24 March 2013 PALM SUNDAY All the ceremonies of Palm Sunday: the blessing of the palms, the procession, the chanted hosannas, are instituted by the Church to recall the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on that day. “He entered Jerusalem, and into the Temple”, there were certain Gentiles “who came up to adore on the festival day; these therefore, came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus’. Philip tells Andrew. ... Andrew and Philip spoke to Jesus.” (Jn 12:20-22) Let us, after the example of Jesus, hasten into his sanctuary to thank him for any success we may have obtained. If we visit a place, let us first of all, if possible, visit the church to adore our Lord, and ask his blessing on our labors. Does our indifference in this respect contrast unfavorably with the behavior of the Gentiles mentioned above? Jesus, having granted the request of the Gentiles, foretells in their presence and before the multitude his approaching death, speaking of it under the guise of a parable which would shortly be made clear to them. “The hour has come”, he said, “for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (Jn 12:23-4) Thus Jesus speaks of his death and of its fruit, the conversion of the Gentiles. What a lesson for us! Our Lord gave his life for the salvation of souls; and we will not suffer. We would choose another road to heaven for ourselves and others than the royal road of the cross. What extraordinary blindness! “Now is my soul troubled” (Jn 12:27), continues Jesus. Why? It was at the thought of the cruel and shameful death which awaited him. But he goes on, “Father, save me from this hour”; and then adds, “Father, glorify your name”. Thus, a voice came from heaven: “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” (Jn 12:28) Our anxiety at a prospective humiliation or affliction is not an imperfection, still less a fault, since our Lord experienced it. But do we as he did, sanctify it by prayer and submission to the holy will of God? Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp171-3 The triumphal entry into Jerusalem “How different the cries, ‘Away with him, away with him, crucify him’, and then ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest! ... the cries now calling him ‘King of Israel’ and then in a few days time will be ... ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ “What a contrast ... the green branches and the cross, the flowers and the thorns! ... they were offering their own clothes for him to walk upon ... so soon afterwards they are stripping him of his, and casting lots upon them.” (cf St Bernard, “Sermon on Palm Sunday”, 2, 4) Also in Jerusalem is Mary, wanting to be close to her son in celebrating the Passover. It is to be the last Jewish Passover; and the first Passover in which her Son is both Priest and Victim. Let us stay beside Her. She will teach us how to remain constant, to struggle in little things, to grow continually in love for Jesus. May She be close to our side as we contemplate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of her Son. We will not find a more privileged place. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:251-2 Conversion, God’s Gift Conversion is fundamentally a turning away from sin and a return to the Living God, to the God of the Alliance: “Come let us return to the Lord, for it is he who has torn, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds” (Hos 6:1) is the invitation of the prophet Hosea. He insists on the interior character of true conversion. It should always be inspired and moved by love and knowledge of God. And Jeremiah, the great master of interior religion, prophesied an extraordinary spiritual transformation of the members of the People of God, through the action of God: “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord. They shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” (Jer 24:7) Conversion is a gift from God which man must ask for with fervent prayer and which was merited for us by Christ, ‘the new Adam’. Sin and death entered into the world through the disobedience of the first Adam and dominate man. But, “If death began its reign through one man because of his offense, much more shall those who receive the overflowing grace and gift of justice live and reign through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:17) The Christian, strong with the strength which comes to him from Christ, moves farther and farther from sin, that is, from the sad reality of the original disobedience. This occurs to the degree to which Grace abounds through the merits “of one man, Jesus Christ” (cf Rom 5:15). Conversion is thus an almost gradual, effective and continuous transition from the ‘old’ Adam to the ‘new’ one, who is Christ. Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p130 Hear His voice today: “Harden not your hearts.” (Ps 95:8) This prayer is relevant and necessary, but it is particularly recommended in the course of the forty days ‘that we hear the voice of the living God’. It is a penetrating voice, when we consider how God speaks in Lent not only with the exceptional richness of His Word in the liturgy and in the Church’s life; but above all with the paschal eloquence of the Passion and Death of his own Son. He speaks with His cross and with His sacrifice. In a certain sense, this is his last discourse in His dialogue with man, ... with his mind and with his heart, with his conscience and his conduct. The heart means man in his inner spirituality, the very center of his likeness with God. The interior man. ‘The man of conscience.’ Our prayer during Lent aims at awakening of consciences, arousing them to the voice of God. A man who has a hardened heart and a degenerate conscience is ‘spiritually a sick man’, even though he may enjoy the fullness of his powers and physical capacities. Everything must be done to bring him back to having a healthy soul. Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p131 • Our Lady of Arabida, in Portugal, where an image is seen which an English merchant used to carry about him. Finding himself one day in danger of shipwreck, he saw this image surrounded with a great light on top of the rock of Arabida, which induced him to build a little hermitage there, in which he spent the remainder of his days. — Triple Couronne, n. 16. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Arabida, Portugal (16th Century). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady of Arabida (Portugal). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • “Nossa Senhora” / Our Lady of Arabida. Portugal. 16th Century. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of the Tears. (www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html) • The Seven Dolors of Our Lady (traditional). Moveable feast — Passion Sunday. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) Our Lady of the Dove (‘Nuestra Señora de la Paloma’) This devotion celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation. In her image, the doctrine of the virgin birth is presaged by presence of the symbolic dove, representing the Holy Spirit; and lilies and roses, symbols of her purity. She is crowned by cherubs as the ‘Virgin of virgins’. (Fr Charles Belmonte, “Aba Ginoong Maria”, 1990, p27) • Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lady, instituted by Gregory II. On this day, Our Lady kept the Passover at Jerusalem, in the year of Our Lord 49. —(Balingham, Metaphrastes.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Eve of the Annunciation, instituted by Gregory II. (http://www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Vigil of the Annunciation. Instituted by Pope Gregory XI. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Vigil of the Annunciation (Instituted by Pope Gregory XI). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)