Palm Sunday celebration that begins the celebration of the Holy Week is such an important step on our Lenten journey towards Easter. Today the Church celebrates this sixth Sunday of Lent as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. This is the time of year we stop to remember and relive the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. What we commemorate and relive during this week is not just Jesus’ dying and rising, but our own dying and rising in Jesus, which will result in our healing, reconciliation, and redemption. Attentive participation in the Holy Week liturgy will deepen our relationship with God, increase our Faith, and strengthen our lives as disciples of Jesus.
Today’s liturgy combines contrasting moments, one of glory, the other of suffering: the royal welcome of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the drama of the trial, culminating in the crucifixion, death, and burial of Christ. So, what should we do in this time?
We need to welcome Jesus into our hearts in a special way during the Holy Week. We must be ready to surrender our lives to Jesus during this Holy Week and welcome Him into all areas of our life as our Lord and Savior, singing “Hosanna.”
Today, we receive palm branches at the Divine Liturgy. Let us take them to our homes and put them in a place where we can always see them. Let the palms remind us that Christ is the King of our families, that Christ is the King of our hearts, and that Christ is the only true answer to our quest for happiness and meaning in our lives. And if we do proclaim Christ as our King, let us try to make time for Him in our daily life. Let us remember that He is the One with Whom we will be spending eternity. Let us be reminded further that our careers, our education, our finances, our homes, all of the basic material needs in our lives are only temporary. Let us prioritize and place Christ the King as the primary concern in our lives. It is only when we have done this that we will find true peace and happiness in our confused and complex world.
What is the significance of the Holy Week:
- A week of remembrance and appreciation
- A week of thanksgiving
- A week of repentance and reconciliation
- A week to keep Christ’s New Commandment of Agape love
- A week to deepen our Faith and strengthen our relationship with God.
You are all invited to celebrate with us these deepest and cardinal mysteries of our faith. Look at the “Holy Week” activities and make yourself available to pray with us. I wish you a real holiness in your life during this Holy Week!
Fr. Tom