Palm Sunday

Year A

Readings for the Mass: Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14-27:66
Gospel for the Procession: Matthew 21:1-11

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of the Holy Week. This week is the highlight of our Liturgical Year as we commemorate the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, through His death and resurrection, raised us to fullness of life. The celebration of the day highlights the fact that Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem and the people welcomed him with songs and dances and waving of the branches. There was jubilation and happiness and it looked, as if, the people of Jerusalem had recognised their Messiah. They shout with the top of their voice, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Mt 21:9)

I was touched by the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Indeed Jesus is the one who has come in the name of the Lord. He came to do the will of the Father. The second reading, from St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, highlights this fact very well and says that Jesus humbled himself by becoming man (Phil 2:7). He humbled himself so much that he gave up everything in obedience to God’s will. Through this self-emptying, he was able to rid of everything that was ‘His’ and filled himself with the ‘Spirit of God.’ This Spirit of God, then, he offered to us when he ‘yielded up his spirit’ (Mt 27:50) on the cross; completely emptying of oneself for the will of God.

We are, in turn, are invited to live with this Spirit and from time to time learn to rid ourselves of those things which hinder us from doing the will of the Father. Our ego, our selfishness, our ‘it’s me’ feelings always elevate us to the degree of making ourselves the centre of attraction. We think and act as if we are in total control of things and situations. We move around as if the world is in our hands! We talk to people around us as if we are responsible for the sun to rise! Quite often we forget, or take it for granted, the presence of God in and around us. We boast about the latest scientific discoveries and forget the creator of it (and us) all.

Today’s celebration invites us to reflect upon the kenosis (self-emptying) of Jesus and learn from it the love God poured on us. Though Jesus’ state was divine, he humbled himself (Phil 2:6-7). He lived with us, completely and fully, and showed us what it means to be truly loving. Though he is the king of kings, he travelled on a donkey. Though he had power over all, he depended on the generosity of his friends for his living. All this shows us that he gave the ‘control’ of his life to God and allowed God to control him.

I would like to conclude with this message which I received from one of the WhatsApp Groups: “You relax in an aeroplane though you do not know the pilot, you relax in a ship though you do not know the captain, you relax in a train without knowing the motorman, you relax in a bus not knowing the driver, why don't you relax in your life while you know that God is its controller?” Let us allow God to be in control and let us strive to do God’s will. Wish you all a blessed Holy Week and joyful Easter.