Palm Sunday Homily 2010

I’m not exactly sure what I can say in terms of a Homily that can in any way add to the Gospel we just shared. It’s a story that in many ways speaks for itself. It is very similar to a story that I read earlier this week.

The story is about two brothers who live together in a small apartment. The older was a hard working, God fearing man, who lived his faith to the fullest, and prided himself on his hard work, and strong ethics. The younger was very different. He was unemployed, and spent the majority of his money on cocaine and alcohol. He kept late hours, and rarely spent any time at home. When he was caught cheating on his girlfriend, for the third time, the older brother once again warned his younger brother that he had to stop. That someday his careless behavior would catch up with him. One night the younger brother came home very early in the morning from the night before. His shirt was covered in blood, and he held in his hand a smoking gun. His elder brother asked what had happened, and the young man proceeded to start to cry. He was scared, as an incident at last call at a bar had led to a dispute in the streets, and in his drunken high, he shot the other man involved. The young man acknowledged his awful mistake, and was scared for himself. Soon the police were at the door, and the older brother told the younger to remove his clothes. They switched outfits, and the older brother took the gun. When the police came in they arrested the older brother. He was subsequently tried for the murder he did not commit, and was given the death penalty.

The remaining brother subsequently changed his ways, which certainly comes as no surprise. Wouldn’t we be horrified if we knew that this man’s brother had given his own life to save the brother he loved so deeply, and then he hadn’t learned anything from this experience.

Today, my dear friends, we heard the story of how our Brother gave his life for us. Isn’t it then logical for us to do the same as the young man from that story. Isn’t it all together appropriate that we live out our lives in recognition of the sacrifice that was made for us on that Cross. Our brother has been executed for a crime he did not commit, so that we could be free. The question that remains for us, is how do we live that freedom?

While hanging on the cross for our salvation Jesus faces much harassment and torture. The last of which, comes from the two thieves crucified on either side of him. One picks on Him, the other asks that the Lord remember Him when He comes into His kingdom. In his dying moment, the “good thief” realizes the sacrifice that his brother is making. Jesus, in turn assures the man of his place in paradise. Let’s not wait until that last moment. Let’s live our lives as a testimony to the gratitude in our hearts that we hold for what our brother has done for us. We have been given a second chance, we have had our slate wiped clean.

The crowds that day chose to rather have a hardened criminal, Barabbas set free. They chose to risk their very lives, by letting a murderer run free in their community while Jesus takes the punishment of the cross. Each and everyday we are posed with the same question. Who do we want, Jesus or Barabbas? Who do we live for? Who do we choose? The only snag is that in choosing Jesus, we choose the cross, as the two are inseparable. Jesus went to his Cross-without argument, without hesitation, and his final words were those of forgiveness. The question we ask ourselves is, how will we behave when we are hanging from ours.


God Bless You…