“Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to the son of David,

blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

I am sure that we all have great memories of many celebrations of Palm Sunday in the past. The beginning of Holy Week with a procession of the palms is usually a celebration marked by enthusiasm and excitement. Every year this liturgy leaves us amazed: We pass from the joy of welcoming Jesus as he enters Jerusalem to the sorrow of watching him condemned to death and then crucified. This means the liturgy combines contrasting moments, one of glory, the other of suffering. What we commemorate and relive during this week is not just Jesus’ dying and rising, but our own dying and rising in Him, which will result in our healing, reconciliation, and redemption. Attentive participation in the Holy Week liturgy will deepen our relationship with God, increase our Faith, and strengthen our lives as disciples of Jesus.

This weekend we begin again with new palms. These new palms should lead us to the question of how we have changed since we had ashes from those triumphal palms on our foreheads. What have we learned since Ash Wednesday? How are we different, are we better people because of the efforts we put into this Lenten season? Do we more consciously try to better serve the Lord and each other? Indeed, the palms have a deep and rich meaning. The palms are part of the great account of our Lord’s passion. They are also a part of our story – yours and mine. Five weeks ago, the old palms were burnt outside this church and we received the ashes on Ash Wednesday. Those ashes, made of palms we had with us for a year, reminded us of our mortality, our sinfulness and our need for reconciliation, conversion, and prayer.

Take the palm branches with you this weekend; let them be a reminder that we are entering the holiest week of the year. The week that begins with the false triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ends with the true triumph over death and the cross. These palms challenge us to remember our role in our Lord’s passion – that those great sufferings endured by our Lord were endured for each of us. Five weeks ago, we heard: Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. Those ashes on our foreheads have washed off, but these palms can stay with us, offering testimony and calling us to not forget who we are – sinners in need of our Lord’s grace, and what we can be – sinners who have placed our lives in the hands of our loving God. That is the real meaning of Lent. This meaning symbolically corresponds with palms – the loss and destruction of them at the beginning, and the green new leaves – restoration – at the end. Ultimately, that is what these weeks are about: Burning away, clearing out, and cultivating something new. That is Lent. So, take these palms. Let them be a reminder of this week that we are beginning – the holiest week of the year.

As we begin this Holy Week, let us ask for the grace to enter into these mysteries in a deep and personal way. Let us truly accompany Jesus and Mary, our Blessed Mother, on this journey. As we walk this path with Jesus and Mary, we remember that everything that happens in these final moments of our Lord’s earthly life – happens according to God’s plan of salvation. Jesus willingly gives his life. This is the story of Holy Week. This is what makes it holy. Touch the story this week by being holy, by imitating the healing, reconciling, serving and sacrifice of the one who showed us what it truly means to live and give life for others. Notice that we cannot make sense of Good Friday without Easter Sunday, but there is no Resurrection without Calvary. Love costs. However, in Jesus, love will always be victorious. Do not be afraid of going through Holy Week. Walk with Jesus on each day of the week. After Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday will come for all of those who walk with Jesus. With him, there are no shortcuts – but there is a guaranteed end to the story.

Fr. Quan