HOMILY
Palm Sunday – April 13, 2025
In 614 A.D., the King of Persia invaded Palestine, at which time he carried away many of the great treasures of Jerusalem, including the relic of the True Cross of Jesus. Fifteen years later, Emperor Heraclius of Constantinople marched into Persia and recaptured the relic of the True Cross, seeing to it that it was brought back to Jerusalem and restored to its place in the chapel located at the site of Calvary in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that you can still visit today.
There’s an interesting story told about Heraclius as he prepared to replace the precious relic in the basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.
Heriaclius, completely covered in gold and precious stones, tried to go through the gate that led to Calvary, but he could not move. The more he tried to move ahead, the more he felt nailed to the spot. There was general amazement. Then Zacharias, the bishop, mentioned to the emperor that perhaps his ornamental dress did not suit the humility with which Jesus Christ had crossed the same threshold carrying his cross. The emperor immediately took off his grand clothes and barefoot, he moved without difficulty to the spot where the relic of the cross was to be replaced.
On Good Friday, you will notice that as we prepare to adore the Holy Cross in the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord in every Church throughout Christendom, a similar ritual act occurs as the celebrant – whether he be a priest, bishop or pope – approaches the cross. He does so only after removing his liturgical vestments and shoes. This ritual, which on its own can be perplexing, derives from the episode that I just described.
In a book entitled The Fire of Christ’s Love: Meditations on the Cross, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, who served as preacher to the papal household for over 40 years, offered a reflection that speaks to this moment in history. “There is a spiritual and symbolic significance in the ritual of venerating the cross that concerns all of us, even those who do not approach the cross barefoot to kiss it. It signifies that we cannot possibly draw near to the crucifix unless we first get rid of our pretensions to greatness, to our rights, and, in other words, to our pride and vanity. It is simply not possible. We would be invisibly rejected.”
Brothers and sisters, as we stand on the threshold of Holy Week and prepare to celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, we bring so much of life to our prayers, don’t we? But for all that we bring, may we not forget to enter these sacred days praying for the same spirit of humility that characterized Jesus’ life and his embrace of the cross.
In Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians proclaimed a few moments ago, we’re reminded that although he was God, Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a slave – a servant. He sought, according to his Father’s plan, to embrace the brokenness and suffering of our world to save us from ourselves and all that can well up from within us to destroy our peace. In so doing, Jesus gave us a way forward in life, accepting the punishment we deserved and giving of himself so that we might live. Saint John’s gospel puts it best, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
The proclamation of Saint Luke’s Passion set the stage, my friends, for all that we will commemorate during this Holy Week. May the cross of Jesus which looms not only over this cathedral but over our hearts compel us to place before it not only our burdens and our suffering but especially our pride. For when we are finally humble enough to admit that we cannot save ourselves but need to trust in a power beyond us, it is then that a space will open in our hearts to be filled by the love of Jesus – a love that alone has the power to carry us to a place of life and peace.
Therein, brothers and sisters, is the true blessing and gift of Holy Week.