March 29, 2026 Homily: Fr. Vigoa — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00Today begins the most important week of
2. 0:02our lives, not just
3. 0:05in the church calendar, not just
4. 0:08symbolically, but personally.
5. 0:11Because we have just heard in the
6. 0:13passion that it that
7. 0:15this is not just something that is
8. 0:17happening to Jesus.
9. 0:19Something that is happening inside of
10. 0:21us.
11. 0:23We began at the beginning of mass at the
12. 0:26doors of the church with our palms in
13. 0:29our hands shouting Hosanna, Hosanna in
14. 0:32the highest.
15. 0:34And then just minutes later, we stood
16. 0:36here saying, "Crucify him. Let him be
17. 0:39crucified."
18. 0:41And no one flinched.
19. 0:44That's the uncomfortable truth of Palm
20. 0:46Sunday.
21. 0:48We didn't just listen to the passion, we
22. 0:51participated in it.
23. 0:53Because the same heart that praises God
24. 0:56on Sunday can ignore him on Monday.
25. 1:00The same voices says, "Lord, I love
26. 1:03you." can choose to sin on Tuesday.
27. 1:07The same soul that wants him close can
28. 1:10push him away when it costs something.
29. 1:14So, don't distance yourself from the
30. 1:16crowd. You are the crowd.
31. 1:20And yet, this is where it gets dangerous
32. 1:22in the best way. Jesus knows that.
33. 1:26He sees the instability, he sees the
34. 1:28inconsistency.
35. 1:30He sees the moments where we mean it and
36. 1:33in those moments when we don't.
37. 1:36And he comes anyway.
38. 1:39And he rides into Jerusalem knowing
39. 1:43the same people shouting Hosanna will
40. 1:46not be there on Friday.
41. 1:49He doesn't turn around. He keeps going.
42. 1:53Not because we're faithful, but because
43. 1:55he is.
44. 1:57Not because we're strong, but because
45. 1:59his love is strong.
46. 2:03This week is not about how much you love
47. 2:05God.
48. 2:06This week is about how much God loves
49. 2:08you.
50. 2:11And if you miss that, you miss
51. 2:12everything.
52. 2:14Because the cross is not an accident.
53. 2:18It's not a tragedy, it is a decision.
54. 2:22A deliberate, intentional, chosen,
55. 2:25unwavering act of love.
56. 2:30Jesus is not caught in the passion.
57. 2:33He walks right into it.
58. 2:36Think about this. Today's Sunday.
59. 2:39Imagine if you knew that by this Friday,
60. 2:44you would be betrayed, you would be
61. 2:46abandoned, you would be tortured, you
62. 2:49would be nailed to a cross.
63. 2:51You know every detail, you know every
64. 2:54wound, you know the exact moment your
65. 2:57life will be taken from you.
66. 3:00And still you get up.
67. 3:03You walk forward.
68. 3:05You don't run, you don't hide, you don't
69. 3:08delay.
70. 3:09Well, that's what Jesus is doing.
71. 3:12He rides into Jerusalem with full
72. 3:14knowledge of the cross for you.
73. 3:18Not for a crowd, not for humanity in the
74. 3:20abstract, but for you.
75. 3:24Your sins, your struggles,
76. 3:26the parts of your life you don't like to
77. 3:28talk about,
78. 3:30the things that are that you're tired of
79. 3:33carrying,
80. 3:34the sins that you keep hidden.
81. 3:37He sees all of it.
82. 3:39And he says, "I'm not walking away from
83. 3:42you."
84. 3:44So, here's the question that matters
85. 3:45this week.
86. 3:47Are you going to walk with him?
87. 3:50Or are you going to sit on the
88. 3:52sidelines?
89. 3:53>> [snorts]
90. 3:54>> Not in theory, not emotionally for a
91. 3:56moment, but concretely.
92. 3:59Because Holy Week is not something you
93. 4:01watch.
94. 4:02It's something you enter into.
95. 4:06I urge you to come on Holy Thursday,
96. 4:09not just to see the washing of the feet,
97. 4:12to hear about the Eucharist,
98. 4:15where he gives himself to us.
99. 4:18Come on Good Friday.
100. 4:21Don't avoid the cross. Stand right in
101. 4:24front of it.
102. 4:25Come to the vigil, not just celebrate
103. 4:28Easter experience, but how we see the
104. 4:30darkness breaking into the light
105. 4:34or the light breaking into the darkness.
106. 4:37Don't let this be just another Palm
107. 4:39Sunday where you show up, you receive
108. 4:42your palms, and then disappear until
109. 4:44Sunday.
110. 4:47Because if you walk away now, you'll
111. 4:48miss the greatest act of love the world
112. 4:50has ever seen.
113. 4:52And maybe just maybe that's why some
114. 4:55hearts never change.
115. 4:58So, take one line with you this week.
116. 5:01Just one line.
117. 5:03He didn't turn back.
118. 5:06Not when it got painful, not when it got
119. 5:09humiliating, not when it cost him
120. 5:12everything, he never turned back. He
121. 5:14didn't turn back.
122. 5:17So, my brothers and sisters, the
123. 5:19question for us this Sunday, will we
124. 5:21turn back?
125. 5:23Or will be we we will we be there with
126. 5:26him every step of the way?
127. 5:28>> [music]
128. 5:29>> Amen.