Fr. Erik Tjeunfin, sx
Palm Sunday is a moment for us to reflect how Jesus, our Savior, entered willingly into Jerusalem where he experienced trial, suffering, death and resurrection. It is interesting to see throughout the holy readings how God being persistent and humble to bring salvation to us all. His entrance to Jerusalem is a salvific entrance and yet it has paradox. There are joy and sorrow, faithfulness and betrayal, love and hatred, humility and arrogance, divine plan and political interests. Unlike most of the crowd and even some of his disciples who had misconception about Him, Jesus understood himself as the Savior and suffering servant when he was in the procession to Jerusalem. He came to establish the kingdom of God (peace, love, justice and salvation) but not the kingdom of the world (violence, intimidation, ‘power’ etc), and now he is facing a trial and humiliation.
From the time of his birth until his death, our God in Jesus Christ always chooses downward for our salvation. Even if he is divine, he chose to be human (incarnation) and instead of choosing a horse, he chose a donkey. All is about his humility for our salvation. Yes it is true that by his humility, God meets us where we are and lifts us up. He is the suffering servant – Messiah who comes to fulfil faithfully the will of the Father. His downward is misunderstood as a weakness, scandal, threat, and rivalry. However God chose what is ‘weak’ to bring salvation for us (cf 1Cor 1:27). His passion/suffering does not subject him to damnation but resurrection and redemption. “The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be ashamed” (Is 50:4-7) and “God raised him high and gave him the name above other names….so that all beings…should bend the knee before him (Philip 2:10).
Therefore the message of this Palm Sunday is: Let us enter humbly and faithfully into our salvation; cultivate communion with God in our daily lives through the sacraments, prayer, family and consecrated life. We recognize that we have many challenges to experience God’s salvation but through our collaboration with Him, we will be able to do it. With a song “Enter rejoice and come in, enter rejoice and come in, today will be the joyful day, enter rejoice and come in”. I wish you a happy Holy week.
Palm Sunday is a moment for us to reflect how Jesus, our Savior, entered willingly into Jerusalem where he experienced trial, suffering, death and resurrection. It is interesting to see throughout the holy readings how God being persistent and humble to bring salvation to us all. His entrance to Jerusalem is a salvific entrance and yet it has paradox. There are joy and sorrow, faithfulness and betrayal, love and hatred, humility and arrogance, divine plan and political interests. Unlike most of the crowd and even some of his disciples who had misconception about Him, Jesus understood himself as the Savior and suffering servant when he was in the procession to Jerusalem. He came to establish the kingdom of God (peace, love, justice and salvation) but not the kingdom of the world (violence, intimidation, ‘power’ etc), and now he is facing a trial and humiliation.
From the time of his birth until his death, our God in Jesus Christ always chooses downward for our salvation. Even if he is divine, he chose to be human (incarnation) and instead of choosing a horse, he chose a donkey. All is about his humility for our salvation. Yes it is true that by his humility, God meets us where we are and lifts us up. He is the suffering servant – Messiah who comes to fulfil faithfully the will of the Father. His downward is misunderstood as a weakness, scandal, threat, and rivalry. However God chose what is ‘weak’ to bring salvation for us (cf 1Cor 1:27). His passion/suffering does not subject him to damnation but resurrection and redemption. “The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be ashamed” (Is 50:4-7) and “God raised him high and gave him the name above other names….so that all beings…should bend the knee before him (Philip 2:10).
Therefore the message of this Palm Sunday is: Let us enter humbly and faithfully into our salvation; cultivate communion with God in our daily lives through the sacraments, prayer, family and consecrated life. We recognize that we have many challenges to experience God’s salvation but through our collaboration with Him, we will be able to do it. With a song “Enter rejoice and come in, enter rejoice and come in, today will be the joyful day, enter rejoice and come in”. I wish you a happy Holy week.