As Jesus road along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”

In the first part of the movie “Shrek,” the ogre Shrek tries to pursue what he calls his “privacy.” Although there is nothing wrong with a person who wants to pursue privacy, there probably is something wrong with the person who wants privacy only. Throughout history, as one studies different people and their actions, it becomes clear that many have tried to go it alone in their human existence. Shrek is speaking the mind of many disturbed people when he says that he does not need anyone.

It is interesting to try to get into the mind of Jesus during what we have come to call “The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.” It is the time when his disciples and indeed, the whole of Jerusalem according to the Gospel writers, came out to praise him and acknowledge him to be truly blessed by God. Psychologically, perhaps the human Jesus needed the feeling of being accepted by his friends because in a very short time, he was to feel rejected by them during his passion and death. Human beings need the feeling that others care about them.
 
In the first movie named after him, Shrek may have said that he did not need anyone else. The reply must be very simply, “Yes, you do.” He needed someone to be his friend, someone who could truly love him, someone to help him with his layers of “onion,” a description of his psychological make-up that we hear during the movie.

We need other people. Given our human natures, we move toward being a community. It is our very nature as human beings to want to be with others, to help them, and to work with them, to be loved by them. It means that we must learn to work with every kind of person. And further since we are Christians, not only to work with them, but also to love them.

THOUGHT
What is the principal reason why most human beings seek out  friends in time of celebration and need?

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we need each other. Your Son felt such a need at the end of his life. Give us the grace to recognize the importance of other people in our lives, and help us to respond to them when they need our help. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America