A Difficult Choice

Passion Sunday

A Difficult Choice

Fr. Gregory Gebbia, OFM

And so we begin the most hazardous stretch of our Lenten journey.?The holiest week of the year finds us raising our palm branches high, shouting Hosanna welcoming the King of Kings.?We enjoy the festivities, but foolish are those who think this will last.?A false trial soon follows.?The sentence has secretly been constructed.?The punishment will be most cruel and unjust.???

A deep realization confronts all of us today.?The crucified Christ is no stranger to us.?We experience the cross at so many junctures of our lives.?Suffering places its pall over every one of us.?In too many instances, the darkness of suffering is so complete that faith in God is completely shattered.?We find ourselves in a void.?It is then that we are one with Christ in crying out, “My God, My God why have you abandoned me?”

This week the hard messages of choosing to walk with Christ becomes bluntly clear.?The discerning choice before us is to accept what seems like a rude and uninviting invitation, “take up your cross and follow me.”?It seems all too clear we have to face the music and the dreadful honesty of it may be too much.?It is the decision, however, we must make if we choose to follow.