Palm Sunday/C
Massimo Palombella
With today’s celebration the Church leads us into Holy Week, a week called ‘authentic’ in the Ambrosian Liturgy, in the sense of ‘eminent’ among all the weeks of the Liturgical Year.
It is interesting to note that the same people who acclaimed Jesus at his entry into Jerusalem a few days later will cry out to Pilate ‘crucify him!’
Exactly like Peter who was willing to give his life for Jesus and in front of a servant betrays him.
Exactly like each of us when we encounter and are overwhelmed by our own weakness.
So, I am Peter whenever out of fear I lie and betray.
I am Pilate when I avoid trouble and resolutely pursue a kind of life without hassle and responsibility.
I am Judas whenever I consider my sin and weakness to be greater than God.
I identify with the Priests, the Scribes and those who were crucified with Jesus whenever I illude myself that by finding a scapegoat on whom to unload my anger, my problems will be solved, and I will be better off.
But on all these people, just as on each one of us, there is a disarmingly loving and merciful gaze of the Lord.
That gaze that goes beyond all my sin, error, inability, fear, cowardice, and meets me in the truth and reality of my “can-be”, of my true worth.
That gaze that touches and dissolves my unresolved issues and allows me to truly change life, to be a better person, to be who I can and am called to be.
The Offertory antiphon for today’s celebration is taken from Psalm 68 (Ps 68:21, 22) with the following text:
Improperium expectavit cor meum et miseriam;
et sustinui qui simul mecum contristaretur et non fuit;
consolantem me quæsivi et non inveni.
Et dederunt in escam meam fel, et in siti mea potaverunt me aceto.
(My heart awaited reproach and misery;
and I hoped for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none;
I looked for one who would comfort me, and found no one.
For food they gave me gall; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink).
The attached music is by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), and comes from the book of “Offertoria totius anni” published in Venice in 1594 (GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA, Offertoria totius anni [Venetiis, apud Angelum Gardanum 1594]). The live performance is by the Cappella Musicale del Duomo di Milano at the concert held in Milan in the Church of San Gottardo in Corte on 3 April 2025.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
