Palm Sunday

(Isaiah 50: 4 – 7; Ps 22; Phil 2: 6 – 11; Mark 14: 1 -15; 47)

When the Risen Jesus appeared to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, He had prepared a meal and afterwards directed His attention to Simon Peter in a very personal way. Three times Jesus questioned him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” In turn, Peter might have questioned Jesus, “Master do You love me?” but he didn’t.

But you and I can take up that question, “Jesus, Lord, do You love me?” – we could be bold and even ask three times. And, my brothers and sisters, to our question Jesus does answer. His response encompasses the 119 verses of the Passion we just heard. But let us find His answer to just two verses clearly revelations of His love for you and me, and for all.

In Gethsemane, what Peter, James and John witnessed and heard, St. Mark recounts for us and for all time: “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with Me.’ He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet, not as I will, but as You will’.”

Jesus reveals what is in His soul; He exposes His vulnerability and it is a sorrow beyond telling – the sorrow of Judas’ betrayal, the sorrow of Peter’s threefold denial, the sorrow of the rejection and plotting by His own people. He bears an anguish so great that He will sweat blood and it will come to a peak on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” This anguish is the darkness of sin, of evil, of infidelities of all people, of us – we can only imagine the weight of it all but even that act only scratches the surface, if that. Do we ever consider what our redemption cost Him?

Yet, “He advanced…” He moved away from the disciples, it seems He had to be alone, anguish can be like this. “He advanced…” despite the sorrow, the anguish He advanced through them, with them to a willing, total sacrifice of Himself for all, for us. So in answer to our question “Jesus, do You love me”
– He can say, “What greater proof do you want or need?” Actions speak louder than words and Jesus’ actions are a kind of thunder.
So St. Mark presents four advances or movements – Jesus advances through His inner pain to do what the Father wills. Three times He moves to His disciples – like a person in stress who paces back and forth – the Jesus they saw and spoke was not smiling – more than likely they had never seen Him in such a state – but sleep overtook them.

There is one more advance Jesus makes – not recorded in the account – the advance is here and now among us and for us. At the time of Holy Communion we will advance to receive Him in Holy Communion but He will have advanced to you, to me – will have graciously moved to you and me giving Himself totally.

“Lord, do You love me?” – with faith we literally hold the living answer, the ‘Yes’ in our hands or receive Him into our mouths. Either way – His extravagantly real love, awesome and infinitely merciful, gracious beyond words is yours, is mine.

In that moment soon to come, Jesus asks each of us, “What does this extravagant sacrificial love mean to you? What answer do you, do I give?