Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for Mass for Palm Sunday
Readings: Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Matt 27:11-54
29 March 2026
Victory of love over hatred and of life over death
Dear friends,
This year, we celebrate Palm Sunday in a context of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. In Australia, we feel the effect of it perhaps more so than the war in Ukraine or in Gaza. But let us not forget the immense suffering of the innocent victims who are the collateral damage of these conflicts. Whatever we have to suffer pales in comparison with the overwhelming sorrow that is inflicted upon them.
Palm Sunday provides us with a true antidote to the reciprocal violence. It galvanises us to transformative action, for it gives us a glimpse of the victory of love over hatred and life over death. It was God’s unconditional love in Jesus that brought about the victory of peace. We are therefore encouraged to work and turn the tide in favour of the least of our brothers and sisters, confident that the Kingdom of God will prevail.
The Word of God that we have heard testifies to the kind of Messiah Jesus was. He was not the triumphant ruler or the military strongman that many of his own Jewish contemporaries had longed for. Instead, he identified with the Suffering Servant that Isaiah foretold. He epitomises the faithful remnants of Israel who persevered in goodness and righteousness despite their trials and tribulations.
Similarly, Paul describes Jesus in the second reading as humbling himself to the point of dying on the cross and embodying the self-emptying God. This path of kenosis or total giving of self for the sake of others characterises the life of the Saviour which in turn becomes the means of his vindication and glorification. He is raised to be the King of kings and Lord of lords for having lowered himself to the lowest.
The Gospel of Matthew is at pains to demonstrate Jesus as fulfilling the prophecies of old. Against popular expectations and conventional wisdom, Jesus set himself apart from other rulers and potentates. He was not a warrior but a peacemaker. He was not a conqueror through domination and violence but a humble servant through non-violence and justice. His innocence, patient suffering and self-sacrifice modelled a different way of living together.
This is the great paradox that Jesus taught and lived: life is lived fully not by surrendering it to self-survival instincts or the dominating power but by self-giving love. He was utterly committed to the way of self-emptying, of refusing to retaliate. That is also the path of discipleship, the path of the Beatitudes, of love in the face of hatred and of resilience in tribulation. When we feel hurt or insulted, we tend to imitate the offensive behaviour. In Jesus, however, a new pattern emerged. By refusing to imitate and turning the other cheek, the cycle of violence is ended. Peace and resetting of human relationships are possible.
Dear friends,
In his blessing, Pope Leo XIV began his papacy with a message of peace. He defined this peace as an “unarmed and disarming peace,” which are precisely the characteristics of active nonviolent peace-building. Gospel nonviolence is a spirituality, a way of life, a method for social change, and a potential universal ethics. It is Jesus’ love in action. By our active love, peace-building and solidarity, we can give substance to the hope towards that civilisation of love.
Our celebration today calls us to renew our commitment to follow the humble suffering and yet trustful and fearless Messiah. God is involved with the pain and suffering of our world. God is involved in our quest for justice, peace and the flourishing of all creation. The victory of shalom is won by the awesome power of compassionate love, in and through solidarity with those who suffer.
The Suffering Servant shows us the way of disarming hatred with love, evil with goodness, violence with benevolence, indifference with compassion. Let us follow his example in forging common bonds of humanity in the face of fear. Let us be a community of hospitality, compassion and neighbourliness that serves as reminder to what our world could be. May we, the followers of the way faithfully and couragiously walk with Christ and bring his kingdom to life.
