Palm Sunday

Reflections for Palm Sunday

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord”

Today’s feast presents us two very different aspects of the one a soul yearns for (Is 26,9), “the most handsome of men” (Ps 44,3). He attracts us in both ways; in one form and in the other, we are attracted by him and we love him, for in both of them he is the Savior of men…If we consider at once today’s procession and the Passion, we see Jesus, on one hand, sublime and glorious and, on the other, humiliated and suffering.

For in the procession he receives royal honors and in the Passion he is mortified as a criminal. In one, glory and honor surround him; in the other, “there was no appearance that would attract us to him” (Is 53,2). Here he is the joy of man and the pride of his people; there he is “scorned by everyone, despised by the people” (Ps 21,7).

Here we acclaim: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the King of Israel who comes!” There we cry out that he deserves to die and we mock him for he made himself King of Israel.

Here we run towards him with palms; there they give him slaps in the face and strike him on the head with a reed.

Here they fill him with praises; there he is covered with insults.

Here they rival to spread their cloaks on his way; there he is stripped of his clothes.

Here he is received in Jerusalem as the King and Savior; there he is chased away from Jerusalem as a criminal and impostor.

Here he rides a donkey, rallied round with tributes; there he hangs from a cross, torn by the whippings, pierced by the wounds and abandoned by his own folks…Lord Jesus, that your face be glorious or humiliated, we always see wisdom shining in it.

On your face shines the refulgence of eternal light (Wis 7,26). O Lord, may your light, the light of your face (Ps 4,7), always shine upon us, in sorrow as in happiness…You are the joy and the salvation for all, when you ride a donkey and when you hang from a cross.