“The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:8-9)

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, which begins the Holy Week, the most sacred time of Christian faith. It commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four canonical Gospels. Jesus fulfills the prophesy, rides a donkey, which symbolizes an animal of peace, instead of a horse, which is an animal of war, and enters the holy city Jerusalem as a Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king, while people wave palm branches, cover Jesus’ path to express the highest honor to welcome him.

Palm is a symbol of triumph and victory in the Greco-Roman world. Later it is used as a symbol of Christian martyrs and their spiritual victory over death.

As we continue to reflect on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the Holy Week, which relate to our own dying and rising, let us ponder Christ’s crucifixion, which demonstrates His immense passion and suffering for our salvation that leads us to the ultimate triumph and glory of the resurrection.

Crucifixion is a form of slow, shameful, and painful execution that the Romans apply only to pagans, but not to their own citizens. It becomes the symbol of human salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In its crossbeams, an ambivalent symbol, meet death and life, sin and salvation, setback and victory, immanence and transcendence of God, the basest aspects of the human sinful condition and the most sublime reflection of divinity’s selfless outpouring love.

In the crucifixion of Jesus, we see the truth of a loving God who is willing to embrace and endure suffering for our sake. We are invited to accept our Christian faith, to follow Jesus, to pass through our own death, to obtain the endless joy of Eternal Life.

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to work with the Holy Spirit to imitate and follow more closely our savior Jesus Christ in this Holy Week, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure, and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God. 

How can we appreciate Jesus’ passion, death, and crucifixion, embrace our own cross as the sign of God’s infinite Love and mercy for our salvation?                              

Wishing you a very happy and blessed week in the Lord.