From Our Pastor: Palm Sunday

We need to make sure that we remind ourselves that Palm Sunday is a wakeup call for us who follow Christ. The passion according to Mark, this year, is read on Palm Sunday. In the passion we play the part of the crowd. It is important for us to do our part to participate because of the words we say. I had someone tell me, I don't participate in the reading of the passion because I don't like crying out "Crucify Him". I answered, then you need to remain sinless the rest of your life. They looked at me strangely.

The reason we play the part of the crowd, in the betrayal, the calling for his crucifixion, and even the saying His blood be on us and on our children, is because every time we choose to sin, we are crying for His betrayal, we are calling for His crucifixion, and His blood is on our hands. He died for MY sins. He died for YOUR sins. He died for OUR sins!! He who is sinless, takes our sins on Himself and dies in our place. So this should call us to humility. This should call us to soul searching. BUT most especially this should call us to conversion.

There is a strange mood change in the Palm Sunday liturgy. We hail Christ as our King! We cry out, "Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. The king of Israel. Hosanna in the highest!" We wave Palm branches and spread our cloaks before Him. Singing that All Glory Laud and Honor is to Christ our King. THEN almost in the same breath, we turn and cry "Crucify Him". This juxtaposition should shake us awake. We do this exact thing every time we come to Mass and then walk out the door and aren't moved to conversion and don't strive for holiness. We come and hail Christ as our King and priest and sacrifice. We praise Him and worship Him. THEN we go out and turn right back to sin and right back to the ways of the world.

Don't fall into this Palm Sunday trap every Sunday. Instead come with your hearts open to the grace of the Mass and the sacraments. Seek to truly follow Him. Allow a conversion and transformation of your heart and life. Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life. This Palm Sunday allow this uneasy feeling of praising Jesus as King then crying for His crucifixion to shake you to your core and wake you up.

Rev. Steven Arisman