Death and sin have been conquered

April 13, 2003 -- Palm Sunday

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. How do you experience growth in your Christian life? 2. How does morality relate to scripture and the sacraments? 3. Is complacency a problem for you?

An old adage: "Growth demands participation!"

Holy Week is an invitation to participate deeply in the life of Jesus. If we are to grow, we must be willing to enter into the fullness of his life. This means that suffering, pain, and death are an integral part of his glorious life. There can be no separation of resurrection from the full paschal mystery.

Lent
• Lent-related articles  • 2003 Lenten Wish List (3/7 issue)  • Lenten rules (2/28 issue)

So, how do we participate? Three elements are central to this task: the pondering of God's word, the celebration of the sacraments, the living of a morality that is an expression of Gospel values.

On this Palm Sunday we are given an abundance of scripture: the opening Gospel, the sober message of Isaiah the prophet, St. Paul's powerful hymn telling of Jesus' self-emptying love, and the stirring account of the Passion. Our task is to listen with open minds and loving hearts. God's word is not just to be heard but to be appropriated and internalized. Participation here will involve conversion when certain ideas or attitudes are discovered to be contrary to the life of Christ. God's word calls us to open our ears that we may hear, to bend our knee at the name of Jesus, to stand at the foot of the Cross and experience the love of the God and the horror of sin. Our listening is not to be passive but one attuned to salvation history.

Participation in our Christian life calls us to celebrate God's faithful love in the Eucharist. We gather around the word and the altar to encounter the risen Lord. As the story is told once again of the paschal mystery we are to experience the grace of God's tremendous love. As we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we are to be assured that death and sin have been conquered. Whether this is our fifth or fiftieth Holy Week, routine must not dull our affections to the mystery of God's renewed love.

Christian existence is more than just the pondering of scripture and the celebration of the sacraments. Christianity involves ethics. We are "to do the truth in love," as St. Paul urges upon us. We are to take the love proclaimed and celebrated and then share it with others. For most people this will be expressed in the faithful fulfillment of their daily duties: showing respect for others at work, honoring our parents, caring for the ill and disabled, working for peace and justice, counseling the doubtful, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Holy Week challenges our entire year, indeed, every day of our lives. We are to take the life of Jesus -- his passion, death, and resurrection -- and incarnate his values and virtues in our everyday lives. We grow by participating in his mission and ministry.

In all of this there are obstacles. One is that of complacency. We want to cry out: "Stop pushing." And yet, we cannot afford to stop running until the race is over. We are still on the way and all of us need to be challenged to deepen our life in Jesus. One area in particular comes to mind: the need to evangelize. The good news of salvation in Jesus, must be shared. Each day we must witness to God's love and mercy in Jesus. Participation in the evangelizing mission is at the core of the Church's life and is essential for our growth as disciples.

Growth does demand participation. That growth has a principal agent: the Holy Spirit. As we enter into Holy Week we invoke the Spirit to be our light, our life, and our love. By so doing, our Easter celebration will be filled with joy and peace.

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay.)