April 2
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Readings
Reflection
For today’s Mass, things get changed up a little. We begin the service in the outer foyer of the church with the blessing of palms and a reading from Matthew’s Gospel first instead of after all of the other readings. We end the Liturgy of the Word with the Passion, where everyone becomes part of the story. The readings today all point to the person of Christ. The first Gospel from Matthew recounts Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. This is the realization of a prophecy that was made hundreds of years earlier by the Prophet Zechariah. The Passion from St. Matthew recounts the extreme change from the adulation Jesus received upon entering into Jerusalem to the Jews insisting that he be crucified.
Palm Sunday takes us from one extreme to the other as it recalls the last days of Jesus–from his entry into Jerusalem to his crucifixion. In these readings, we see the true extent of Christ’s suffering for us. We are reminded that our goal of Lent is to join our sufferings to his. Between the two sets of readings, we have an opportunity to reflect on the history-changing events which are about to happen and of their significance for each and every one of us.
As we enter Holy Week, let us focus with all of our heart, mind, and strength on the tremendous love that Jesus has for us as he endures torture, abuse, and the humiliation of the Cross. He did all of this for us–to pay the price for our sins. What we need to take from these readings is that the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus offers us has turned the shame of the Cross into the joy and peace of the Resurrection. The engine of torture and humiliation that is the Cross is now transformed into the Tree of Life. Let us join our sufferings to him on Palm Sunday, so we can rejoice with him on Easter Sunday.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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