As we turn our focus in this Holy Week to the Passion of our Lord, we ought to keep today’s first Gospel passage in mind as we encounter these great mysteries. Jesus enters Jerusalem in the manner of a victorious king. The celebration of His entrance anticipates the victory He is about to win, though the method of victory will look like no other strategy ever employed. His victory is not about superiority of number, force, or strength. Rather, the victory won by the Passion of Christ is the victory of love. Out of love, Jesus shares the experience of fallen humanity. Out of love, He endures every pain – physical, emotional, and spiritual – that we can endure. Most of all, out of love, Jesus who is innocent and wholly without blame, condescends to experience the punishment our sins deserve, including the final consequence of sin which is death. By entering into our suffering and death, Jesus is able to triumph over the grave, restoring life and opening the gates of heaven to us once again. These are the mysteries we will celebrate in the coming days.
Within Holy Week, the most important days of the Church’s year, the Paschal Triduum, we celebrate the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, the Passion and death of Jesus on Good Friday, and the opening of the tomb as the light of the Risen Christ shines in the darkness of Holy Saturday night. The celebration of the Triduum makes the mystery of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection truly present for us, and invites us to experience more profoundly the salvation that God is accomplishing for us.
While some elements of this week will (and should) feel heavy, as we experience these mysteries and meditate on these final days leading to the accomplishment of our Lord’s mission, keep in mind the scene at the beginning of Palm Sunday. The victory of Jesus is already anticipated. Without knowing exactly what would happen, the people who greeted the Lord as He rode into Jerusalem recognized their glorious Messiah. We who know what will happen likewise recognize our triumphant King. We do not wave palm branches to welcome a civil servant, though. Today we raise those branches in praise of the One who wins a victory that transcends time, space, and national boundaries, a victory that does not depend on our participation or agreement, a victory of light and life, a victory that reunites divinity and humanity.
