Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week, the most solemn and sacred period in the Church calendar. It is on Palm Sunday that we enter Holy Week, welcoming Jesus into our lives and asking Him to allow us a share in His suffering, death and Resurrection.
It is a pivotal moment in the journey towards Christ’s passion. Jesus rides into Jerusalem, where the crowds hail Him as King. Ordinary people, like you and me, wave their palm branches in jubilant celebration, eager to crown Him as the long-awaited Messiah.
Amid their cries, there is a significant word that echoes throughout the streets: “Hosanna.” It is a term that means praise and adoration, but in the time of Jesus, it was a plea for salvation. It meant, “Save us now.”
Jesus’ entire mission was salvation. But the crowds who called out “Hosanna” did not fully realize the nature of the salvation Jesus was offering. Jesus was not coming to save them from a political revolution or the oppressive rule of the Romans. He was coming to offer a spiritual salvation that would reconcile humanity to God and free us from sin and death.
His sacrifice would secure eternal life for everyone who believes in Him and follows Him.
This week we remember and relive the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. The Holy Week liturgies present us with the actual events of the dying and rising of Jesus. These liturgies enable us to experience in our lives here and now what Jesus went through then. In other words, what we commemorate and relive during this week is not just Jesus’ dying and rising, but our own dying and rising in Him, which result in our healing, reconciliation, and redemption.
Just as Jesus did, we, too, must lay down our lives freely by actively participating in the Holy Week liturgies. In doing so, we are allowing Jesus to forgive us our sins, heal the wounds in us caused by our sins and the sins of others and transform us more completely into the image and likeness of God. In this way, we will be able to live more fully the Divine life we received at Baptism. Attentive participation in the Holy Week liturgies will also deepen our relationship with God, increase our Faith and strengthen our lives as disciples of Jesus.
This week, ask yourselves some questions: Will you cry “Hosanna” and truly recognize the gift of salvation? Will you turn to your brothers and sisters and try to be Christ-like? Will you take up your cross and follow Him? Or will you say with the crowds, “Crucify Him” and like Pilate, wash your hands of Him?
–Deacon Terry Murphy