Palm Sunday begins the most important and sacred time in the Church’s year but also an important and sacred time in our own personal spiritual lives. Our day begins with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, but sadly the day finishes with Jesus bowing his head and dying on the Cross.

The Palm branches the crowds wave in joy and happiness on his entry into Jerusalem quickly turn into the shapes of crosses. The people turn their backs on him and condemn him to die the shameful death of the cross. One moment the crowds are proclaiming “Hosanna to the Son of David”, proclaiming their undying faith and love for Jesus but then quickly everything turns sour and they join the crowds shouting, “crucify him, crucify him.”

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ moves us all emotionally because we see someone suffering for our sake. It moves us because we realise that it is we who have inflicted this suffering on our Lord. It was not just Pontius Pilate, the Chief Priests, the Roman soldiers who brought this suffering on Jesus; it was sadly our sins, our faults and failings that inflicted this suffering on our Lord.

It would not be fair to comfort ourselves with the thought that it was a small crowd of Jews who killed Jesus over 2000 years ago. The rejection and the crucifixion of Jesus sadly continues every day. We cannot afford to forget that we all have had a part to play in the death of our Lord Jesus especially when we fall into sin. Jesus is crucified every time we turn our backs on God’s love and forgiveness.

This Holy week is a great opportunity to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord in a way that will change our lives. The Cross is lifted up to us as a sign that Christ has taken upon himself our sins so that we may know the infinite love and mercy of God.

The Palms that we hold today should be signs that we are willing to follow Jesus not only in moments of happiness and joy but also in times of suffering and hardship. The Passion of our Lord helps us to lift up our personal crosses and to unite them to the Cross of Calvary.

Who will have the last word? Not Pilate, not the chief Priests, not the Roman soldiers, not the crowd shouting “crucify him“. Christ will have the last word when he destroys death forever through his glorious resurrection. Christ will certainly have the last word and it is now left to us - what are we going to do next? Let us not waste time. Let us not waste this beautiful and emotional week in our spiritual growth in the crucified Christ and seek his forgiveness. Let us spend the time meditating on the Passion and realise what God has done for us, that God has loved us so much that he gave us his only Son. Let us embrace this Holy Week in the Church and make it our own personal Holy Week to deepen our faith in the crucified Lord. May the Risen Lord guide us as we take up our daily cross so that we may walk as children of the light, children of the Risen Lord.