Palm Sunday Year B - 29/3/2015 - Gospel: Mc 15:1-39
Hosanna
The celebration of the feast of the 'Unleavened bread' is the commemoration of the Israelites who left Egypt in hast and they had no time to even allow the bread to rise. They ate the bread of affliction. (Ex.12).
On this feast there were several significant events happened to Jesus before His crucifixion. These extraordinary events signified that His violent death was imminent. The first event was the anointing at Bethany and it happened in the house of Simon the Leper. Mary had invited herself to the party and anointed Jesus with an expensive jar of ointment. Some of the guests were angry and criticised her for wasting the costly oil. They said to her that the money used to buy the ointment could be better donated to the poor. Jesus himself intervened and came to her defence. 'Leave her alone' He said. You have the poor with you all the time. 'She has done a good work' Jesus said because 'she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial'.
The second significant event was one of his apostles who used a kiss as a sign of disloyalty to betray Jesus. This man put poverty before discipleship and sold his master in exchanged for money. The other significant event was the Last Supper Jesus had with his apostles. It looked as if Jesus had already pre-arranged everything in detail before the event took place. He sent his disciples to fetch a colt and an upper room for the celebration and things happened as planned. The most important of all these events was the Institution of what we now know call the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The religious authority's nervousness was on the rise because Jesus gave life back to His friend Lazarus. Many people came to believe in Jesus and His reputation spread wide and far. This allowed the Jewish leaders had no other choice rather than to put Him to death. Giving life to his friend is a death sentence to himself.
Because of the feast day and people from all over the place gathered in thousands to celebrate. We can see the tension the Jewish leaders heard from the crowds, praising Jesus as their Messiah who came from the line of David. In Mark's Gospel 11,9 "Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord". It was clearer in Matthew's Gospel 21,9. "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Let us join them in praising God.
On this feast there were several significant events happened to Jesus before His crucifixion. These extraordinary events signified that His violent death was imminent. The first event was the anointing at Bethany and it happened in the house of Simon the Leper. Mary had invited herself to the party and anointed Jesus with an expensive jar of ointment. Some of the guests were angry and criticised her for wasting the costly oil. They said to her that the money used to buy the ointment could be better donated to the poor. Jesus himself intervened and came to her defence. 'Leave her alone' He said. You have the poor with you all the time. 'She has done a good work' Jesus said because 'she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial'.
The second significant event was one of his apostles who used a kiss as a sign of disloyalty to betray Jesus. This man put poverty before discipleship and sold his master in exchanged for money. The other significant event was the Last Supper Jesus had with his apostles. It looked as if Jesus had already pre-arranged everything in detail before the event took place. He sent his disciples to fetch a colt and an upper room for the celebration and things happened as planned. The most important of all these events was the Institution of what we now know call the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper.
The religious authority's nervousness was on the rise because Jesus gave life back to His friend Lazarus. Many people came to believe in Jesus and His reputation spread wide and far. This allowed the Jewish leaders had no other choice rather than to put Him to death. Giving life to his friend is a death sentence to himself.
Because of the feast day and people from all over the place gathered in thousands to celebrate. We can see the tension the Jewish leaders heard from the crowds, praising Jesus as their Messiah who came from the line of David. In Mark's Gospel 11,9 "Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord". It was clearer in Matthew's Gospel 21,9. "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Let us join them in praising God.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia