Palm Sunday

✠ | CLICK TO VIEW TODAY'S READINGS

For Lent this year, the Campus Ministries and Newman Clubs of Brooklyn and Queens have been having a virtual Lenten retreat. Many students and staff have been participating. The theme has been the Questions Jesus Asked.

This Palm Sunday, I think, one of those, is especially appropriate:

Do you realize what I have done for you?

We are beginning our most Holy Week of the Church Year. We are called to enter the dance of this week.

Think of the events: On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He enters simply, on a donkey. There are many people who have been following him as disciples. They wave palm branches and shout, "Hosanna!" Then, egged on by some Jewish leaders, the tide turns against Jesus.

On Holy Thursday, Jesus gives of himself for all time at the Last Supper: "Take and eat. Take and drink. This is my body. This is my blood." Then Jesus washes the dirty feet of the apostles as an example for them to do to each other. Then, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane and tells his apostles to watch and pray too. Jesus is arrested and has a mock trial.

On Good Friday, he is beaten, whipped and endures carrying his cross. He continues to love and forgive to his death. Then on Easter Sunday, he rises from the dead. This tells us that sin and death do not have the final word. But that life and love has the final victory.

We read from the Passion. Those who struck me are the crowd. They are the ones who shout "Hosanna" and later "Crucify him." But many in the end will become Jesus' disciples too.

What does that mean for us this Palm Sunday 2021? Can we take time this week to ponder what Jesus has done for us- suffer, die and rise? Can we die to our old ways and rise with him? Can we show humble service to others? Can we let Jesus walk with us in our hurts?

He suffered on the cross to identify with us- those who have died from the Coronavirus, those who have lost their jobs, those who have food insecurity. Can we watch and pray with Jesus? Jesus loves each of not as a number in the crowd but as his beloved child.

Do you realize what I have done for you?

Let's ponder that this week.

AMEN.

Fr. Michael Tedone

Campus Minister

Kingsborough Community College

& Pastor

St. Bernard

Brooklyn