A Homily for Palm / Passion Sunday

Palm Sunday – 2020 – COVID-19

From Triumphant Entry – to Condemnation
We enter into this week that we call HOLY

Yet a very different Holy Week.
Different from any other we have ever experienced!
With Churches shut – and Physical Distancing – very different indeed.

At the Heart of the Christian Year – is the Triduum – Three days
From Holy Thursdayevening to Good Friday evening - Day 1
Good Friday evening to Holy Saturday evening - Day 2
Holy Saturday evening to Easter Sunday evening - Day 3

Cognitive Dissonance – holding 2 competing ideas at the same time: and so Each year Palm Sunday presents us with this Cognitive Dissonance – and the 2 competing ideas are:
From Triumphant Entry – to utter Condemnation

Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion.
The world becomes much easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil.
The easiest way to unite a group isn’t through love – because love is hard. It makes demands. Hate is simple.

So the first thing that happens in a conflict is that we choose a side.
Because that is easier than trying to hold 2 thoughts in our heads at the same time.

The second thing that happens is that we seek out facts that confirm what we want to believe.  Comforting facts. Ones that permit life to go on as normal. Facts like: "He’s a revolutionary" or "He breaks the Sabbath" or "He says ..."

The third thing that happens in a conflict is that we dehumanize our enemy. There are many ways of doing that, but none is easier than taking the name away from him or her.
Crucify Him / Crucify Him

As we move through this week that we call Holy – 
I challenge you to turn to God in Prayer – 
to take time to reflect on the readings and prayers.
To join us – even if only Virtually – and know 
the Power – the compassion – the mercy of God.
The God who challenges us to hold 2 conflicting concepts together at the same time: Triumph and Condemnation 

There is a lot of noise out there. The twenty four hour news cycle.  
Social Media.  Talk radio.  Blogs.  Commentary.
Over the next week, a week like none other in the Church’s calendar, a week like none other in our world, 
we will hear words of love and accusation, 
     we will listen to stories of intrigue and betrayal,
and we will participate in veneration and prayer.
The noise out there will be in stark contrast to what we will hear, read, see and do here – in church / in Liturgy.  

This is a week of drama, of judgement, of a mother’s sorrow, of suffering and isolation.  Yet perhaps most of all, this is a week of invitation; of putting aside all the noise out there and coming to understand the love, the mercy, the forgiveness, the ultimate reason of why Jesus did what Jesus did.