Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Isaiah 50: 4-7 Phillipians 2: 6-11 Mark 14:1 - 15:47

Introductory thoughts on hearing the Passion Narrative according to Saint Mark:

Often when we hear the account of Jesus’s betrayal, suffering and death, we can focus on the series of events which occurred, imagining these various events as parts of a movie or television script. In comparison to the accounts given by the other Gospel writers, St. Mark’s account is somewhat shorter, whether or not it seems that way. And while he recalls the events that took place, the emphasis of St. Mark appears to be on different persons who are encountered during these happenings, along with their various actions and reactions.

St. Mark, like the other evangelists, is not a news reporter who is only interested in telling about the events which took place. Rather, he wants to record the proclaiming of the Good News, the saving news of God among us in the person of Jesus Christ. He wants us to know of the willingness of Jesus to undergo this betrayal and execution like a common slave or criminal of his time. This reminds us of the totality of God’s love for us.

In telling of this story, this true event revealing God’s love for us, he appears to focus on different persons who were present - their actions, their statements, their reactions: the woman who anoints Jesus, his betrayer, Peter, the young man in the harden, Pilate, the Cyrenian who assists Jesus. Most important, he calls out attention to the centurion, the non-Jew present at the site of the execution. He wants us to know about the profession of faith made by this unexpected source - so evident is the love and generosity of Jesus. One way of understanding St. Mark’s efforts is that he wants us, the listeners, to examine how it is that we might identify personally with what is happening and how we are joined with these other persons in what is occurring, how we, too, are one with them in witnessing this great action of Jesus on our behalf.

Listen carefully to the story as it is told by St. Mark. Allow this story to affect you as we begin this most Holy Week of the Church’s year.