Cycle A - Year II:  

5 April 2020: Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

(Liturgical Color: Red)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 50:4-7

Second Reading:   Philippians 2:6-11

Gospel Readings:  

Part 1 -  Matthew 21:1-11

Part 2 -  Matthew 26:14. 27:66

"To walk with Jesus... to Calvary"

We open our reflection in sadness.  For the first time since WWII, Palm Sunday and Holy Week liturgies will be without the physical presence of the faithful.  This is a necessary precaution in view of the covid19 pandemic.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has issued recommendations for Palm Sunday and Holy Week celebrations during the quarantine period following the pronouncements of civil authorities to stem the transmission of the virus.

Nonetheless, let us continue to reflect on the traditional activities of Palm Sunday, and this time it may be more realistic as the whole of humanity walks through difficult times because of the serious health threat to everyone.   

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion begins our journey with our Lord Jesus Christ on His way of the cross as we also anticipate His Resurrection on Easter.

Palm Sunday liturgy has two Gospel readings, both of them from Matthew.  The first Gospel Reading, during the procession of palms (which will not be done with the faithful this year) is commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which will be read after the blessing of palms and before the Mass proper.  The second Gospel Reading is during the Mass, which narrates the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us reflect on both of these Gospel proclamations.

Palm Sunday (Mt 21:1-11):  Our Lord Jesus Christ enters the city of Jerusalem for the last time.  The people greeted Him: "Hossana to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hossana in the highest!"  Then the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while other cut branches from trees and strewed them on the road as Jesus passes by.  The event shows Jesus coming as a gentle, humble bearer of the Good News, and not as a conquering warrior.

Now going to Jerusalem was a decisive step in completing Jesus' mission as He makes final preparation for His journey to Calvary.  Amidst the shouts and welcome by the large crowds, Jesus sees beyond their noise His suffering, torture and death on the cross of salvation.  In Matthew's Gospel, the story of Jesus' Passion and death focuses particularly on the obedience of Jesus to the will of the Father.

In the Church's liturgy Palm Sunday marks our entry into the holiest season of Holy Week.

Modification for 2020:

CBCP:  "For blessing of palms, the faithful who will be following the celebration on TV can hold their palm branches... while the prayer of blessing of Palms is prayed by the presider. In this case.... there is no need for Holy Water to bless the Palm branches."

"After the Mass, the presider can go around the streets of the parish at a previously announced time, to bless the palms, without using Holy Water, of the faithful in front of their homes.  The priest makes the sign of the cross as he passes through the streets."

The Passion and Death of Jesus (Mt 26:14. 27:66):  In the second Gospel proclamation we hear about the Passion of our Lord,  from the betrayal of Judas, our Lord's death on the cross, and His burial.  And notwithstanding His early triumphal entry into Jerusalem it ended in a journey of love to Calvary, as our Lord Jesus gave up His life to redeem us from sin.

Reflection on the Gospel Readings:  We, too, are called to enter into our own "Jerusalem" even as we are challenged to surrender ourselves completely to the will of the Father.  And especially during this critical time let us entrust ourselves to the mercy and protection of Almighty God to protect us from the world's Calvary of the corona virus. Perhaps it is hard to understand what's happening. Yet we cannot waiver in our faith.  We must trust God as our loving Father who cannot, and will never, forsake us, His children.

During the Holy Week, as we quarantine ourselves in our respective homes, let us meditate more intensely  on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. For God so loves us to give up His only Son to die in order to redeem us from sin.  There is no greater love than this: by His suffering, death and Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ has bridged the gap between God and man.

And so, during this time of grave crisis we ask ourselves does all these preaching make sense?  But then again, when everything else fails, do whom can we turn to, but God Almighty?

Trusting in God's mercy and protection, we will pass through our Calvary and overcome the covid19 pandemic.   So help us, Lord.

A blessed Palm Sunday to us all.  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!