10 April 2022 – Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Palm Sunday is the Sunday after the last day of Holy Week and the final day of the Lenten season of Lent. It is the final Sunday of the Passion of Christ, which began with his trial before the Sanhedrin and ended with his crucifixion and burial. The final day of Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, is a day for worship and penance. Palm Sunday is a joyful day, and the final day of the Lenten season. It commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, and his triumphal entry into heaven.
The final day of Holy Week is the culmination of the seven days of penitence and prayer that precede it. It is a day of atonement and reconciliation, symbolized by the ceremony of the washing of the feet.
The final day of Lent is a day of joy and celebration. Palm Sunday is the day that Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his triumphal entry into heaven are remembered. The palm is a symbol of victory, and of triumph over sin, death, and sorrow. The palm symbol also represents the victory of the new over the old.
The old, sinful world has passed away, and a new, pure world has come into being. The new life that we receive through Jesus’s victory over sin, death, and all evil is symbolized by the palm. The palm also represents the victory of the resurrection over the tomb.
The Saturday preceding the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was an odd day. It was Palm Sunday, the day Jesus would be taken to Jerusalem for a huge public rally and execution. The day before the big day, several women went to Jesus’s hometown, Nazareth, to anoint Him for His impending triumphal entry into the city.
But Jesus had other plans. He didn’t want to be anointed by the women. Instead, He wanted to visit a friend in her final hours, a woman named Mary. The women left the town and went to the home of one of Jesus’s female followers.
According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary was sitting at the entrance to the town when she heard someone calling her name. When she turned around, she saw Jesus walking toward her. The Gospel of John also tells the story, saying Jesus went to her house instead.
In either case, Mary was so moved by Jesus’s appearance that she went outside and fell to her knees. Jesus asked her to help Him prepare for His impending triumphal entry into the city. Jesus was going to be anointed and He wanted to get that oil ready in time.
The Gospel of Luke says the women told Jesus of Mary’s wish to have Him home for the Passover, which was just a few days away. Another version of the story is given in the Gospel of John.
