“The motive of pure love is the constant service to God our Lord should be valued above all.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola
The readings for Palm Sunday begin with narrating the triumphant entry of Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem. According to the story, Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread is coming in two days’ time and a lot of Jews will go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. As observant Jews, Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem in observance of the feast that would take place (John 12: 12-16; Mark 14:1-15).
When they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus instructed his two disciples to go to a village where they will find an ass and bring it to him. Jesus rode on the ass when he entered Jerusalem. The people accompanied him and they held palm branches while crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our Father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Mark 11:1-10).
In Palestine, palm trees are found throughout the land and according to the Easton Bible Dictionary, it is called the land of Palms (see Biblestudytools.com for more information). Palm branches symbolize victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life (Wikipedia).
Today we continue to see people greeting with palm branches the priest celebrant when he enters the church during the celebration of the Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.
After the triumphant entry to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples had a meal together to celebrate the Passover. However, the celebration turned gloomy when Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him and he would be handed over to be crucified. After the meal, they went to the Mount of Olives and while they were walking, Jesus told them that their faith would be shaken.
Upon reaching Gethsemane, he instructed his disciples to sit and pray, taking with him Peter, John, and James. Jesus told them that he is full of sorrow, and that ‘his soul is crushed with grief to the point of death’. He instructed them to stay awake and pray with him. As Jesus took on a long time to pray, the three disciples fell asleep. When Jesus noticed that his friends were already half asleep, he came closer and woke them up. He reminded them, ‘Keep watch and pray so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak’. The narrative continues with the arrest of Jesus and ends with the denial of Peter (Mark 14:1-15;47).
The readings on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion invite and remind us to consider and meditate on the following three points as we enter the Holy Week. First is to pause, keep watch, and to stay awake so that we will not fall into temptation. Taking a pause from the hurried face of life invites us to contemplate the suffering of Jesus, entering into our own pain and suffering, and that of the people around us. Meditating and contemplating on the sorrow and anguish of Jesus invites us to find joy and hope amid violence in our world.
Second, is to pray unceasingly for the triumph of life over death, peace over war, and fullness of life for all people. Through our unceasing prayers, we may become bearers of hope in a world that is torn with injustices and violence.
Third is to contemplate the passion and death of Jesus as God’s revelation of his radical love for all. It is indeed a dissident love embracing all people even those who despised Jesus. His death on the cross is a revelation of love that is radical, universal, and self-sacrifice, a radical love that embraces the challenges of loving universally. In the words of our founder, Theodore Ratisbonne, it means having a heart as big as the world where everybody has a space.
Looking at our global reality, the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane before his passion and death invites us to bend our knees in prayer and accompany Jesus as well as our brothers and sisters around the world who are feeling helpless, tormented, frustrated, and groaning. With our palms open, let us unite ourselves with them in prayer for healing, transformation, and the restoration of peace in places where people are suffering from war, violence, and death. Finally, as we begin the Holy Week – the commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus, let us savor each moment so that together with Jesus experience the resurrection.
Gospel reflection of Sr. Len Casas, NDS for the Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Is 50:4-7 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Phil 2:6-11 Mk 14:1—15:47
Balik-Tanaw is a group blog of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR). The Lectionary Gospel reflection is an invitation for meditation, contemplation, and action.
