PALM SUNDAY and OUR JOURNEY THROUGH HOLY WEEK

PALM SUNDAY and OUR JOURNEY THROUGH HOLY WEEK   (For my sermon on Palm Sunday, I introduced different characters we will encounter during Holy Week through a skit I did with my teenagers of the Sunday School.) Jesus – Wow! Look at this crowd in church today. It reminds me of the crowd that welcomed me in Jerusalem 2000 years ago! I remember those crowds so well – waving palm branches, yelling out “Hosanna to God!” They welcomed me as a conquering king entering Jerusalem. But those crowds didn’t last. As the following week enfolded, the crowds began to disappear. By the end of the week, they weren’t yelling in exaltation, but were railing against me, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” Fr. Luke – This upcoming week in Church is called Holy Week – the week of your passion – and we re-live some of the events that happened during that critical last week of your life. Jesus Yes, it was my passion week. A week which is the holiest week of the year because of all that I suffered for the world. I was the perfect sacrificial lamb which took the sins of the world upon myself. Of course, it didn’t end with my suffering and death, but with my victory over death itself! Every year I invite all my followers in this church and throughout the world to journey with me during this Holy Week. Of course, I don’t want you to simply remember these past events, but I want you to participate in them with Me through the beautiful services of the Church. Fr. Luke: – We have so many beautiful and inspiring services during this blessed week. In fact, EVERY NIGHT we have a special service which not only remembers what happens, but which also helps us understand what YOU DID for the world, and what WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR YOU. For example, tonight, and during the first three evenings services on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, we have what we call the Bridegroom Service. This is when we meditate on you, Jesus, our Bridegroom. Each night has a special focus on VIGILANCE and STAYING AWAKE in our lives so that we may be prepared to receive you. My favorite of these three nights is on Holy Tuesday, when special focus is given to a broken and immoral woman who discovers healing and grace when she meets Jesus! The Woman of Kassiane’s Hymn – My name isn’t known in the Bible, but I can tell you about myself. I did not live a very good life. I was lost from my youth and really became confused in my life. So many people hated me, rejected me, and cast me out of society, especially those religious leaders. But then one day, I met Jesus. He was so different from all the other religious leaders. He welcomed the children. He respected women. He didn’t judge me or condemn me for my past sins like everyone else did, but saw goodness and beauty in me. Imagine that. He saw something good in me. And He even told me he loved me. He showed me a path of healing, forgiving my sins and giving me a new life. He changed me forever! I can never forget him. I was so touched by him that I went out and bought very expensive myrrh and anointed his feet and wiped them with my tears (act this out – have some oil). Jesus saw something good within my soul and called me back to my original beauty. I will never forget him! Jesus – Every person is created in the image of God. Everyone is my child. I came for those who are lost and for those who are searching for something else in life, for meaning and purpose. I don’t care about past mistakes or how broken, lost, sick or alone anyone is. I came for everyone. Maybe there are even some in the church today who are looking for healing and forgiveness. I’ve come for you! Unfortunately, too many people misunderstand or distort my message. One has to have a humble and contrite heart to truly understand. Fr Luke – Well, we experience this idea of healing in a special way on Holy Wednesday. We remember the power of God to heal all of us – not our physical illnesses but even our spiritual brokenness and illnesses. We have the Sacrament or Mystery of Holy Unction, where we take Holy Oil blessed by God, and anoint everyone in the church for the healing of their bodies and souls. From healing, we then enter into the heart of your Passion on Holy Thursday, when something both beautiful and something terrible happens. Jesus – Well, it all began with me and my disciples celebrating the Passover meal. It would be our last meal together. As Jesus talks about celebrating the Passover Meal, John and Peter both step forward together. John – Hi, my name is John, and I’m often called the beloved disciple of Jesus. I can tell you what I remember from that Passover meal. As we were eating the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and said that this bread was His body. He took wine, which he said was his blood, and said that all future generations would participate in this mystical supper. Do you realize that what you do in Church every Sunday in the Divine Liturgy began on this holy Thursday! Jesus also did something else none of us would ever forget. He began washing our feet. Jesus acted like our servant, actually washing each of our feet. We couldn’t believe it! He wanted to teach us the lesson that all his followers are supposed to imitate Him and wash one another’s feet. Peter - I’m Peter and I tried to stop him from washing my feet but he wouldn’t let him stop him. And then he said, “You call me your Master, and your are right. But if I, your Master and Teacher wash your feet, then you should always go out and wash the feet of others.” He taught us never to think we were above anyone. But then, in the middle of this memorable meal, Jesus shocked us in the most horrible way. He said that one of us, his closest friends, would betray him! How could we betray him? I said, “Lord, I will never betray you. I’m ready to die for you!” Yet the Lord then said something that I couldn’t believe. “Peter,” he said, “before this night is over, you will deny knowing who I am – THREE TIMES!” I couldn’t believe my ears. Never! I said, “Never, would I deny you. I’m ready to die for you!” But Jesus knew me better than I knew myself. Actually, we all abandoned Jesus. I did deny knowing who he was – THREE TIMES! We all ran away from Him, as the soldiers arrested him.   After Peter finishes talking about denying Christ three times, the Guard steps up. Soldier – Yes, I remember when we arrested Jesus, and how all his followers ran away from fear. The soldiers beat up Jesus bad that night. They ridiculed him. They treated him terribly, and then they took him to the chief priests. After the priests condemned him, they sent him to the Roman governor Pontus Pilate. Pilate only treated him worse. His soldiers whipped him 39 times. They placed a crown of thorns on him. They spit in his face, and beat his head, and disgraced him. I remember seeing this all, and wondering how peaceful Jesus remained. He didn’t cry out for mercy. He didn’t curse his attackers. He did despair, but always seemed in control, even as he was being beaten. He didn’t appear defeated, like so many criminals we scourged. He was so different. Then I took him with my squad of soldiers to crucify him. We made him carry his cross through the streets of Jerusalem. The crowds gathered – some jeering and yelling at him, some crying for him. We crucified him with two other criminals just outside the walls of Jerusalem. Even on the cross, when his life was being taken away, I remember how he still stayed in control. He even comforted one of the thieves who was dying. He said something about this thief entering paradise. He looked out at his accusers and killers, and said, “Father, forgive them for them don’t know what they’re doing.” He seemed to love everyone around, even in his last moments of life. He showed such sacrificial love. By the end, I myself was convinced that he was the son of God! Fr Luke – We experience the passion of Christ in such a powerful way during our Holy Thursday service, when we read through 12 Gospel readings, every account of the passion offered in the Gospels. Then we continue into Holy and Good Friday, when we actually take Jesus off of the Cross, place him in the tomb, and then have a funeral service for Christ – singing lamentations as we reflect on the fact that Jesus willingly died for each one of us, and for the entire world. But of course, that wasn’t the end of the story.     Joseph of Aramethia - Hi, my name is Joseph of Aramethia. Even though there were many religious leaders who hated Him, misunderstood Him, and wanted him crucified, still some of us believed in Him. I loved him and believed in his teachings. He taught like no one I’ve ever heard. I didn’t understand everything he said, but it was clear that he was from God. My friend, Nicodemos, who is a Pharisee talked to Jesus one night about how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus said he must be “born again, or born anew from on high.” Nicodemos didn’t understand. How could an old man be born again in the womb of his mother. But Jesus explained this Mystery of being born of water and spirit. Nicodemos became his follower, as did I, even though many of my fellow leaders were against Him. We were so sad to see him crucified. We couldn’t believe that he was dead. Nicodemos and I went to Pilate to ask for his body so we could bury him. I had a new cave that was a place for burial. No one else had ever been buried inside it. When Jesus died, I went to Pilate and asked for his body At first he didn’t want to give the body to me, but in the end he did. We placed the dead body in a new tomb. Some tried to say that Jesus wasn’t dead, but we carried His lifeless body, and placed it in the cave. He was surely dead. The Romans even placed a guard of soldiers around his tomb to make sure no one touched it. Fr Luke – Holy and Good Friday is the holiest day of the year. We’re all called to interrupt our busy and hectic lives and to stop everything. On this day we should spend the day in meditation, reflecting upon what extreme measures Jesus went to show His love for the world. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God didn’t come into the world to condemn it, but that through Him we might be saved.” Mary Magdalene – But wait! The story doesn’t end there! I am Mary Magdalene , a woman whom Jesus cast out seven demons. He saved my life. I was with the other myrrh bearing women who went to anoint the dead body of Jesus according to our Jewish custom. Instead of finding a dead body, though, we saw an angel who told us – “Why do you seek the living among the dead. He is not here. He is Risen!” We were all shocked! Then later that day, the Risen Jesus appeared to me before anyone else. Imagine, the Risen Lord first came to me, a woman, a sinful woman who had been possessed by seven demons. He came to me and told me to be an apostle to the other disciples – to tell them the good news. That Christ is Risen! Jesus – So, Fr. Luke, I want to invite everyone here in the church to join with me through this upcoming week, the holiest week of the year! There is so much that happens – from the cross (point to the icon of the cross) all the way to the resurrection (point to the icon). So many of the crowd that were there on that first Palm Sunday abandoned me later in the week but I hope you won’t be one of them. Will you be with those who walk with me through the entire week? Only if you walk with me in my passion can you truly experience my resurrection. Fr Luke - Who will journey with our Lord through Holy Week? I hope all of you will come every night and experience Holy Week like never before!!!