Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Year B. By Tobe Eze

1.       Move in this world as the eagle moves in the air when the wind blow against it. Enjoy it for it must rest and it is just matter of time. Tobe Eze.

2.       Even if there is no reason for you to be happy, be happy for it is necessary. Tobe Eze.

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Year B.

 At the Procession with Palms

GOSPEL
Mark 11:1—10

At the Mass

FIRST READING
Isaiah 50:4—7

SECOND READING
Philippians 2:6—11

GOSPEL
Longer Form Mark 14:1—15:47

THEME: PEOPLE CAN BE DISTRACTIONS TO YOU IN LIFE.

One of the problems we always have in life is when those who suppose to tell us the truth deceive us in giving us vain glories. When those who supposed to tell our politicians and our rulers both secular and religious the truth about their government turn to praise them in their evils. When we criticize them at the back and praise them in their faces, things will turn to be worse than before. Some praise us in order to get something from us, some praise us in order to land us into troubles, some praise us to make mockery of us, some praise us in our evil deeds, some praise us in order to encourage us, some praise us because we have done well and many other reasons people praise us. Jesus putting into consideration all these things in the Gospel did not dance to the turn of those who were praising him rather he wept for them and went on to go into Jerusalem to save them because he knew them, their problems and what they will turn to be. Continue Reading.............................

In the first reading, Isaiah in his prophecy about Jesus who also like in the gospel did not allow the praises and shouting of the people distract him did not also allow people’s maltreatment to distract him on the way to salvation. He rather gave them his parts that they needed instead of distracting him. Giving them what they want does not mean, giving in to sin rather, when one is not in the right path, what one wants that time is to leave there and go back to take the right path. When the world mock you because the good you do, give them the evil they want from you and take your good deeds and go. To achieve this, it demands humility, and this leads us to the second reading.

Jesus in his humility accepted death because of humanity. He accepted the most shameful death in the tradition of the Jews, in his humility just to save us. Peter and some other apostles would have stopped him from dying but he did not allow them to be obstacle to his mission, rather he told Peter that he should allow him take up his cup (John 18:11). We are advised not to allow anyone to block or be obstacle to our good ways of life both those we love and our enemies. Mostly our temptations come through people we love and those very close and dear to us. Devil does not tempt us with what we do not have or what we cannot do, rather things around us.

In the long passion we are meant to see what our lord passed through just for our salvation not his own salvation for he is God already but for ours. We can see from it, how he passed through many things before the final end. Even when he had opportunity to reject it, he continued just because of us and because for that he was born. Nothing stopped our Lord from reaching the end of his mission, ours should not be a different case.

Sometimes in life we are faced with many good and bad things and they ware us down in our faith in God our creator. We start losing control of ourselves and loosing the direction we have in life. Some are through their talents, some wealth, some their beauty or handsomeness, some sufferings and many other things. Some relations, some parents, some children, some wives and husbands, some business, some sickness and lots of them. We are encouraged today to know that Jesus himself experienced the same thing. As St. Peter said, “the community of our brothers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering” (1Peter 5:9). It is for us to look well before we leap. Many persons started well with good intentions but along the line through one or two of these obstacles will make the people to loose track especially those that praise us. When we are being praised, we have to watch it to know if it is for good and also not allow it to ware us down. Those who hailed Jesus today will soon on Good Friday shout crucify him crucify him. Those who praise us today may turn to another thing tomorrow. Let us watch it to know that people can be obstacles to us in this life both intentionally and unintentionally. THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY.