Today we celebrate Palm Sunday! This initiates the beginning of Holy Week, and it means that there is only one more week until we will celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord.
Maybe the most memorable part about Palm Sunday is the insanely long Gospel reading. It seems like it lasts forever, but it's only about a chapter and a half from the Gospel of Luke. It's so easy to space out and get distracted and only key in on the bold parts that require our participation. It's so long and overwhelming that it's hard not to look forward to the end where we all get to sit down.
But I encourage you this week to go back and reread the Gospel for Palm Sunday and meditate on it (it's Luke 22:14 - 23:56). Take it a little at a time and think about it.
Think about the Last Supper. Imagine what it would be like if you were there. Think about Jesus' words, "Do this in remembrance of Me." Realize how much God loves you - that He would humble Himself and become man. And then He became more humble still by becoming truly present in the Eucharist, by taking the form of bread, something that is eaten, digested, and ... etc. He shows us how much He loves us. I invite you to experience it.
Think about Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Through His prayer, He shows us the perfect way to pray: We should do God's will above our own wills.
It may be difficult and undesirable, but it is God's will
and it should always be done.
Think about Judas and how he betrayed Jesus (who is God, so basically he betrayed God) with a kiss. Apply it to your own life. Think about how others have betrayed you, probably not to be handed over to die but still. Remember how Peter betrayed Jesus by denying Him three times. Apply this to your life. I know that at times it is difficult for me to stand up for the faith. But it gives me hope to know that Jesus later forgave Peter for denying Him, so I know that He will always forgive me, no matter how many times I deny Him.
Think about the crowd who shouted "Crucify Him!". I think sometimes we think these people are crazy. We think, "Don't you know that this is Jesus the Son of God? Don't you know that He is our Redeemer?" But we are these people in our every day lives. We are the ones who scream "Crucify Him!"
every time we sin.
Think about Jesus' words on the cross: "Father, forgive them. they know not what they do." Would you say these words? Even when you're not being put to death,
would you be so forgiving of others?
I know that's something I need to work on.
Think about His last words, His last breath, His death. His death seemed like it was the end, but it was the opposite. His death was the very beginning. His death gave us eternal life. When He breathed His last, God's plan for the redemption of humanity had been fulfilled. When He breathed His last, the gates of Heaven swung open wide and there was hope for the salvation of mankind.
I encourage you to meditate on Jesus' death and resurrection. Let this Holy Week change your life. Allow the death of Christ to impact you in a way that it never has before.
Dear Jesus, Thank You for the cross. Thank You for suffering and dying, so that we may have eternal life with You in Heaven, where there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering. Thank You for saying yes to the will of God in Your life so that we may attain salvation through the victory of your death and resurrection. Inspire us to be more obedient to God's will in our lives. Through Your courageous Passion, give us the strength we need to serve You more faithfully and wholeheartedly. This we ask through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a Blessed Holy Week!
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