Palm Sunday
More than just a day to poke our siblings with palms and hear the longest Gospel reading of the year, Palm Sunday is the important beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred time of the Church's calendar year.
There are so many figures in the readings this Sunday who reveal our humanity to ourselves. The loving devotion of Mary, the treachery of Judas, and the fearfulness and weakness of Pontius Pilate. Peter, the headstrong leader and first pope of the Church, declared "Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be" (Mt 26:33) would shortly thereafter exclaim "I do not know the man!" when questioned on his relationship with Jesus (Mt 36:72). The crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" only a short time later cry, "Crucify him!"
Where are we in this story? Who do we identify with? How can I take time to focus on Christ's unwavering love for me at the start of this holiest of weeks?
Consider watching this episode on Jesus' suffering, death, and Resurrection from our series Catholicism 101 with Rachel Bulman with these questions in mind:
- Do you believe that you would have stood apart from the crowd in crying for Jesus to be crucified? Would you have been silent? Would you have joined them?
- What are the "seven last words" of Christ?
- Why is the resurrection of Christ so central to what our faith is about?
"Let us always remember: the Lord is the Living One, he is merciful!”