A Reflection for Palm Sunday 2024

First published in the March 25, 2024 Bulletin of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Delray Beach, FL

Years ago, the celebration of Palm Sunday was separate from the Passion. This Sunday was reserved for Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem; the Passion was commemorated on Good Friday. For practical pastoral reasons, we now commemorate the Passion twice, on Palm Sunday and again on Good Friday. In doing this, though, we might miss the importance of Palm Sunday.

St. Andrew of Crete, writing in the seventh or eighth century, said “He who came down from heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us with himself, we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named, now comes of his own free will to make his journey to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or ostentation. As the psalmist says: He will not dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble, and he will make his entry in simplicity.”

It’s hard to imagine Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as simplicity, but it is not He who commands the crowd to honor Him; it is the spontaneous response of the crowd. His miracles have become known; He has raised Lazarus from the dead; He has healed many. He has been preaching for three years; His message has spread. He enters Jerusalem, not on foot, but riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophesy of Zechariah 9:9, “Exalt greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold! Your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

And the people respond to His entry into Jerusalem, cheering.

These same people, days from now, will stand in a crowd yelling “Give us Barabas.”

We face the same choice every day: praise the Lord, or call for Barabas.

What do you choose this day?