Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.All over the world billions of Christians recalled the entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
And as Holy Week progresses we ponder upon the events that took place 2000 years ago when the worldly mocked Christ, spat upon him and how he was condemned to a shameful death upon the cross.
Then next Sunday we will celebrate Christ's triumph over death with the Feast of the Resurrection, the holiest day on the Christian Calendar.
And how might this all be reported by the media of our day do you suppose?
Well let's check out how the Herald has chosen to report on Palm Sunday and how it is reported on the Stuff website to get an indication of how it might play out.
The devil is surely a canny fellow in trying to distract our focus from what is important and holy at this time into contemplation of that which is sinful.
I Corinthians 7:31
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
Andrei, Francis Porretto has a fine Palm Sunday 'rumination' here:
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ReplyDeleteWhat always confuses me about Palm Sunday is why the Church chooses this Sunday to begin reading the Passion for the gospel when I would have thought Palm Sunday should be all about Christ's joyful entrance into Jerusalem etc. After all, the beginning of the Passion isn't until Good Friday.
ReplyDeleteAndrei - the devil is not in the news reports but in those who have performed terrible actions while representing the Church.
ReplyDeleteThis devil within the Church must be purged and transparency is a key step in this direction.
The newspapers need to report these current issues in order to obtain that transparency. The newspapers transmit the information to its Catholic readers and by bringing it out in the open in this way, I truly hope actions will be taken to eliminate this disgrace.
Now how the newspapers are reporting is another issue. Of course it must be fair and balanced and be based on facts. If it isn't then by all means fisk it, but my point here is that the story must be told, even if it has to be on Palm Sunday.
@ IM Fletcher - Yes I also wondered the same thing.
I can't answer your question Fletch but our Lectionary has John 12:1-18 for the Palm Sunday reading which deals with Lazarus and the Triumphal Entry.
ReplyDeleteSean do you think the Pope's Palm Sunday Homily should be about paedophila or the significance Palm Sunday.
The media are expressing outrage that it wasn't about the former - because they media doesn't really want to talk about the latter.
It is all well and good to talk frankly about these old scandals but if that is all we talk about - not core matters of the faith during worship - well we loose sight of what the Church is about which is exactly what the adversary wants to happen.
And thus the reports are not on what the Pope said but what he didn't say.
Newspapers have a duty to report news, even news I don't like to hear. But yes, I agree the Homily is not the best place for to Pope to respond to such issues, there are existing channels for the Church to address them (they could use them a bit more).
ReplyDeleteAndrei, yes we had the Triumphant entry reading actually before Mass in a procession that leads the people into the church holding palms etc, but the main Gospel reading during Mass was (and always is) the Passion reading. Perhaps it is to get the faithful in the mindset of Holy Week.
ReplyDeleteIM Fletcher, having read your comment it reminded me that one of the things I like about the Church is that the Mass is the same everywhere, even to the detail of the procession outside with the greenery before Palm Sunday. Whether it be in downtown Madrid as per last Sunday or in my old parish in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, the Mass is always the same (except the language of course). I think this truly creates a sense of being part of something, of being universal, the meaning of the little 'c' catholic of course.
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