Weekly HOMILY for April 1, 2007: Communion with God

Passion (Palm) Sunday, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
April 1, 2007

Communion with God
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

A Monk’s Communion with God

Back in 1959, 47 years ago, the Chinese Communists were occupying Tibet.

During this occupation, the Buddhist monks were targets of many atrocities. So, as the Chinese forces would invade the villages, the monks would flee into the mountains.

When the Chinese invaded one particular village, one Buddhist monk stayed behind. The Chinese commander marched into the monastery and there, in the courtyard, was the one remaining monk, sitting calmly in prayer.

The commander yelled, “Do you know who I am? I am he who can run you through with a sword.”

And the monk calmly replied, “Do you know who I am? I am he who can let you run me through with a sword.”

That Buddhist monk possessed a real inner communion with God, a communion that remarkably freed him from all fear.

This inner communion, this inner state of being with God freed him from being overwhelmed with anxiety about being killed. It freed him from uncontrolled anger at the injustice being done.


Jesus’ Communion with God

In the story of the Passion that we just heard, Jesus is confronting a similar series of threats moment after moment.

For example, he tells his apostles not to meet violence with violence and he heals the ear of one of the soldiers.

Hanging on the cross in excruciating pain, he is able to whisper, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

And at the very moment of death, he can utter the words of trust: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

There’s no question that his strong inner communion with his Father first, frees him from overwhelming fear and anxiety.

Second, it frees him from feeling vengeful toward his persecutors.

And, third, it empowers him to speak with extraordinary conviction in horrific situations.

It is only such inner communion with the Father that can give him a peace and trust that no sword, no suffering, no injustice can kill.


Our Communion with God

One reason why this story of Jesus’ Passion is so magnetic is that we very much want this inner communion with God.

One day each of us will have to confront horrific hardship, undeserved injustice, or painful suffering. None of us will be exempt from this.

It may be the untimely death of a loved one or our own sickness, being judged harshly or evaluated unfairly, losing a job or not getting admitted to the school of our choice.

Such realities are almost part and parcel of the human condition.

In confronting these hardships, injustices, and sufferings, we will need that inner communion with God that we see in Jesus today.

The good news is that we can have it!

This communion can be achieved through some daily, steady form of prayer. We can experience it through faithfully reading Sacred Scripture and allowing it to shape our thinking.

We can experience this inner communion through the Eucharist – by not making excuses, but by Sunday after Sunday allowing the Lord come to us in the gift of Holy Communion.


Conclusion

There is no question each of us needs this inner communion with God. Will we have it when the need comes crashing into our lives?

This Holiest of Weeks is the time for such communion. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil all evening at 7:30pm.

We can have it in the story of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection.