Homily - 5 April 2009

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (B)
At the Procession with Palms

At every celebration of the Holy Mass we take up the cry of the people today, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9)! What does this word, Hosanna, mean?

Originally, it was a specific cry addressed to God: “Save us” (cf. Psalm 118:25-26)! With the passage of time it took on another meaning that superseded the original one. It came to be used as a liturgical shout of praise, much more so than a plea for deliverance.

The second phrase, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” was a common phrase that in Jesus of Nazareth takes on a greater importance, for it is a recognition of who he truly is: God made man.

The crowds outside of Jerusalem welcome Jesus with great joy and gladness, seeing in his entrance into the Holy City upon a colt the fulfillment of the prophecies of old (cf. Zechariah 9:9; I Kings 1:32-34; Genesis 49:10-11). He has indeed come to fulfill these prophecies, but not in ways expected.

Today, let us welcome the Savior with great joy! Let us, too, cry out to him, “Hosanna! Save us!” The crowds welcomed him in this way, but they seem to have abandoned him once he arrived at the Temple. Let us not abandon the Lord, but let us remain close to him during these holiest of days. Amen.