“Palm Sunday tells us that...it is the cross that is the true tree of life”

Jesus found a donkey and sat upon it, as Scripture says: Do not fear, city of Zion! See, your king is coming, sitting on the colt of a donkey!” (Jn 12:14)

(Scripture text: PHIL 2:6-11)

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

coming in human likeness;

and found human in appearance,

he humbled himself,

becoming obedient to the point of death,

even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him

and bestowed on him the name

which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Today begins Holy Week and like the Twelve, we may not always live our lives perfectly. We may fall asleep in the garden instead of keeping vigil. We may strike out clumsily with a sword and miss the real foe. We may follow at a distance and even pretend that we don’t know him. Maybe we will join him only at the last moment, like the “good thief,” who recognized Jesus’ innocence and asked to be remembered in his kingdom. But no matter how successful we are, Jesus remains determined to do his Father’s will—all because of his love for us.

On Palm Sunday, we come face to face with Jesus.  Thus, we come face to face with the reality of how we are to live our lives each day. 

Jesus, the Savior of the world and the king of the universe was born in the humility of Bethlehem.  All throughout the Gospels he taught his apostles and disciples the importance of humility.

His followers had already heard his piercing words: "blessed are the meek" and "blessed are the peacemakers."  But, he continued to affirm the importance of the virtue of humility when he held a child and said: "unless you become like a child, you shall not enter the Kingdom of God." 

The Apostles continued to struggle with pride and Jesus continued to teach: "Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave." 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said: "A key point in which God and man differ is pride: in God there is no pride, for he is wholly fullness and is wholly oriented to loving and giving life instead in we human beings pride is deeply rooted and requires constant vigilance and purification. We, who are small, aspire to appear great, to be among the first, whereas God who is truly great is not afraid of humbling himself and putting himself last" (Angelus, September 23, 2012)

I know this Holy Week is an invitation to be made new again, to progress on the path that leads to life. The only question is, will I respond fully?