ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET

Sermon preached by the Fr. Gerald Beauchamp at High Mass on Palm Sunday, 16th March 2008

Readings: Isaiah 50. 4-9a; Philippians 2. 5-11; Matthew 26. 14 - 27. end;

There were once three trees growing in a wood. As they grew the three trees would talk about the future. They knew that one day the woodcutters would come and cut them down. They'd be made into something. So the trees dreamed of the future.

The first tree had a maternal spirit. 'When I am cut down', the tree said, 'I want to be used in a child's nursery. I want my wood to be used to make a cot and protect a baby. And I want this nursery to be in the palace of a king. I want to be the guardian of a prince.' That was a noble ambition agreed the other trees and they nodded their agreement in the breeze.

The second tree had a more adventurous spirit. 'When I am cut down', the second tree said, 'I want to be made into a ship that will sail the seven seas and bring treasure to the far corners of the earth.' The other two trees marvelled at such an ambition and nodded their agreement in the breeze.

The third tree was deeply religious. 'When I am cut down', it said 'I want to be used as panelling in a great temple. I want to be seasoned with the prayers of the saints and the incense of the priests. I want to point people to God.' With that a strong gust of wind made the others trees bow low. This was a mighty aspiration and they were full of wonder.

The years passed and in due time the woodcutters came and cut down the first tree. They split open the bark and nodded their heads in disappointment. 'Huh!' they said, 'this is poor quality wood. Whatever shall we do with it? No point offering it to Herod's carpenters.' Then one of them had an idea. 'What about that innkeeper in Bethlehem, the one that's building a new stable? We could sell it to him. 'A stable?' cried the wood of the tree, 'but I wanted to be used in a palace!'

But to the stable the wood of the tree went and its wood was used to make a manger. And there late one night, a man and a woman heavily pregnant arrived exhausted from a long journey. And there she gave birth and the child was laid in the manger. And the wood of the tree sighed. Its deepest wish had been fulfilled. Here was the Prince, 'the Man Born to be King', for which the wood of the tree and all humanity yearned.

The years passed. The woodmen came again to the forest and cut down the second tree. They split open the bark and nodded their heads in disappointment. 'We'd hoped to sell this to the shipyards in Caesarea', they said, 'but this'll never withstand the force of the ocean.' Then one of them had an idea. 'Aren't Peter and his crew building a new boat on Galilee? Perhaps he'll buy this wood.' 'You mean', said the wood of the tree, 'that I'm going to become a fishing boat?' The wood of the tree was horrified.

But a fishing boat it became. And one day, the baby born in a manger now a grown man and a preacher attracted such a large crowd in Galilee that he had to get into a fishing boat and use the prow as a pulpit. And the wood of the tree sighed. Its deepest hopes had been fulfilled. It was carrying the greatest treasure in the world. Here was wisdom. Here was the pearl of great price.

A year passed, possibly three, and the woodmen came again to the forest and felled the third tree. They split open the bark and snorted in derision. The wood was knotted and riddled with beetle. 'Only fit for burning', they said. 'Hold on', said one, 'we can always sell it to the Romans. Pilate's crucifying so many people these days that he can't get enough wood.' 'OK', the others sighed, 'I suppose we'll get a few pence for it. Better than nothing!' 'I'm going to become a cross?' gasped the wood of the tree, 'but what about my temple, my mission? I want to point people to God.'

But a cross the wood of the tree became. And a man was nailed to him. The man who had been born in the manger and preached from the boat and had found the temple wanting. This man was nailed to the wood of the tree and hoisted up on a green hill under a darkened sky. And when the wood of the tree was stained crimson and the earth shook and the people covered their faces in awe the wood of the tree knew that its deepest desire had been fulfilled. 'This', it said to itself, 'this cross, this is the way to point people to God'.

This Holy Week is about us. It's the culmination of our Lenten journey, indeed our journey through life. This journey is about our advancing from glory to glory: recognizing as we go that we constantly have to let go of our own precious egos and be transformed in the mystery of the cross.