The Tale of Two Loves
In his masterwork, The City of God, St. Augustine famously observes that "two loves have created two cities." The earthly city is built on the love of self, even to the point of contempt for God; the heavenly city is built on the love of God, even to the point of contempt for self.
Today, as we stand at the threshold of Holy Week, we see these two cities collide in the dust of Jerusalem. We witness a parade that begins with "Hosanna" and ends with "Crucify him." It is a moment that forces us to ask: In which city do we truly reside? Are we seeking a King who serves our ego, or are we ready to follow the King who empties Himself for our sake?
The Suffering Servant and the Poured-Out King
The scriptures today map out a journey of profound descent. In our first reading from Isaiah, we encounter the "Suffering Servant." He does not turn his back on those who beat him or shield his face from spitting. Why? Because the Lord God is his help. He has "set his face like flint," a term denoting an unshakable, hardened resolve to endure the coming storm for the sake of a higher calling.
This resolve is echoed in Psalm 22. It is a haunting preview of the Passion: the mocking crowds, the piercing of hands and feet, and the casting of lots for clothing. Yet, it ends not in despair, but in a vow of praise. It reminds us that even in the depths of feeling abandoned—"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"—the bridge to the heavenly city is built on trust.
St. Paul, in Philippians, provides the theological heart of this mystery. He describes the kenosis, or the "emptying" of Christ.
Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.
This is the ultimate rejection of the "earthly city." While the world teaches us to grasp for power, status, and self-preservation, Christ reveals that true divinity is found in self-gift.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we see the cost of this gift. We see the betrayal of Judas, who chose the currency of the earthly city (thirty pieces of silver) over the person of Christ. We see Peter’s denial and the silence of Jesus before Pilate. Jesus walks the path of the "contempt of self" that Augustine spoke of—not because He lacks value, but because His love for us is so expansive that He is willing to be stripped of everything to find us in our brokenness.
Moving from the Crowd to the Cross
Palm Sunday is a mirror. It shows us how easily we can be part of the crowd—cheering for Jesus when we think He will overthrow our enemies or fix our problems, only to abandon Him when He calls us to take up a cross.
The "earthly city" is comfortable. It values safety and "love of self." But the "heavenly city" is where life truly begins. To live there, we must learn the language of the Suffering Servant.
This week, I challenge you to do three things:
Practice Kenosis: Identify one thing you are "grasping" onto—perhaps a grudge, a need to be right, or a material comfort—and intentionally "empty" yourself of it this week as an offering to God.
Sit in the Silence: Jesus remained silent before His accusers. Find 10 minutes of total silence each day this Holy Week to listen for the voice of the Spirit rather than the noise of the "earthly city."
Walk the Triduum: Don't skip from the palms of today to the lilies of Easter Sunday. Attend the Holy Thursday and Good Friday liturgies. Accompany the Lord in His passion so that you may truly share in His resurrection.
The gates of the Heavenly City are open, but they are shaped like a cross. Let us walk through them together.
