HOMILY
FOR PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION YEAR C
1.Isaiah
50:4-7
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Phil2:6-11
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Gospel:Lk22:14-23:56
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"
what is the name of
your donkey?"
With regard to a donkey
Jesus asked his disciples to be brought to him from the unknown owner, what
different story would we be telling today if the unnamed owners of the donkey
had refused to give it up? May be we would have no story of the triumphed
entry, at least not in the way Jesus wanted it. No matter how unknown a person
is, he she can still play a crucial role in the unfolding of God's plan. The
Lord needs each one of us as He needed the unnamed owners of the donkey in the
reading. We have not been given the explanation about who were the owners of
the donkey, yet they understood the fact that " the Lord" refers to
Jesus and voluntarily gave up the donkey shows that they could be his secret
disciples or admirers. Otherwise one would have expected them to answer, "
But who is this Lord who needs my donkey?"
Donkey was a very big
thing in those days. The donkey was the equivalent of a car, a truck and a
tractor all in one. It was a car because people used it to move around and to
do their shopping, a truck because it was used to carry load, and a tractor
because it was used in cultivating the land. Add to the fact that the donkey had
never been ridden, that means it was a brand new and in fact had a very high
market value. As we can see giving up the donkey just because the Lord needed
it was a very big sacrifice. It was a generous and heroic act of faith.
Pastorally, compare the
faith response of the owners of the donkey to that of many of the faithful in
our Christian communities and our Churches today,
Once a time it happened
that a visiting preacher was really getting the congregation moving. Near the
end of his sermon he said, " This church has really got to walk," to
which someone in the back yelled, " Let her walk preacher." The
preacher then said, " If the church is going to go it's got to get up and run," to which someone again yelled
with loud voice, " Let her run preacher." Feeling the surge of the
church, the preacher then said with even louder voice, " If this church is
going to go it's got to really fly," and once again with ever greater
gusto, someone yelled, " Let her fly preacher, let her fly." The preacher
then seized the moment and stated with even loud voice, " If this church
is really going to fly it's going to need money." This time there was
total silence. Then someone in the back seat cried, " Let her walk
preacher, let her walk."
Dear brothers and
sisters we are being reminded that each one of us has got a donkey that the Lord needs. Let us have a reflection
on using our donkey for the service of the Lord:
Being in a mood of
recollection sometimes I get the impression that God wants me to give Him
something and sometimes I don't give it because I don't know for sure, and then
I feel bad because I've missed my chance. Other times I know he wants something
but I don't give it because I'm too selfish. And other times, too few times, I
hear him and I obey him and feel honored that a gift of mine would be used to
carry Jesus to another place. And still other times I wonder if my little deeds
today will make a difference in the long haul.
Maybe you have such
questions in your mind too. All of us have a donkey. You and I each have
something in our lives, which if given back to God, could, like the donkey,
move Jesus and his story further down the road. May be you can sing or hug or
program or speak or write a check for the well being of Christ's church. Whichever,
you have and belongs to you, it also belongs to Him. Your gifts are His and the
donkey was His. The original wording of the instructions Jesus gave to his
disciples is proof : " If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, you are to say, ' Its Lord is in
need!" So then what is the name of your donkey? The Lord has need of it.
Dear brothers and
sisters, during this passion Sunday, we have a palm branches or coconut leaves
blessed, brought home and kept in altars and doorways. Soon they are going to
wither. But let those brittle and dried up leaves in our homes reminds us that
our love and loyalty to Christ should not wither and fade just like the
enthusiasm of the pickle-minded people on the first passion Sunday. Also, we
have to be competent in all things that we do. We ought to pray about it and
talk to God about being good and loving.
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