What This Week Means

Hosanna!

I remember when I first heard the English translation of that word; it seemed to explain so many things about Holy Week to me. Hosanna means “Save us, Please!”

I used to think of Hosanna as a unique word which applied only to God. It reminded me of the word “holy”, and that’s the meaning I associated with it, a praise of God. Knowing the true meaning however, I suspect most people shouting that word as Jesus entered Jerusalem were not praising a God, they were praising a Caesar -- or so they thought. They expected the messiah to be a savior, an earthly savior, to re-establish the glory and army of the once proud Jewish nation. Shouting “Save us, Please!” they were shouting to be saved from the Roman armies, not to be saved from their sins. They didn’t realize which of these was the greater terror. Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, they did not understand the word “die”, and the warning of eternal death that awaits those who turn from God. They were more concerned with earthly things.

And so only a short week later, those shouting “Hosanna” did turn from him. Seeing him “defeated” by the Romans, it was easy to shout in frustration “Crucify him; crucify him”, and go home to spend the Passover again pleading that the Lord would send them another Moses, another David, another Savior. They ignored the Savior in their presence, and all he had said and done. And so he suffered and died, alone. “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him,.” They mocked him. There were some people around him as he hung there, but he was alone.

Understanding the real meaning of Hosanna today and what it meant to the Jewish people then, I can make sense of the events of the week, from their points of view. I, however, understand more than just their points of view, I understand God’s point of view, and what this week really means, not only to the Jews, and indeed not only to the man Jesus -- I understand what it should mean for us.

The Jews in their earthly knowledge went from happiness in the Messiah to disappointment. Jesus, in his Godly Wisdom went from sadness to Joy. The question we need to ponder this week is: what have we learned from the lessons shown us this week? What does this week mean? Are we more like Jesus in the joys and trials of our lives, or like the Jews? This weeks’ actions are the ultimate example of Jesus for us, the peak of all his words and actions. Are we seeing and trying to live this example? This is THE example of his teaching ministry. This is his two commandments: love God, and love your neighbor. Take time this week, to pay attention, meditate, and learn. This, his example, is how we should be living our lives.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid we are weak, and most often live our lives like that of the Jews: we’re happy and celebrate when times are good, but quickly forget and turn away when a friend, a parent, our child, or our spouse REALLY needs us. His disciples even turned away from God, when he needed them. And we do too. When God and our neighbors need us to be strong for them and to be with them, when they are too weak to carry a burden alone, how often do we not show up? How often do we look away and say: we’re too busy, or “other things” are more important, or “they’ll just waste any money we give them.” How often do we not show up at their crucifixions; how often do we let them spend their nights of torture alone? And how often do they call to us in their agony, and we pretend not to hear?

He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” ; this was a prayer for us, you and me. We often remember the Scripture: “I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40), and remembering this we try to be charitable (and then we give ourselves a pat on the back). But we forget the next words of that same lesson: “Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire ... for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ (Mt 25:41-43)” It’s the second Scripture quote we should be remembering, not the first. Forget the few times we actually were charitable. For all those times when we turned away from those who needed us, we DESERVE the eternal fires, for it is really at those times that “as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me (Mt 25:45).” This week is a reminder to forget the times we want to pat ourselves on the back, but look at our failures – the ones He died for.

The people of Jerusalem ignored Jesus’ cries because they judged him. The wanted an earthly savior, and he was not as they expected a savior to be. They didn’t want to listen to the words he said; they only listened for the words they wanted to hear. How often we are like that, even to our friends, our children, our spouse, and yes, even our God. They’re not acting the way we want them to, and so we judge them. Our prayers are not really for “Thy will be done”, but MY will be done. It’s fitting that Jesus began his agony this week with much soul searching in the garden, which ended with “Father, … not my will, but thine, be done.” (Mt 22:42)

It’s fitting that we do some soul searching this week also. Then look at the agonies we are facing, and ask honestly whose will do we wish to be done? How are we facing our trials, and those of our neighbors? Are we looking at someone in need and acting like the Jews, or Jesus? Only then, can we pray with our Lord, and honestly say: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done …”

P.S. After writing this meditation, I read the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours for today. The psalms and first reading were most appropriate, and themselves great words to meditate upon this week: Psalm 31:1-17, and Heb 10:19-39. I pray you have a blessed Holy Week.