Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Mark includes in the Passion narrative Jesus’ dinner in the house of a Pharisee, Simon, where a woman brought an expensive perfume and anointed Jesus. And there the thought of this Pharisee is: “What a waste!” “What a waste of perfume! What a waste of money!” The Pharisee is basically saying: “Jesus was not worth the waste.” How sad to be told: “You are not worth the waste!”
While he is surrounded by humans who think that “he is not worth the waste” – he is not worth wasting money and perfume for – Jesus is an image of spending his life for humanity. Cardinal Tagle has this commentary and reflection: “As people around him did not want to waste anything for him… when we go to the Last Supper, Jesus is a figure of ‘Christian wastefulness’.” And Jesus expresses this self-giving in these words: “Here is My Body given for you… Here is My Blood poured out for you.”
May this Holy Week be a sacred time for us to realize more deeply Jesus’ self-giving – his spending his life for us. Even though sometimes we do not want to waste our time to be with him regularly in silence and prayer, to be present and listen to him in the person of the lonely… Even though sometimes we do not want to waste our energy to perform some tasks for him, to minister in the community, to serve him in the person of the poor… Even though sometimes we do not want to waste our money to share in the work of proclaiming the Gospel, to share with him in the person of the needy… Even though sometimes we do not want to waste ourselves to participate in his life and mission the Lord Jesus continues to spend his life for us. Patuloy siya sa pagbubuhos ng kanyang sarili sa atin. Patuloy siya sa pag-aalay ng kanyang buhay para sa ating ikabubuhay.
Palm Sunday reminds us, Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection shows that love is never wasted. May our life of faith be our way of saying: “No Jesus, your trust in God, your love for us, your wastefulness was not a waste of life.” No trust is wasted. No love is wasted. The Passion of Christ reveals this truth: Every act of love bears fruit… Self-giving love is never wasted… Selfless love brings new life.
Parokya ni Osong 