Carmelite homily for Sunday, March 24, 2024 – Palm Sunday
For Lent I gave up coffee. Now mind you, Lent is not just about give up something. It’s prayer, fasting, and works of charity. Do all three in Lent. For the fasting part I gave up coffee. And I let everybody know. Then I go to Starbucks and I’m carrying about green tea. But they say, “I thought you gave up coffee for Lent?” And I say, “It’s just tea, just green tea.” Now they see me walking around, they don’t question it. But I’m thinking, “Ooo, I could put coffee in here and everyone still thinks I’ve given it up for Lent.” Ooo, I could lie; I could get my fix; I could get my indulgence; I could get my comfort food – coffee. Well, sometimes I think it’s a question of integrity. It’s a question of what do I choose? Like the good path, the virtuous path or the selfish path, the indulgent path, the comfort-level path. Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. Pontius Pilate, who was the Prefect of all of Israel, didn’t like Jerusalem. It was a dangerous place. It was a dirty place. He didn’t like it so he lived in great comfort in a posh villa on the Mediterranean coast to the west of Jerusalem in Caesarea. And he would only come to Jerusalem when he had to. Passover is approaching. That’s a big feast, a big holiday. It’s a big flashpoint too. He knows he has to be in Jerusalem. So he’s coming to Jerusalem from the west. Jesus is coming to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives which in the east. And they’re probably arriving at the same time. Pontius Pilate represents power and poshness and comfort and security and selfishness all coming in from the west gate. And Jesus who is representing virtue and selflessness and put others first and do unto others all coming in from the east gate. So people were expected to greet Pontius Pilate. So a bunch probably ran that way because they want security; they want poshness; they want money; they want power. But a bunch went to the east gate where they have freedom; have love; have depth of life; have meaning. And I think the same thing is happening today. Yes, it’s a trite example with Starbucks and green tea. But everyday I think we’re called. Are we going to go with virtue or are we going to go with selfishness. Everyday we’re called to a gate. Which gate are we going to go to?
