Here is my homily for PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION, APRIL 5, 2009. The readings can be found at https://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/040509a.shtml . As usual, thanks for reading, and all of your feedback. As we begin this holiest week of the year, may you be touched and renewed in the depth of God’s love for us exemplified in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! God bless all of you with a deeply meaningful Holy Week – Fr Jim
HOMILY:
It’s hard to believe that “Saving Private Ryan” was released over 10 years ago. The epic, award winning movie is often remembered for the extremely intense opening 24 minutes of the film that depict the beginning of the Normandy Invasion during World War II when American Soldiers landed on Omaha beach. But the story is really all about 1 man, 1 soldier – Private First Class James Francis Ryan.
After that gruesome, and vivid opening sequence of the Normandy Invasion, the story begins with a United States Army general going through a slew of death notices. As he does this, he realizes that Private Ryan’s mother would be receiving notification that 3 of her 4 sons have all died within days of each other and that the notices would all arrive on the same day. At this point, Private Ryan, is unaware of the death of his three brothers because his regiment is missing in action. The General believes this is too much sacrifice to ask one mother, one family to make and orders that Private Ryan be found and sent home immediately.
The rest of the movie details this search party, made up of 6 Army rangers and one Infantry man, and led by Captain John Miller, who are going on practically no information on his whereabouts begin this difficult search for this one man – Private Ryan. The search is dangerous, and grows more and more frustrating to the men, as they begin to incur casualties themselves. One of the soldiers is killed by a sniper, their medic is killed. But after all the risks and sacrifices, Miller and the rest of the squad finally find Private James Ryan with a group of paratroopers trying to defend this bridge against a German counter-attack.
Private Ryan, even upon learning of the deaths of his brothers as well as those in the search party looking for him adamantly refuses to leave the very fragile makeshift unit. Captain Miller along with the soldiers from the search party remain with Ryan as a German offensive begins again. Ultimately the United States is successful in defending this bridge from this attack, but not before the remaining members of the search party are killed, including Captain Murphy – whose dying words to Private Ryan are “James…earn this. Earn it.”
The movie concludes with Private Ryan, now an older man, visiting Captain Miller’s grave in Normandy with his family. He breaks down in front of Miller’s tombstone as he asks himself whether he has “earned” the sacrifice, and then turns to his wife asking if he is a good man who deserved the gift that these men gave him.
On Palm Sunday we once again proclaim the passion and death of Jesus. And in our hearing, in our remembering we are placed us in a similar position. Here we come to the foot of the cross. We focus on this incredible love, this sacrifice that cost Jesus his very life which was made for you and me. Jesus doesn’t ask us to “earn it”- that’s the depth of his love – he has freely given it to us. But the question we’re left with will we become good men and women, will we be changed by this gift?
