Palm Sunday 2024
Fr. Ben Riley
On April 12th, the scouting troop here at the parish, called Trail Life, is going on a backpacking trip. They are going to the Buffalo River to see the famous Hemmed-in-Hollow waterfall, a 260-foot-high waterfall that, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful and spectacular natural wonders in the whole State. It is awe-inspiring to see this cascade of water falling from such a height that, over thousands and thousands of years, has slowly eroded the surrounding stone. Seeing something like that, seeing a natural wonder of creation such as the Grand Canyon, a waterfall, a beautiful sunset, the Rocky Mountains, or a national park brings into sharp focus the wonder of God, His creative power, and His eternal nature. I am so excited for our Trail Life troop to witness the magnificence of Hemmed-in-Hollow on the Buffalo River. I said that this trip is a backpacking trip; it’s not a day hike, and it’s not like we can drive up to Hemmed-in-Hollow. To get there you must walk, and you must walk for miles. After the boys see the wonder of this waterfall, they go to camp nearby at a place called Horseshoe Bend. That means the boys are going to have to carry everything with them on the journey to Hemmed-in-Hollow. All their food, all their gear, their tents, and sleeping bags, it’s all going to be on their backs, and those packs are going to be heavy. Not too heavy, but still, if the boys want to see the beauty of Hemmed-in-Hollow, first they are going to have to carry the burden of their backpacks and walk a few miles.
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. We celebrate our Lord’s glorious entrance into Jerusalem; the king, entering the capital city. Jesus had just performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, and many people are starting to believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God. But, of course, we know that this glorious entrance into Jerusalem is the beginning of the end. While many people believe that Jesus is the Messiah, many others think he is a blasphemer, and is guilty of death. The Romans think He has come to unite the Jews to overthrow their empire. After all, He is called a king. So, imagine how confused the Romans must have been when they see this man, this king of the Jews, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Kings don’t ride donkeys; they ride war horses and chariots. But not Jesus, because although He is a king, we hear from our second reading that, “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
He humbled himself. Today marks the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred and powerful celebration of the year. This week we will journey with Jesus as he approaches Calvary. On Holy Thursday we will dine with Jesus at the Last Supper. On Good Friday, we will accompany him to the Garden of Gethsemane where he is arrested. We will listen as he is falsely accused and ultimately sentenced to death, journeying with Him on the road to Calvary to the rock of Golgotha, the place of the Skull, where He is crucified, taking onto himself the sins of all the world. And then something happens that shakes the fabric of the universe. A light will shine in the darkness. He who was slain for the salvation of the world, will rise from the dead. This week, this holy week, is the culmination, the climax, of our entire liturgical year.
Those boys who, in April, are hiking to Hemmed-in-Hollow, will see something truly magnificent, however in order to get there, they will have to journey for many miles with the burden of a heavy backpack. My brothers and sisters, if I may, the glory of Easter Sunday is a magnificent sight to behold, but without the journey through Holy Week, without accompanying our Lord at the Last Supper on Thursday and at his crucifixion on Friday, the full significance of what He accomplished for us on the cross, it loses part of its meaning. Only celebrating Easter, is like eating your dessert before dinner. It’s like taking a shortcut on the trail. Sure, you arrive at the destination quicker, but you miss something: what you may have seen and learned along the way.
One of my favorite quotes is from a mountaineer named Ryal Robins. In his autobiography titled To be Brave, he says, “It’s not about the summit, it’s about the pursuit of the summit. Not the victory, but the game itself.”
Please, come to the Triduum liturgies. Bring your children to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Yes, they are a little longer than an ordinary Mass, but we only have this opportunity once a year. If you will make an effort, make the sacrifice, humble yourself like the Lord on his journey into Jerusalem, the grace God will give you through these three liturgies, it will be so profound. It’s a grace that we so desperately need right now.
Those Trail Life scouts, they are not going to take any shortcuts to see the beauty of Hemmed-in-Hollow, and neither should we take a shortcut to the glory of our Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. We have been preparing for this Holy Week for 40 long and arduous days during Lent, and now, let’s finish the race strong by not skipping over these most solemn and sacred liturgies. Now, if you can’t be there at 5:30 on Wednesday and Thursday or at 8 o’clock on Saturday night, I understand. I’m not trying to say that you are a bad person or disappointing Jesus if you can’t make it. But if you are available, even if you weren’t originally planning on attending, I really encourage you to make an effort and come to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil services. I look forward to seeing you there, and may God bless you.