Text: Fr Clive Lee at Ecumenical Blessing of Palms

Fr Clive Lee, Parish Priest at St Thomas More's Catholic Church in Manor House, north London, gave the following homily at the Palm Sunday Blessing of the Palms and Ecumenical Procession at Finsbury Park.

In the entrance of our Church is an icon of the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus is on a donkey and is looking back at his disciples, perhaps to encourage them or for reassurance. In front the crowd seems stony faced, holding the smallest of branches. It is as if the iconographer is telling us that this fickle crowd in their hearts do not really believe in Christ.

The donkey however seems to realise that something extraordinary is happening; and if you look closely you will notice it is the children who are spreading their garments in fount of the donkey. How appropriate it is that the Donkey and the children who recognise Christ on this Palm Sunday which happens to fall this year on Aprils fools day!

The great illusion of our times is that there is no sin.

If a person does something obviously wrong, then they and others blame society. They blame their upbringing in poverty, for example, or their lack of a good education. Or they blame the authorities for not doing something to prevent it. Or they blame the schools or the social services or the police or their employers or … well, almost anybody but themselves.

We are all victims now. None of us is responsible for our own wrong-doing. Or at least, that is what our culture tells us.

Compare and contrast Palm Sunday. When we return to our different Churches today and on Good Friday we will all be reading the passion narrative, the story of the suffering and death of Jesus. And here, along with all Christian people, we acknowledge that we are not blameless. We have the almost unbearably painful task of shouting 'Crucify him' when Jesus passes by. We would rather do almost anything else. Yet it is so important that we do. Because in doing so we admit that we are not blameless. We are part of the world of sin. We are part of the world of selfishness. We are part, even, of the world of violence and betrayal.

There is an honesty in this. Even if we have not committed these specific sins, we would never boast that we never could do these things. Rather, we know our daily struggle to walk a path of honesty and integrity. And that we sometimes fail.

By joining the crowd, we do not abandon our commitment to Christ. Rather, we acknowledge that we are part of struggling, sinful, suffering humanity, and that the suffering of Christ will heal our wounds, and strengthen us in our struggle.

See also: ICN - Palm Sunday procession in north London
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