Dear Friends in Christ,

Palm Sunday begins with a beautiful celebration of the crowds waving palms, voices raising in joy, chanting “Hosanna!” and Jesus being welcomed like a king. But suddenly, the same voices fade gradually as we begin the Passion narrative. These voices begin to chant “crucify him.” Such a sad betrayal that led Jesus to His suffering and death on the cross. This is not accidental. The Church wants us to face a hard truth: the distance between “Hosanna” and “Crucify Him” is not as far as we think. I would like us to meditate on five major points and listen to the words of the saints on the Passion of our Lord.

The Crowd Lives in Us — The people who praised Jesus were not all hypocrites. Many were sincere, but their faith was shallow and conditional, and because of the crowd, they would not want to support Jesus in public and face the wrath of the authorities or possibly even death. They welcomed Jesus when He gave hope, when He performed miracles, when He fit their expectations. But they turned away when He embraced suffering, when He did not overthrow their enemies, when the Cross appeared instead of victory. This same crowd lives in us. We say, “Lord, I trust You,” when life is good, but struggle to trust when life becomes painful. Palm Sunday asks: “Is my faith based on convenience or commitment?”

Jesus Chooses the Cross — In the Passion (Luke 22–23), one thing becomes clear: Jesus is not a victim—He is choosing this path. He accepts betrayal, He endures injustice, He carries the Cross, He forgives even while suffering: “Father, forgive them…” This is not weakness. This is Divine Love in its strongest form. Jesus shows us: love is not just words; love is sacrifice; love remains faithful even when it hurts.

Jesus the Silent Suffering Servant — In the first reading today from Isaiah 50:4–7, we hear the prophecy of Isaiah describing how the Messiah, the suffering servant, will accept the role of suffering: “I gave my back to those who beat me…” Jesus fulfills this perfectly. He does not defend Himself, He does not retaliate; He entrusts Himself to the Father. In a world that teaches “Fight back” and “Prove yourself,” Jesus teaches: “Trust God even when you are misunderstood or wounded.”

True Glory Is Hidden in Humility — In the second reading from Philippians 2:6–11, we hear one of the most powerful truths: “He emptied Himself… becoming obedient to death.” Jesus willingly goes down into suffering, then is lifted up into glory. This signifies clearly that the Cross is not an end in itself, but the path to resurrection. This should challenge us greatly because we may prefer success without sacrifice, glory without humility, victory without surrender. But Jesus shows us that the way up is down.

Palm Sunday should not just be seen as a mere story, but a decision: to follow Jesus only in celebration, or in the way of the Cross. This is because real discipleship is staying faithful when prayer feels dry, trusting God in confusion, and loving even when it costs something.

I invite you to place yourself in the story and find out where you truly belong: Are you in the crowd praising Jesus? Are you silent like the disciples who fled out of fear? Are you Simon helping carry the Cross? Or are you the good thief asking for mercy?

Then hear Jesus say: “I DID THIS FOR YOU.”

“True reverence for the Lord’s Passion means fixing the eyes of our heart on Jesus crucified and recognizing in Him our own humanity” — Pope Leo the Great.

“The remembrance of the most holy Passion of Jesus Christ is the door through which the soul enters into intimate union with God, interior recollection, and most sublime contemplation…” — St. Paul of the Cross.

“Our Savior’s Passion raises men and women from the depths, lifts them up from the earth, and sets them in the heights.” — St. Maximus of Turin.

“There is no practice more profitable for the entire sanctification of the soul than the frequent meditation on the sufferings of Jesus Christ.” — St. Alphonsus de Liguori.

May this great act of love and sacrifice by Jesus win for us more of God’s grace and mercy. Amen.

Fr. Emmanuel Ogla, VC

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