Palm Sunday
“And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost” (Mt. 27:50).
On Good Friday, while everyone gathered in the
church to commemorate the passion and death of Our Savior, Hubert was instead
in the forest engaging in his favorite recreation: hunting. In a clearing he
noticed a large stag. The magnificent creature slowly turned its head to look at Hubert, who gazed in wonderment at the large
crucifix he saw between its antlers. As if nothing could be more extraordinary,
a voice came from the stag and said, “Unless you turn to the Lord, Hubert, you
shall fall into Hell.” Hubert fell to his knees and ask what he must do, to
which the voice responded he must go to the bishop, Lambert, who would guide
him.
His life forever changed, he placed himself under the guidance of Saint Lambert, was ordained a priest, and upon the martyrdom of Saint Lambert, was chosen to replace him as bishop. Saint Hubert transferred his See to Liège, a vast region still containing areas of paganism, but with the power of miracles, he abolished the worship of idols.
On this Palm Sunday, as we look to Good Friday and the rest of the Sacred Triduum, have we genuinely been transformed this Lent, or do we still cling to idols we place before God? I do not speak of the types of idols worshipped by the pagans encountered by Saint Hubert. Rather, I mean things which may be good but into which we have poured our highest priorities with little regard to religious observance.
There are many things demanding our time and attention in the world; however, it is easy for these to occupy so great a place they take over time we should give to God. Like Saint Hubert, before his encounter with the stag, we might be fulfilling the minimum requirements of our Catholic faith, but God wants more than that. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
For example, God blesses work because it supports the family, church, and society and brings dignity to man; however, if one places work above God and family, it is disordered. It is only God and His grace which blesses our labor.
Another example may apply to sport. Sport is important as it strengthens physical health, benefits the mind, and provides relief from our daily work; however, it must have as its end the greater glory of God. Pope Pius XII said, “Sport, properly directed, develops character, makes a man courageous, a generous loser, and a gracious victor; it refines the senses, gives intellectual penetration, and steels the will to endurance. It is not merely a physical development then. Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument of the mind, it also makes the mind itself a more refined instrument for the search and communication of truth and helps man to achieve that end to which all others must be subservient, the service and praise of his Creator.”
Christ entered triumphantly into Jerusalem knowing in a few days He would endure His passion and death that we might receive
our dignity as adopted children of the Father. His precious blood washed away
our sins in Baptism and made us heirs of the kingdom; therefore, whatever else
we do, it must be subservient to the service and praise of God. Our
hearts only find true fulfillment and consolation in the One Who sacrificed
Himself for us and rose victorious from the grave.