Palm Sunday: Reflections on the Passion

It's hard to preach on Palm Sunday after the solemn reading of the Passion. What, really, is there left to say?

But when I heard a young priest offer a very powerful reflection earlier in the week, I asked if I could 'borrow' it for this Passion Sunday.  Candidly conceding that he'd borrowed the words himself--from Archbishop Sheen or Cardinal Dolan, he wasn't quite sure!--he readily agreed.

God came down to earth, so that we could go to heaven.

God became human so that we could become divine.

God became a slave, so that we could be set free.

God became an object of hate, so that we might learn love.

Christ was rejected, so that we could be accepted.

Christ forgave, so that we could be forgiven.

Christ was convicted, so that we could have conviction.

He was arrested, so we could be bailed out.

He was hurt, so that we could be healed.

He was lifted up on the cross, so we could be raised up with him.

He took on hell, so that we might take up heaven.

He was given a crown of thorns, so that we could receive the crown of life.

He is guilty so that we might be deemed innocent.

He took the cross, to cross out Satan’s plan.

He died…  so that we could live forever.