Jersey

And as He sat there on that donkey and walked through the streets, I wonder at the agony in His soul to know that all those people were going to betray Him.

Entry into Jerusalem (Orrente)

I do not really follow professional sports.  Except for a short time when I was a teenager, and I used to watch the tennis during the summer holidays, I have rarely watched professional sports.

However, I have brothers and sons and my husband and brothers in law, and most of them like watching professional sports.

I have often reflected on why they watch sports like that.  Do they watch them for entertainment?  Do they enjoy seeing a particular move or play or approach and think to themselves, that is clever, or that is strong…?  Do they watch them to admire the skill of the athlete or the magnetism of the team as they work together in a prepared and coordinated manner to make sure that everything is addressed and that they can dominate their opponent?  Do they watch this sort of sport because they are happy to see the progress of others?  Or, do they watch those sports because they secretly imagine themselves playing in that competition and how marvellous they might feel if they can accomplish the feats of the athletes they are watching.

While I suspect – for the most part – it is some sort of combination of all of those reasons, for my second son in particular, he enjoys watching professional sports because he can imagine himself playing that game.  He can imagine the moves and the adrenaline and that speed.  He can imagine the power and the strength.  As a show of support for his favourite sports team – the Parramatta Eels – my second son wears a football jersey as often as possible.  His intention is to ensure that he is representing his team, promoting it and supporting it.

Wearing that jersey is very enjoyable to that child, but it certainly does not make him a better sportsman.  If my son wore a different shirt instead of wearing that jersey, he would be equally strong and fast and proficient in the sport.  And the reason for that is that his power and speed and strength and skill is located on the inside of him and not on the outside…

And I have been thinking about that today as I reflect on Palm Sunday.  For Christ suffered on this day because it was as though he witnessed people wearing their jersey without changing anything on the inside.  He knew that they would welcome Him publicly and persecute Him privately.  He was aware of the limitations of the human condition and the limitations of the human strength.

And as I reflect on that today and consider the case of my son’s jersey, it occurs to me that there was such suffering of Our Blessed Lord this day.  For He knew that the jersey was useless and still He allowed us to pile palm branches and olive branches and cloaks and coats and all the other things for Him to walk on.  And as He sat there on that donkey and walked through the streets, I wonder at the agony in His soul to know that all those people were going to betray Him.

My Poor God.  My Poor Poor God…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.