Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – A
March 29, 2026 5pm
Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton
The Passion According to Matthew
We just heard the account of Jesus’ Passion according to Matthew. I want to comment briefly on two details in this passage.
God’s Forgiveness/Love
First, Matthew is the only gospel writer who informs us about Judas taking his own life.
Why does he mention this? Judas comes to realize that he has betrayed a good and holy man and he feels remorseful.
But tragically, he does not realize that Jesus is so good that he still loves him and will forgive him. Judas is unable to see this.
So, by recalling this, Matthew wants us to be clear that nothing we do is too bad to be forgiven by God. God’s love is full and complete.
So, maybe there is something we have never told anyone and won’t even mention in confession. It can be something that we just feel ashamed of.
Whatever it is, the lesson here is that there is nothing about us that is beyond God’s forgiveness. It’s important for us to remember this for our own sake.
It’s important for us to share this with anyone who feels so sinful or guilty that they think they cannot be forgiven. And it’s important for us as a Church to see our ministry not as judging and condemning, but as healing and restoring to wholeness.
God’s Presence/Closeness
The other detail I want to highlight is the tearing of the curtain in the temple.
Today’s passage says that at the moment Jesus dies, “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.” This veil or curtain separated what was called the Holies of Holies – the inner area of the temple where God is seen as present – it separated this from the rest of the temple.
In that way, the veil separated God and us. The tearing of this curtain from top to bottom signifies that this is God’s action, the divine action or initiative.
It means that this separation from God no longer exists. Jesus’ death and eventual resurrection reconciles and makes humanity close with God.
The result is that we can now approach God as the One who is as close to us as we are to ourselves. In our prayer, we can speak to God in our own words and bring our true self to God.
We no longer need to feel alienated and distant from God. Instead, we can feel loved by God and at peace with God – all of this flowing from the tearing of the veil in the temple.
May we now live with this assurance and comfort. God’s presence and closeness, along with God’s love and forgiveness no matter what, are important takeaway messages in today’s account of the Passion of Jesus.
