Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

To The Epiphany of the Lord’s Passion 

PALM SUNDAY 
From Palms to Passion: The Road to the Cross Begins 

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Luke 22:14 -23:56, (13 April 2025) 

Year after year the Gospel passage for Palm Sunday recounts Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Together with his disciples and an increasing multitude of pilgrims he went up from the plain of Galilee to the Holy City. The Evangelists have handed down to us three proclamations of Jesus concerning his Passion, like steps on his ascent, thereby mentioning at the same time the inner ascent that he was making on this pilgrimage. Jesus was going toward the temple – toward the place where God, as Deuteronomy says, had chosen to “make his name dwell” (Deuteronomy 12:11;4:23). God who created heaven and earth gave himself a name, made himself invocable; indeed, he made himself almost tangible to human beings. No place can contain him, yet for this very reason he gave himself a place and a name so that he, the true God, might be personally venerated as God in our midst. We know from the account of the 12-year-old Jesus that he loved the temple as his Father’s house, as his paternal home. He now visits this temple once again but his journey extends beyond it: the final destination of his climb is the Cross. It is the ascent described in the Letter to the Hebrews as the ascent towards the tent not pitched by human hands but by the Lord, which leads to God’s presence. The final climb to the sight of God passes through the Cross. It is the ascent toward “love to the end” (John 13:1), which is God’s true mountain, the definitive place of contact between God and man. (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 2008) 

Dear parishioners, on this Sixth Sunday of Lent, the Church enters into the solemn mystery of Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, a liturgical threshold where exultation and sorrow intertwine. With palm branches in hand, we recall Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem—an event charged with messianic hope and royal acclaim. Yet this same procession leads us into the heart of His Passion, inaugurating the sacred days of Holy Week. Here, the joy of welcome and the agony of rejection stand side by side, inviting us into the paradox of divine glory revealed through suffering love. 

The Liturgy of the Palm Sunday holds before us two profound movements: the jubilant praise of the crowds proclaiming “Hosanna!” and the harrowing silence of the Cross where love is crucified. It is a liturgy of contrast and convergence–of kingly procession and unjust condemnation, of divine majesty and human betrayal. Through it all, Christ journeys not only toward Calvary but into the depths of human suffering, transfiguring it with redeeming grace. 

Dear friends, on Palm Sunday, within our Churches, we bless and receive palm crosses-simple yet profound symbols that draw us into the sacred mystery of this Holy Week. They recall the jubilant welcome the crowds gave to Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, waving palm branches and crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” It was a moment of praise and hope, as the Messiah was recognized-if only fleetingly-by the people. 

Yet these same branches, now fashioned into the shape of the cross, bear witness to the sobering truth that the very crowd which once shouted in joy would soon cry out, “Crucify Him.” Thus, the palm cross becomes a poignant symbol: it holds together the triumph and the tragedy, the praise and the pain, the welcome of the King and His rejection unto death. 

By holding these palm crosses, we are invited to contemplate both the glory and the cost of discipleship. They remind us that the path of Christ is one of humble obedience and self-giving love—a path that leads not around the Cross, but through it. In this way, the palms become more than tokens of remembrance; they are invitations to journey with Jesus in His Passion, to stand with Him in love and fidelity, and to embrace the mystery of the Cross as the very gateway to Resurrection. 

The sacred journey of this Holy Week invites each of us to search our hearts and ask: Where do I stand in the crowd? Am I among those who praise, those who condemn, or those who quietly remain silent? For this week is not merely about events long past-it is a mirror held up to our souls, revealing our place in the unfolding drama of salvation. 

We recall with reverence the cries of Hosanna! that echoed through Jerusalem-joyful acclamations offered in times of clarity, blessing, and hope. And yet, the brutal truth is that in the journey of our own lives, we too have echoed both the praise and the betrayal. In moments of comfort, when all is well, we sing confidently of our trust in the Lord. But in times of suffering, when prayers seem unanswered, or when God’s will be hard to accept, our voices falter. 

Perhaps, in those moments, we have not shouted, but whispered-whispered words of resentment, disillusionment, or quiet accusation. Perhaps, in the silence of our hearts, we have questioned: What kind of Lord allows such trials? And in that whisper, barely spoken but deeply felt, we have stood closer to the crowd that called for His crucifixion than we would ever dare to admit 

Holy Week confronts us with this truth not to condemn, but to awaken. It calls forth courage-the courage to step out from the crowd, to remain with Christ in His suffering, to let go of bitterness and choose love even in confusion. It is a summons to deeper trust, a deeper discipleship, and ultimately, to the hope of resurrection that is born through the Cross. 

Life-Giving Reflections for Holy Week 

Let Us Not Cause the Lord to Weep, But Let Us Weep with Him Over Our Sins: as Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s hardness of heart, so too does He grieve when we close ourselves off to His love. Rather than provoking His sorrow, let us respond with hearts broken open in contrition. “Heaven rejoices over one repentant sinner,” says the wisdom of the Jewish tradition, “and weeps over the one who remains unrepentant.” In these final days of Lent, may we imitate the prodigal son and arise, returning home to our merciful Father through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that we may fully enter into the joy of the Resurrection. 

Let Our Lives Bear the Fruit God Desires: the Lord approaches us as He once approached the barren fig tree, searching for fruit. He longs to find in us not spiritual emptiness, but the rich harvest of holiness-fruits of purity, justice, humility, obedience, mercy, and love. Holy Week calls us to examine the soil of our hearts and allow His grace to cultivate a life that bears witness to His presence. 

Let Our Hearts Remain Holy Temples, Not Markets of Sin: as Jesus cleansed the Temple in righteous zeal, so too does He long to purify the temple of our souls—the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Let us not desecrate what is sacred by harboring resentment, impurity, or injustice. Instead, we welcome Christ’s cleansing presence, asking Him to restore in us the beauty and holiness for which we were created. 

Let Us Welcome Jesus Into Every Corner of Our Lives: on Palm Sunday, the crowd welcomed Jesus with songs of Hosanna. This week, let us welcome Him not just with our lips, but with our hearts-inviting Him into every part of our lives as Lord and Savior. Let our surrender be sincere, and our praise be matched by a life conformed to His will. 

Let Us Become Like the Humble Donkey That Bore the Savior: the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem carried the King of Glory with quiet humility. So too are we called to bear Christ into the world-not seeking recognition, but offering ourselves in humble service. As we “carry Jesus” through acts of love, we may experience both welcome and rejection, joy and the Cross. Yet through it all, we are invited to be transparent witnesses to His truth, allowing others to glimpse in us His boundless love, His unfailing mercy, and His self-emptying compassion. 

On Which Side Will We Stand? :as we enter more deeply into the mystery of Holy Week, we are confronted with a question that echoes through the ages and pierces the heart: Where do I stand in the story of Christ’s Passion? Our lives speak louder than our words. By the choices we make, by the love or indifference we show, we proclaim either: “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord”-or, tragically, “Crucify Him.” 

Like Pilate, we may be tempted to wash our hands and walk away, denying responsibility for the suffering Christ. Like Judas, we may betray Him for fleeting gain. Like Peter, we may deny Him in fear or weakness. Like the religious leaders, we may ridicule Him by resisting His truth and clinging to pride. This week is not just a remembrance-it is a call to conversion, a summons to take our place in the unfolding drama of salvation. May we choose to stand with Christ, live for Him, and proclaim Him not only with our lips, but by the witness of our lives. May our prayer, fasting, and acts of mercy this week unite us more deeply with the Lord who enters into our world not to be enthroned in earthly splendor, but to reign from the Cross-where love’s ultimate triumph is revealed. 

Dear Epiphany, the Sacred Liturgies of Holy Week draw us into the profound mystery of our redemption by making present the saving events of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. These solemn celebrations are not merely commemorations of past events, but a real participation in the Paschal Mystery, through which we are invited to enter, here and now, into the very heart of Christ’s self-giving love. 

As we journey through these Holy Days, we are not only remembering what Jesus endured-we are being drawn into His offering, called to unite our own sufferings, sacrifices, and struggles with His: by contemplating the Cross and the empty tomb, we are also invited to examine the depth of our own conversion: our willingness to die to sin, to surrender our selfishness, and to open our hearts more fully to the transforming power of God’s grace: 

From Palms to Passion: the Journey Begins! 
Peaceful Palms, Powerful Purpose! 
The King Rode in on a Donkey-and Love Led the Way! 
Hosanna in the highest! Or Crucify Him? -The Fickleness of the Human Heart! 

Fraternally, 
Fr. John Peter Lazaar SAC, Pastor