Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied,
“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

“His death will bring Life to the world.”

Jesus enters into His city, the city of the King of the Jews, in triumphal procession. He marches into Jerusalem, knowing that soon, the rulers of this world will conspire against Him so that He will be betrayed, arrested, tortured and killed.

Jesus sees the suffering before Him, His Passion, and freely chooses to enter into it. He marches towards death, because He knows that His death will bring Life to the world. His death will be the “death of Death,” the “destruction of Sin” and the despoiling of the Devil. Jesus marches in as the Victorious King, whom we greet with shouts of Hosanna!

What will our response be?

So today, as we enter into the greatest of all weeks, Holy Week, we rejoice again at Good News that Jesus Christ has triumphed over Death. Death has lost its power over those who are united to Jesus.

So this weekend, as we read and reflect on the Passion of Our Lord, my prayer is that we as a parish might once again encounter Jesus as the Good News that Death does not have the last word. Jesus Christ is Lord, and in Him we have new and everlasting life!