Victory won on the cross looks like a defeat to the world, Archbishop Vigneron says, but faith is in the Resurrection to come 

ROYAL OAK — “This is the week that changes the world.” 

Fr. Paul Snyder was succinct at the beginning of his Palm Sunday liturgy at St. Mary Parish in Royal Oak. 

The congregation was holding palm branches while its pastor explained that while the ritual they were about to perform is a re-creation of what happened in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago, it is still a scene that plays out today.  

“In the Gospel, we each play a role,” Fr. Snyder said. “The crowd is shouting ‘hosanna,’ and the liturgy follows the path of the week. In the prologue, Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem, and they are expecting a king, a savior — an earthly king, an earthly savior. But when they realize he’s not an earthly king, they shout, ‘Away with Him, crucify Him.’ 

“In our lives, we realize the Savior we desire is not the Savior he is,” Fr. Snyder continued. “He does not remove all sorrows. He does not approve of the world as it is, so we shout, ‘Away with him.’” 

Palm Sunday liturgies across the Archdiocese of Detroit reflected on this point, the duality of Jesus’ time in Jerusalem: the triumphant entrance to the city on a donkey, as described in the Gospel of St. Mark, to Jesus’ seemingly ignominious condemnation and crucifixion just five days later. 

During the Palm Sunday liturgy at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said the Church has the people reflect on these two days to show what the Kingdom of God really means. 

“By riding on a donkey, the disciples cutting down branches, he was fulfilling his promises to the people; by his actions, he claims his kingdom,” Archbishop Vigneron said in his homily. “But on Friday, he’s cast out of town. How different those two days seem to us.

“But as disciples of Jesus, we know this wasn’t a failure,” Archbishop Vigneron continued. “He had to suffer in order to claim his glory.” 

Archbishop Vigneron said Jesus’ death on the Cross looks like a defeat to the rest of the world, but in truth, it changed the world, and changed the meaning of victory. And for his disciples, it changed the reason for being. 

“Jesus resurrection has changed the definition of everything,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “It transforms the definition of success. It’s not what this worlds says, but what eternity says: that if we serve, we are victorious. It changes the definition of happiness; to be happy is to belong to God — to be in this world, but not part of it.” 

Across the archdiocese, the faithful were glad to be able to proclaim Christ’s kingship in person — a contrast to last year’s Holy Week, during which public Masses could not be celebrated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Masks were required at St. Mary’s and the cathedral, and every other pew was roped off, but those were trivial formalities in order for one to receive the Eucharist. 

“I think it’s very special to celebrate Palm Sunday in person this year,” Genevieve McDonald, a St. Mary’s parishioner, told Detroit Catholic. “It’s been hard not to be at Mass, and I think it’s wonderful to be back here in person and celebrating with one another. I really appreciated being here with my family and seeing so many other people here, because that’s what it’s all about.” 

Going an extended period of time without the Eucharist showed McDonald how much she needs God in her life. Nothing replaces attending Mass in person, she said. 

“I craved being here, feeling that spirit and being connected with the people, the music,” McDonald added. “I’m part of the music ministry at St. Mary’s. I’ve been able to sing, luckily, since July, able to participate in cantor ministry, but I miss being able to make music as well.” 

Over at Old St. Mary’s Parish in Detroit’s Greektown neighborhood, Tony Ruvolo and his wife, Courtney, brought their two sons, Thomas and Peter, to Mass to explain the true meaning of Easter. 

“We’re getting into the divine mindset of preparing for the coming of the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday) and the Resurrection,” Ruvolo said. “With the kids we try to make sure we orient their minds away from the candy, eggs, the things secular society imposes, to bring the true meaning of why we’re Catholic, and why we should be sorrowful, penitential at this time. But we let them know the upcoming joy and happiness we’re going to soon experience.” 

The dramatic Palm Sunday Gospel reading of the Passion has a certain finality to it, with Joseph of Arimathea walking away from the stone that was rolled to the entrance of the tomb, with Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses. The disciples are scattered, and world seems to move on, preparing for Passover. 

But it’s not the end of the story. 

With just a few days remaining in Lent, priests encouraged their congregations to intensify their preparations for the Easter joy to come. 

“Today, as we enter into these final days of Lent, we take one final check to see where our hearts are — to consider the penances, the sacrifices and the prayers we’ve offered to the heart of Christ,” Fr. Jim Houbeck, associate pastor of St. Anastasia Parish in Troy, said during his homily. “If there’s any among us who haven’t taken this Lent seriously, who’ve done nothing, who’ve just breezed through indifferent — the good news is there’s still a few more days.  

“Do not come to Holy Thursday empty handed,” he encouraged. “Do not come to Easter Sunday with hearts that are cold, indifferent, uncaring. Rather, may you use these last few days to prepare your hearts to enter into the sacred Triduum.”