Palm Sunday (Cycle C, Year I)

Community Word:Christ’s sacrificial love leads us to eternal life.

Theme: We live Christ’s sacrificial love when we are obedient to the will of God.

Promise: “The Lord God is my help…I shall not be put to shame.” (Is 50:7)

Reflection:
After healing the sick, driving out demons,and raising the dead, it was time for the King of Kings to enter the Holy City.“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk 19:38). The crowd in Jerusalem exclaimed joyfully as they welcomed Jesus.

Just as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, so too He desires to come into our lives in humility, even if He is the Son of God. Unlike the Pharisees who asked Him to silence the people and children from cheering and acclaiming Him, nothing should prevent us from allowing Jesus be the source of true joy in our hearts.By the power of His divine love, He forgives our sins and reconciles us with the Father.

The Palm Sunday Gospel tells us that Jesus did not save us by His triumphant entry into Jerusalem or by the power of miracles He performed. St. Paul epitomizes the path to redemption in two actions: Jesus “emptied” and “humbled” Himself (cf Phil 2:7-8), demonstrating the boundlessness of God’s love for us. Jesus emptied Himself and did not cling to the glory of being the Son of God. Instead He became the Son of Man in order to be in solidarity with us sinners in all things; yet He was without sin. Even more, He lived among us in the condition of a servant, not of a royalty. He humbled Himself, accepting the status of a slave when He stooped down to wash the feet of His disciples (cf. Jn 13:1). This act is so undignified that not even Israelite slaves can be compelled to do it.

But, the most horrible humiliation of Jesus was experience in His Passion. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver and betrayed by a kiss of a disciple whom He had chosen and considered as His trusted friend. Nearly all the others fled and abandoned Him, while Peter denied Him three times. As His spirit was humiliated by mockery and insults, His body suffered brutally from the blows, scourging and crowning of thorns on His head, making Him unrecognizable. And when the hour of death arrived, He underwent the most painful form of shame reserved only for the worst kind of criminals. On the cross, Jesus experienced the mysterious abandonment of God, and as He hang on to the love and obedience to His Father, He cried out: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” (Lk 23:46).

Even at the point of His death, Jesus revealed the true face of God which is mercy. He forgave those who crucified Him, He opened the gate of Paradise to the repentant thief and He touched the heart of the centurion. If evil is vastly manifested, the reality of God’s unfathomable love that flowed through Jesus to mankind is infinite, overflowing and encompassing.

Palm Sunday is also officially called Passion Sunday. While we rejoice and sing hosanna when we receive Jesus into our lives as our Lord, we also weep and mourn as His death confronts us because of our sins. We are responsible for His crucifixion and we must be sorry before the cross, yet we should be grateful that He is our Savior. During this Holy Week, we are exhorted to meditate on Christ’s sacrificial love and unite our hearts, mind and spirit with the Passion and Death of Christ. Let us enter into the pierced heart of Jesus and penetrate deeper into the love of God.

As we do, let us persistently strive to be holy by being obedient to God’s will and living the purpose for which Christ died on the cross. Yes, the road to holiness is laden with trials and difficulties, but these should not discourage us. Rather, let us cling to God’s promise: “The Lord God is my help…I shall not be put to shame,” (Isa 50:7). The day will come when we will be in the great crowd gathered around the throne of God, and here everyone will be shouting holy praises and heavenly hosannas ringing throughout eternity.

Prayer:
O God, our heavenly Father, grant us the grace to receive Jesus triumphantly into our hearts, fully realizing that He is the only source of our joy. As we relive Jesus’ passion and death during the Holy Week, allow us to join our suffering and pain with His suffering and pain. Gazing at the Crucifix, may we feel sincere sorrow and genuine repentance for all our sins and receive Your loving forgiveness for which we are very grateful for. Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:
1. Is your heart filled with gratitude for Christ’s passion and death? Ask the help of the Holy Spirit in your reflection.

2. In praise and worship, do you allow the triumphant entry of Jesus into your heart, giving Him the true honor, glory and praise that He deserves as Lord and King?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
April 14, 2019 (Sun)-Is 50:4-7/Ps 22:8,9,17-20,23,24/Phil 2:6-11/Lk 22:14-23:56
April 15, 2019 (Mon) -Is 42:1-7/Ps 27:1-3,13-14/Jn 12:1-11
April 16, 2019 (Tue)-Is 49:1-6/Ps 1-6, 15, 17/Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
April 17, 2019 (Wed) -Is 50:4-9/Ps 69:8-10, 21, 22, 31, 33, 34/Mt 26:14-25
April 18, 2019 (Thu) -Is 61:1-3, 6, 8, 9/Ps 89:21, 22, 25, 27/Rv 1:5-8/Lk 4:16-21
April 19,2019 (Fri)-Is 52:13-53:12/Ps 31:2,6,12,13,15-17,25/Heb 4:14-16;5:7-9/Jn 18:1-19:42
April 20, 2019 (Sat)- Gn 1:1-2:2/Gn 22:1-18/Ex 14:15-15:1/Is 55:1-11/Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4/
Ez 36:16-28/Ps 118:1, 2, 15, 17, 22,23/Rom 6:3-11/Lk 24:1-12

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”