Palm Sunday

It’s not easy to pair a celebratory parade with a trial and execution. So, two thoughts on Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.

Untie the colt and bring it here.

As Rev. Dr. Jennifer A. Little noted, we can enter into this story in so many places. How about identifying with those sent by Jesus to make preparations. Jesus had made prior arrangements for a colt to be at his disposal. This isn't just any colt. It is a colt that has not been ridden. And it is to be found tied to a gate or door. It will be ready.

Seems like every day in the life of the church we are called to make this journey of these two disciples on an important errand for Jesus and God's kingdom. You are sent by God to untie the colt. What is the errand you are sent on today?

If nothing, what binds are holding you back from fulfilling Jesus' call to be disciples?

Passion Sunday

Author Arianna Huffington tells of viewing the famous passion play in Europe held once every ten years with people coming from all over the world to watch the play. As Huffington watched the play, she also observed the irony going on around her. As Jesus drove the money-changers out of the temple, vendors wandered among the crowd and sold over-priced religious trinkets. As the soldiers attempted to quench Jesus' thirst on the cross, the audience gulped down their Cokes and crunched on the ice. In spite of the distractions, Huffington reports that the message of the play still came through. As she wrote, "Even amid the clamor and commercialism, I had felt the power of inexplicable peace.”

At Mass, the Church joins in Christ’s self-offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit. It calls the faithful not only to offer the spotless victim but also to learn to offer themselves.

“Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice

and yours may be acceptable to God,

the almighty Father.”

Let us be on guard against the temptation to rush His beaten Body down from the Cross, thinking that we have already traveled our road to salvation. We still have to travel it and Christ’s suffering can be our beacon along the way and an invitation to offer our own self-sacrifice.