Palm Sunday 2024
Holy Week begins today. Soon, we will celebrate the joy of Christ’s resurrection. First, we will be moved to sorrow, being told of Christ’s terrible suffering and death on our behalf.
The readings we hear on Palm Sunday begin with a crowd joyfully welcoming Christ to Jerusalem. However, the excitement quickly turns to vitriol as the chief priests and scribes turn the people against Him. Along the way, He is betrayed and abandoned even by some of His closest friends.
Where might we place ourselves in this story? Do we welcome the Lord into our lives? Do we turn our backs on Him? Are we swayed by the crowd?
Wherever we see ourselves in this story, the Lord offers us His merciful love, if only we would receive it. Because of His saving sacrifice, rather than the wages of our sins, we can look forward to eternal life in heaven.
Today’s readings end with the heartbreak of Christ’s death and burial. Yet, we know that death does not triumph. As we prepare for the Triduum and the Easter season, may the Lord deepen our anticipation of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
