ENTER THE LIBERATOR.

PALM SUNDAY. YEAR B.
April 5, 2009.
(Entrance Gospel: Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16)
(First reading: Isaiah 50:4-7)
(Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24) (Second reading: Philippians 2:6-11)
(Passion Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47)


ENTER THE LIBERATOR.

PART I. WHO IS TO BE LIBERATED.

There is a period in human history when man lives in the form of a slave, a form in which man negates his true nature of being the image of God.

Human beings take the form of slaves whenever they impose upon one another ways of life based on injustice, lies, oppression and mutual destruction.

This slavery permeates all aspects of human life, namely: individual, family and societal life.
- At the individual level, a human being lives in the form of a slave whenever he fails to see himself as the image of God.

- At the family level, human beings live in the form of slaves whenever they fail to respect the bonds of unity, peace and mutual support among the members of the family.

- At the societal level, human beings live in the form of slaves whenever they fail to relate to one another as members of one universal family, whenever they fail to seek the common good and instead seek their own self-serving individual or group interests.

That is the world Jesus came to liberate.

PART II. JESUS, THE LIBERATOR.

The entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem makes visible to the world the nature of the liberation he brings, a liberation to be accomplished through the exercising of the power of God, not the power of the world.

The radical difference between the way Jesus liberates and the way the world "liberates".
Jesus liberates through his humble obedience to the will of God.
The liberating power of Jesus consists of his adherence to justice, righteousness, truth, peace and respect for all. His power does not oppress, nor destroy, nor forces itself onto other human beings. The gospel of John presents the Lord Jesus entering Jerusalem mounted "on a donkey's colt" (John 12:15); a symbol of humility.

The world, on the other hand, uses means of "liberation" which only increase humanity's slavery:
- At the individual level, the world encourages human beings to seek only their own self interest, their own well-being at the expense of others, thus falling into deeper slavery.

- At the family level, the world has institutionalized a family structure based on external laws, thus destroying the fundamental inner commitment to unity, peace, mutual respect and support among its members. The members of a family see as "liberation" what in fact is the domination of one upon the other, the destruction of one by the other (i.e. abortion). The family, thus has become a micro cosmos of what happens in society at large.

- At the societal level, our world encourages and glorifies the use of force (brute and otherwise) as means to impose socioeconomic and political systems; many times done with the stated purpose of "liberation".

Jesus enters into our world lo liberate it.