Monday, April 14, 2014

Passion Sunday, Cycle A - April 13, 2014

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Passion (Palm) Sunday
Cycle A
April 13, 2014           10:30am and 12:30pm
St. Margaret Parish, Bel Air


Passion According to Matthew


As you know, there are four gospels.

Each gospel writer – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – each of them tells the story of the Passion, Jesus’ suffering and death.  This morning I want to comment on just two features in the Passion according to Matthew that we just heard.  

God’s Love

First, Matthew is the only one of the four gospel writers who tells of the suicide of Judas.

Why does he mention this?  Judas has sold out Jesus for some money.

More important, Judas comes to realize that his betrayal of Jesus is wrong.  He realizes that he has betrayed a good and holy man.

But tragically, Judas does not realize that Jesus is so good that he will even forgive and accept back him.  Judas fails to see or trust this.

So implicitly, by recalling this, Matthew wants us to be clear that nothing we do is too bad to be forgiven by God.  God’s love for us is unconditional and there is nothing about us as persons or about our behavior that is beyond God’s love and forgiveness.

One conclusion I make is that we as a Church must live out this love of God in our ministry.  Anyone and everyone needs to be welcome here.

You or others are welcome here at Mass.  You or others are welcome to a renewing experience in the Sacrament of Reconciliation if that is appropriate. 

It must be that way if we as a Church are to be like Jesus.  If this would assist someone you know who is not here today, please tell them about God’s unconditional love and how they can find that right here.
 
God in Everyone

The second point I want to note is the tearing of the curtain in the temple.

The passage says that at the moment Jesus dies, “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.”  What does this mean?

This curtain separates what is called the Holies of Holies – the area of the temple where God is seen as dwelling – it separates this from the rest of the temple.  So the tearing of the curtain is a sign that this separation of God from us no longer exists.

It means that with Jesus’ death and eventual resurrection God is with and within each of us.  And so, we are to see God in ourselves and in others, whether they are Christian or not, whether they are believers or not. 

Pope Francis gave us a good example last fall when he gave an interview to a journalist who is a non-believer and showed such complete respect for him.  So we come here to church, the building that proclaims the presence of God and gives us the Eucharistic presence of Jesus.


Our doing this is to awaken us to God’s presence in everyone.  This is the underlying, positive message in the tearing of the curtain in the temple as Jesus dies on the cross.