St. Barnabas Homily. PALM SUNDAY 04/14/2019 (Luke 19: 28–40) Yr C

 St. Barnabas Homily. PALM SUNDAY 04/14/2019 (Luke 19: 28–40) Yr C

THIS SUNDAY,,, WE CELEBRATE JESUS’ ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM,,, RIDING HUMBLY,,, ON A DONKEY. TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE “NEW EXODUS” – LIKE A WARRIOR,,, PREPARING TO CONQUER DEATH,,, JESUS ENTERS THE CITY,,, WHERE HE WILL BE MOCKED,,, TORTURED,,, STRIPPED AND CRUCIFIED,,, AND,,, WHERE HE WILL LEAD US,,, TO CONQUER DEATH AS WELL! SEE THE TRUE HUMILITY OF JESUS CHRIST,,, THE SON OF GOD,,, ALSO THE SON OF KING DAVID,,, WHO FOR THE LOVE OF US,,, CAME TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US! HE IS THE ONE WHO WILL ESTABLISH THE “KINGDOM OF GOD”,,, AND PUT AND END,,, ONCE AND FOR ALL,,, TO SIN AND DEATH. BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, WE WOULD DO WELL… TO WITNESS THE REACTION OF THE CROWDS,,, BOTH THE CROWD THAT TRAVELS WITH JESUS,,, UP TO THE CITY GATES AND,,, ALSO THE CITIZENS OF JERUSALEM,,, WHO WERE TROUBLED BY WHAT THIS SOLEMN ENTRANCE MEANS FOR THEM.  TODAY,,, WE’RE NOT SIMPLY REENACTING A HISTORICAL EVENT,,, THAT HAPPENED LONG AGO,,, INSTEAD,,, WE WELCOME JESUS CHRIST,,, HERE AND NOW!   AFTER ALL,,, HE IS MORE ALIVE THAN ANY OF US. SO,,, WHAT DO THOSE CROWDS TELL US TODAY?   1ST)  THERE WAS A CROWD THAT TRAVELED WITH JESUS,,, TO THE GATES OF JERUSALEM.  THEY SING “HOSANNA” WHICH MEANS “SAVE US NOW”,,, AND THEY LINE THE ROAD BEFORE JESUS,,, WITH CLOTHES AND PALMS,,, O N THE GROUND,,, LIKE THE ONES,,, THAT YOU ARE RECEIVING TODAY. SO,,, WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN TO US,,, IF WE DON’T WELCOME JESUS WITH OPEN HEARTS,,, FULL OF FAITH,,, AND LOVE?    BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, WE NEED A SAVIOR!  AND WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES:   DO WE REALLY WELCOME THE SAVIOR?  AND ARE WE WILLING TO THROW,,, ONTO THE GROUND BEFORE HIM,,, THE PRIDE,,, THE RESENTMENT,,, THE GREED,,, AND THE LUST,,, THAT WE HOLD SO CLOSELY WITHIN OURSELVES?   2ND) THE CITIZENS WITHIN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM,,, REACTED,,, AS MATTHEW TELLS US “WHEN JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM,,, THE WHOLE CITY WAS “SHAKEN” AND ASKED: “WHO IS THIS?”  ST MATTHEW USED THE SAME GREEK WORD TO DESCRIBE THE EARTHQUAKE FOLLOWING THE RESURRECTION – THE WHOLE PEOPLE WERE “SHAKEN”,,, AS FROM AN EARTHQUAKE.    IN HIS HUMILITY,,, IN HIS GOING TO THE CROSS,,, GOD SHAKES US TO OUR VERY FOUNDATIONS.  LET US NOT BE AFRAID OR ASHAMED—GOD SHAKES US,,, IN ORDER TO FREE US FROM SIN,,, THAT ENSLAVES US.    THIS IS TRUE HUMILITY – NOT TO BELITTLE OURSELVES OR,,, TO THINK OF HOW BAD WE ARE,,, BUT TO ACCEPT WHO WE ARE,,, BEFORE ALMIGHTY GOD. BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, LET’S WELCOME JESUS INTO OUR HEARTS,,, BY OUR FAITH,,, AND LET’S ENTER INTO THIS HOLY WEEK,,, WITH TRUE HIMILITY AND TRUST,,, AND LET US ENTER,,, INTO THE NEW JERUSALEM,,, WITH CHRIST OUR KING!       IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT AMEN              +++