Pilate questioned him,  "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Mark 15: 2

Looking Deeper

There are many scenes and images that capture one’s attention in today’s Gospel.  The one most powerful image for me is when they bring Jesus before Pilate. Picture the scene- Pilate is a roman governor, a man of power, a man of great stature, one who knows how to project influence/command.
 
He is probably seated on an elevated seat (kind of a throne), then probably there are roman soldiers (in full regalia) standing still in guard at his left and right. The Area or court is probably one of high ceilings and well aerated and on the impressive columns are lamps of fire. Everything around is meant to impress upon you power and dominance.
 
And who is brought and standing before him – he who is called the ‘King’ of the Jews. He asks, are ‘you’ the King of the Jews? (You??)  Jesus is beat up, frail, bruised with a crown of thorns, hands tied in the back, blood in his face, clothes torn and he stinks. What king is this?
(the Gospel says to us that Pilate is amazed!)
 
We know now that, the scene is totally the reverse. If Pilate only knew who was truly in front of him?? He is the son of God, God himself, the savior of the world! What Pilate needed to do is to ‘look deeper’ beyond the exterior. 
 
There is a message for us today in the readings, a point/ a person, but we can only discover this by ‘looking deeper’, we must look deeper to find God’s Presence.
 
In the first reading, we listen to a person who is on a mission. He is a servant who will suffer greatly. He has a well trained tongue but to speak to the weary. He will speak against injustice and will suffer for it. He will be beaten and spat upon. Yet he will persevere.  What makes him accomplish his mission despite all he goes through is that he knows that God has the last word. In other words, he has ‘looked deeper’ beyond all to find and bring hope to others.
 
What perseverance (looking deeper) has been your rescuer in various situations? Do you need more of this now? How can you help others nurture this virtue?
 
The image of Jesus that we see in the gospel is at best repugnant to us. Who of us would recommend such a failed Jesus to others to follow? A messiah/Savior who is ridiculed by enemies, betrayed, denied, mocked, spat on and cannot do a thing! The best line is – ‘He saved others, but he cannot save himself’. Yet if one looked deeper behind this poor image is God and God’s presence.
 
The one who heals that man whose ear is cut off (who can do that?) Peter denies him three times and then the cock crows, just as he said (who can know that before?), the veil is torn in the temple and the centurion said, ‘Truly it was the son of God (did anyone hear that?)  Hidden in small details is God's presence. One must look deeper.
 
The take home message this Palm Sunday is twofold. Firstly, we must look deeper to discover the presence of God. We must look deeper especially in certain people who we are repulsed about- the poor, the neglected, the disillusioned, the damaged, those who do not meet our standards and projections of proper statues/image- they upset us by not maintaining the proper balance. We have fashioned those people in our own image and likeness. We must be big enough to ‘look more deeply and discover God’s presence.
 
Secondly, we must imitate Jesus, who became frail as we are so as to lift us up, to find and discover hope. We must be this to others. When we provide for the poor and the neglected, we will make the great discovery of God and his presence in our lives. When we alleviate the pain of the desolate, when we persist to find good not evil in the character of our neighbor, when we honestly deal with the beautiful and less beautiful people, we will discover God and His presence. We must pierce through the exterior to appreciate the interior.
 
This is our step one and we begin this most Holy week!

-Fr. Anthony

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem.

READ MORE about Palm Sunday.

Easter is the celebration of Christ's Resurrection from the dead. Easter represents the fulfillment of God's promises to humankind. It is the most important holy day on the Catholic calendar.  VIEW MORE about Easter