Bible topples Idol

On Palm Sunday, the Gospel reading was the long narrative from the Last Supper until Jesus’ death on the cross. Though I have heard the story so many times, yet the Passion of Christ pierces my heart on the realization that not only did He endure physical suffering Jesus was demeaned and abandoned by the Jewish people. Yet He had the heart to forgive; for He was beyond human; He was the Son of God.

In the United States, a television series The Bible shown on the 3^rd week of March 2013 in the History Channel topped the hugely popular American Idol by gaining 13.1 million viewers to the 12.8 million viewers of the latter. One publication said, “The ratings have confounded Hollywood’s biggest decision-makers. Overt religious programming can be a notorious tough sell to the public, while American Idol has dominated television for the past eight seasons.”

 In like manner, many were baffled when the film, The Passion of the Christ, produced at US$30 million earned US $611,899,420 in the box office. And what is the biggest selling book of all time? According to one source, The Holy Bible has sold more than 6 billion followed by the distant second “Quotations of Chairman Mao” at 900,000,000.

Even how cynical and secular the world is today, the vast majority of humanity finds meaning in their lives by accepting that a God takes care of us. While there are those who are too proud to admit God’s existence, surely, in their death bed they will call upon God to bring them home.

The Holy Week is one of the most important events in the calendar of the Catholic Church; and parishes throughout the world, mark this through public display of the passion of Jesus. But what is universally practiced is the retracing of footsteps of Jesus towards His crucifixion in Calvary. This is done through the Stations of the Cross which may be observed inside the church or outside.

I am joining the Stations of the Cross Procession in Auckland where we will walk in major thoroughfares. Not only will we follow the journey of Christ, we will proclaim our faith in a society that has tolerated some practices that violate the teachings of Christ.  By our public display, we are telling people that God’s commandments are unconditional; that sin and evil cannot be legislated; that God forgives those who repent. "Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).