Palm Sunday: The Beginning of Holy Week

A Reflection on the Journey of Faith

(Rev. Dr. Francis Perry Azah)

At long last, today, we have reached the last stage of our forty-day Lenten faith journey. Palm Sunday, which we celebrate today, inaugurates Holy Week, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We mark the beginning of the holiest week of the Church year. In the first gospel proclaimed at the beginning of this Mass, Jesus sets out for a journey; a triumphal entry amidst the pomp and pageantry of a whole city stirred to its depths, with people cheering wildly. However, in the second gospel, Jesus is betrayed and handed over to brutes, completing his kingly entry to Jerusalem dressed in a royal robe of mockery and a crown of pain.

Jesus begins like a hero and ends like an object of ridicule. Before one knows it, the readings conclude with these poignant words: “Jesus gave a loud cry and gave up his spirit.” The story of Jesus' passion is essentially a narrative of God's love for us. In fact, Holy Week portrays the magnitude of God’s love for us. As Jesus puts it in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: that one lay down his life for his friends.” At the appointed time, Jesus laid down his life for us by dying on the Cross. What an extravagant love!

The Triumph of Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday represents Jesus' greatest human triumph. Never in all his life was Jesus honored as he is today: He is the long-awaited Messiah, and thousands of voices proclaim this. In this sense, Palm Sunday announces and anticipates the final triumph of Jesus at his return at the end of time. Yet, Jesus is not deceived; He knows that, even if this crowd that claims him is sincere at this precise moment, it will soon follow the opinion of the high priests, who will incite Pilate to condemn Jesus to death. Certainly, perhaps not all the faithful of Palm Sunday would call for the death of Jesus a few days later. However, it is clear that, on Good Friday, Jesus is alone, with Mary, his Mother. The glory of the Crucified One!

It is the triumph of Jesus on Palm Sunday, the triumph of a man already crucified in his Heart, a Heart that belongs wholly to God, his Father. Accordingly, Jesus intends to do nothing on his own but rather to do the will of his Father when he said: "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me." (Jn. 6:38) This will of the Father is all of Jesus' strength! If he trusts in his Father, faithfully accomplishing his will, Jesus knows that the Spirit who rests on Him will always be ready to help him, no matter what. When the hour of the supreme sacrifice comes, the Holy Spirit will come to his rescue: "Through the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself without blemish to God." (Heb. 9:14)

The Significance of Blood in the Covenant

When God brought the Hebrew people out of their slavery in Egypt, the blood of sacrificed lambs marked the doorposts of their homes, and they were spared the punishment that fell upon their Egyptian captors. Later, on Mt. Sinai, when God bound Himself to His people, Moses offered animal sacrifices and then took half of the blood and put it in basins, while he threw the other half on the altar of sacrifice. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; they declared, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." Moses then took the blood in the basins and sprinkled it upon the people, saying, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." (Exodus 24:6-8) Blood-sealed covenants indeed.

As we now enter into Holy Week, blood and the cup of suffering are the centerpieces of God the Son’s saving and life-giving actions. In the blood of Christ, which flowed from His crucified body, we are liberated from the ultimate consequences of our sins if we follow in the footsteps of Peter and not in the way of Judas. God offers, we respond, and everything depends upon our response. Today and this week, our Church takes us to the core of God’s forgiving and self-emptying love for us. How will we respond to Him? Can we and will we accept God’s forgiveness? Judas did not. Peter could not at first, but later he did. Pontius Pilate tried to wash his hands of Christ’s bloody crucifixion, thereby denying responsibility for it. The Jewish leaders, however, accepted responsibility. “His death is upon our children and upon us,” they declared. Many people in Jerusalem at that time simply didn’t care; they couldn’t be bothered. What about us? Will we allow our hearts to enter into the passion and death of Christ? Or will we simply not care and not be bothered?

Embracing Our Crosses

When we are tried by temptations, when we are tested by bodily pain or mental suffering, worried to death perhaps by the bodily needs of ourselves or our families, or by the disobedience and insults of ungrateful children, we must stop and think of the Leader and his humiliations and sufferings. He came to open the road to heaven for us, to make us all sons and daughters of God, to preach the message of divine forgiveness and mercy to mankind. What did he receive in return? He was scourged, tied to a pillar, spat upon and insulted, jeered at and mocked. He was nailed to a cross on Calvary between two thieves.

How light is my cross in comparison, how easy my Calvary. We shall live that eternal life if we die now to our sins, our passions, and our weaknesses. My brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, He died and lived again that He might be Lord both of the dead and living. [Rom. 14:9] As the Son of God, He atoned for your sins, my sins, our sins. He is your King, my King, and our King.

The Call to Active Participation

During the coming week, let us honor Jesus, our Lord and God, through our active participation in each and every Holy Day of Holy Week, which will lead us to the celebration of the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and King Jesus on Easter Sunday. God bless you, and may holiness overflow your homes and your hearts.

As we reflect on these profound truths, let us remember the call to embrace our faith and the sacrifices that come with it. In this sacred time, we are invited to deepen our relationship with God and to truly understand the significance of the events we commemorate.

Let us embark on this journey together, supporting one another as we seek to grow in faith and love. May we be inspired by the example of Jesus, who, despite suffering, remained steadfast in His mission. In doing so, we can find strength in our own trials and tribulations, knowing that we are not alone.

In conclusion, as we navigate through Holy Week, let us be mindful of the ultimate sacrifice made for us. May we strive to live in a manner that reflects our gratitude and commitment to God’s love. Let us carry the message of hope and redemption to those around us, embodying the spirit of Christ in our daily lives.

Together, we can create a community rooted in faith, love, and compassion, fostering an environment where all feel welcomed and cherished. Let us be the light that shines in the darkness, guiding others towards the path of righteousness and eternal life.