Wave your palm branches- give God as much enthusiasm as you can muster.
Because if we can get dolled up and arrive early to see the President of the United States, hoping for a chance to touch him or shake his hand… how much more should we be excited to see God-made-man appear before us… not just to shake our hand, but to enter our very being?
I want to pivot, and conclude with a little plea for Holy Week.
We’ve come to the end of Lent, and Holy Week is upon us—so called because it’s the Holiest week of the year. I want to encourage everyone – including myself, to try to make this week Holy. Holy means ‘set apart’. Let’s ‘set this week apart’ for God, make it special for God.
Maybe your Lent didn’t go so great. Maybe you made some resolutions that you didn’t keep very well, and now you’re ready to give up, thinking ‘Darn, another Lent wasted.’
Don’t give up.
Remember the end of our Gospel today – the good thief on the cross. He was a sinner crucified justly for a grave crime, but with his last minutes on earth, he begged Jesus for forgiveness, and Jesus responded with those beautiful words: ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise.’
This is Jesus’ message for us today – indeed, only Luke’s Gospel recalls this conversation. It was Luke also who gives us the Prodigal Son – the story of a great sinner who receives great forgiveness. It doesn’t matter how much we’ve fallen or sinned – but whether we try to get up again.
So I’d encourage everyone – if you haven’t made it to confession this Lent – or maybe if it’s been years– it’s not too late. There are ample opportunities for confession between now and Easter. If you typically only go to Mass on Sunday, this week would be a great week to try to go on more days – especially the Holy Thursday and Good Friday liturgies. Or if you haven’t been to Eucharistic Adoration or done a holy hour or walked the Stations of the Cross – there are several opportunities this week. Just check out your bulletin.
Now if you’re a true regular who’s already done all of those things, then maybe your homework is to bring a friend or relative with you for the Triduum. Or take this week as an opportunity to read a book, like Pope Benedict XVI’s great book on Holy Week- which we just stocked in our little library here on the side. Or bring a pamphlet from the front of the church to evangelize your friends.
I know we’re all busy – whether with work or school – but this is the one week that we should get our priorities straight. If we’d be willing to move around our work schedule to try to meet the President of the U.S., we certainly should be willing to make sacrifices to meet Jesus on these holy days, when he offers himself at the table on Holy Thursday, dies for us on the cross on Good Friday, and brings us with him out of the tomb on Easter Sunday.
Amen.
