What's Happening at St. C's This Week?

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday. For me it is a difficult liturgy to celebrate because of the wide range of emotions that accompany this day. We start with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In many parishes, especially in small towns, there is a procession of palms that rivals most July 4^th parades. The atmosphere is that of a festival, at least until we get to the Gospel reading. This Sunday is also called Passion Sunday for this reason: it is the day that begins the week we focus most on Christ’s suffering (the literal meaning of passion). 
 
Passion has taken on something of a fuzzy meaning in the last century. For most, it connotes a steamy afternoon soap opera and all its attendant drama. It is important, though, to remember the full context for this passion. The root meaning of this word is suffering. It is the same word from which we get our word patience or patient (meaning suffering or the one who suffers). We do this because we don’t want to fall into the trap of one of the earliest heresies that beset the church: Docetism.
This heresy, like all heresies, began as an attempt to refine piety. It stated that Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, could not and would not suffer. Instead, it only appeared to our human eyes that he suffered and died so horribly, and then somehow by magic our eyes were opened and we were able to see the “resurrected” Jesus (although it never explains exactly what Jesus was resurrected from!).
No, by celebrating Palm Sunday, we remind ourselves that Jesus’ suffering is as real as it gets, and moreover, it is our responsibility because of our own sin. Even today, eminent preachers and teachers advocate getting through this week by focusing ahead to Easter Sunday. This year, however, my challenge to you is to sit with the Suffering Christ. Thus we are more able to see him how he comes to us every day in this world.