Sunday, March 29, 2015

Homily: Palm Sunday 2015- Giving God our best



On this Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion we begin Holy Week. It is called Holy Week because of Jesus Christ who through suffering and the shedding of blood brought salvation to sinful man. He made it Holy by what he offered to God...everything.

This Week, in the Year of Our Lord 2015, is called Holy because of what the Lord wishes to do in us. He wants to make us Holy, by teaching us to offer ourselves to God, like Him. This could be the holiest week of your life.

Through the events of this week, through our continued prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we are to offer God the best we have. You might consider attending daily Mass this week. You should seriously consider at least attending services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, or the Easter Vigil. This week is meant to be different for us Christians than any other week of the year. Perhaps keep the television turned off this week, perhaps only eat bread and water for lunch this week. Perhaps find a charity that you've never supported before. Perhaps read the Passion story from each of the four Gospels this week. This week, this year, you are called by God to be more generous with Him than ever before.

St. Mark's Passion story began with an incident taking place in the house of Martha and Mary and Lazarus. Mary of Bethany took a jar worth 300 hundred days wages and anointed Jesus' head and feet to show her love of him. 300 hundred days wages; that jar of oil would be worth about 30,000 dollars today. She lavished Jesus with the best she had.

There were some who became indignant. “What a waste,” they said. What a waste? Giving the best we have to Jesus is never a waste. Do you believe that? Do you want have in your heart that same burning love for Jesus as Mary of Bethany had? Willing to be ridiculed by your peers out of love for Him?

People say today, “God's not worth your best.” Why spend on Him, what you can spend on yourself. Why waste your time going to Church?

Jesus responded to those indignant with Mary: “Leave her alone. What she has done is beautiful, it is good. What this woman has done will always be remembered.” 2000 years later we continue to tell her story, and in the heart of God, her act of love for Jesus will truly be remembered forever.

The good we do for the Lord, whether it's done in secret or in public, charity for the poor, prayers of adoration, attendance at Mass, words of encouragement to the brokenhearted, these things will be remembered by God forever. We forgive those who hurt us, even offer a gentle rebuke to those who have fallen into sin or error, because these actions are truly good and beautiful.

What we do this week will be remembered forever. You will never regret giving God more, this week. Praying more, fasting more, sacrificing more. This could be the most powerful life changing week of your life—the week when you fell deeply in love with Jesus, when you encountered the depth of his love in all that he suffered for you.


He gave all, he sacrificed all, he gave the best he had, for us. May we do the same for Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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