Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

In this Sunday's Palm Sunday Liturgy, the people and priests process into church carrying blessed palm branches and singing blissful songs in praise of the Lord who saves us from the bondages of our sins. The blessed branches that were carried at the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration become a symbol of victory. And they are the reminders that we are committed to following Christ, even unto death. Our call is to strive for fidelity to our God by embracing the Gospel without giving up, even when discouraged, betrayed, mocked, or put to death, as Christ was.

The procession with palm branches and listening to Scripture readings which speak of the life, passion, death and ultimately the resurrection of Christ, are not something merely from the past meant to remind us of events from ages past, with little or no relevance for the present. Rather, all that we celebrate throughout this Holy Week is a clear reminder that God is with us now, working on our behalf.

 The power of the resurrection of Christ has a daily and real effect in our lives by the working of the Holy Spirit in us and with us as an undying source of grace and joy for us now and always.

This means we are called not to acclaim the Lord merely with our lips or just on certain days of the year, such as Palm Sunday, Easter, and so on, but with our very lives, each and every day, every moment of our life. Christ has desired to identify with every human being, past, present and to come. Christ experienced suffering and death to redeem us and in order to draw all to a share in divine life. We are all partakers of God’s unending love and gifts, especially shown to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Amen