Palm Sunday Praises

Desiring God’s approval rather than others’

04/14/2019

Luke 19:28-40 Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are you untying it?'  you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.'" So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?" They answered, "The Master has need of it." So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt,  and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."

I love Holy Week which starts on Palm Sunday because, in a sense, it’s a real ego trip for us priests. In other words, Holy Week really highlights Holy Orders. On Monday, all the priests gather in the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass. A long line of over 100 priests walk into the church two-by-two and the congregation applauds loudly. It’s good to be me. On Holy Thursday, Jesus instituted both the Eucharist and the Priesthood. Jesus gave to mere men the authority to do what he did at the Last Supper, namely, hold his Body and Blood in our hands. That’s an authority he has not given to angels. At the Easter Vigil we flex our priestly muscles by administering three sacraments on new Catholics: baptism, Confirmation and Communion. Not ever Superman has those superpowers. On Easter Sunday, we receive Easter cards and chocolate eggs and everyone feels good about being Catholic and they tell us how wonderful we are as their priests.

At times like these I recall what Msgr. Hebert once told me. I was his associate at Christ the King in Little Rock and I had delivered a decent homily, and I mentioned how people liked it. He replied: “John, beware when all men speak well of you.” Monsignor always said a lot with a little, a skill I never learned. This past week someone gave me a small pamphlet produced by Chick Publications. It is stinging, anti-Catholic literature that tries to show how Catholics are all wrong and headed to hell, if they don’t leave the Church.

There is this great section on priests, especially on the pope. It says: “Jesus says, ‘many will come in His name, pretending to be Christ. And this is what the popes have done for centuries.” It goes on: “Roman Catholic doctrine claims the priest is so powerful that he can, at his command, call Jesus Christ out of heaven. They say the Creator of all things must obey the wishes of a priest…to humble himself, to become a piece of bread, to be handled by this all-powerful, man-god, the holy priest of Rome.” And finally it states, if you’re able to stomach what it says: “God hates the Roman Catholic mass. Jesus hates this false religious system. It has blasphemed His Holy Name, His Holy Word, and has deceived billions of people.” So, today after Mass, I’ve told the ushers that instead of handing out bulletins, they will give everyone this Chick Publication, so you’ll finally know the truth about the Catholic Church. Just kidding. But my point is this: just when you think all men speak well of you, you see that all men do not speak well of you.

My experience as a priest this Holy Week was certainly similar to that of the First Priest, Jesus, that first Holy Week. Jesus is praised by the crowds as he rides triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The applause must have sounded a lot like the congregation in the Cathedral clapping for us clergy walking into the Chrism Mass. However, Jesus must have thought of Msgr. Hebert’s words as the people’s praises rang in his ears, “Beware when all men speak well of you.” Why did Jesus think of those words? Well, because Jesus had uttered those words long before the good monsignor had, during his Sermon on the Plain, in Luke 6:26. Those were Jesus’ words originally. In other words, people’s praises are about as profound as the compliments we pile on a Thanksgiving turkey when we say how big and beautiful it look on Sunday, but on Thursday we carve it up and eat it for Thanksgiving supper. The praise of Palm Sunday, therefore, eventually eroded into the exclamations of execution of Good Friday, when the people demand: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Just when you think all men speak well of you, you realize that all men do not speak well of you.

My friends, you probably know that the shifting sands of public opinion are not saved solely for Catholic priests. Sometimes, you will win the approval and applause of people, and at other times you will be the object of their opprobrium, their displeasure and their hate. You may not be the topic of the next Chick Publication, but you may be the topic of office water-cooler conversation, the butt of jokes at a party, or the fodder for family gossip. Don’t be like me, and get an ego trip when people praise you, and then feel crushed when they complain about you. Rather, be like Jesus. Here are two ways you can be more like Christ in the face of people’s opinions.  First of all, beware when all men speak well of you. Why? Well, because they probably won’t speak well about you for very long before they find something to criticize. That is, do not put any stock in their opinion at all. And secondly, learn to love only what God may think of you. God’s opinion of us never changes. He always loves us, like a father loves a son; no, better, as a grandmother loves her grandchildren. That’s how God loves us; that’s what God thinks of us.

I cannot wait to walk into the Cathedral for the Chrism Mass on Monday evening, and hear the cheers of the congregation who genuinely love their priests. But in the back of my mind will be Monsignor Hebert’s little voice, quietly reminding me, “They are probably praising you like they praise their annual Thanksgiving turkey.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!