April 5th, 2020. Palm Sunday. Mt 27, 11-54 (Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ)
Palm Sunday. Jesus enters Jerusalem and is acclaimed by the crowds. He is greeted with palms and olive branches. Holy Week begins.
In a few days, many of those who are acclaiming him today will demand, loudly and with clenched fists of rage, that he be crucified. The apostles, Peter himself, who wants to defend Jesus with the sword, will soon after deny him. Of the 12, only John and some women, not forgetting his Mother, are at the foot of the cross. Illusions and failures. Euphoria and defeat. Intentions and disappointments…
The impressive story in Matthew’s gospel must put our life in the presence of Jesus. How many times has the same thing happened to me? How many promises have come to nothing? How many times have I abandoned him? Will this be one more time?
This year’s celebration will be different. From our homes, without going to the churches, we have to live this day in a different way. If we celebrate that Jesus enters Jerusalem to carry out his saving mission, we will be making Palm Sunday a reality. The palm branches and the palms can be the applause that we offer from our homes to all those who give themselves without reservation to carry out “their saving mission”. Let us see in them the presence of the Lord who cares for us and protects us. And that, in a few days, when this situation that we are living now ends, we do not pass as those who denied knowing Him, but that we continue to appreciate and value them because they are our brothers and sisters and the Lord is in them.
May the hope of reaching the Resurrection be our strength in moments of weakness.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
