Peace be with you,
This weekend we begin the drama of Holy Week. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem amidst the joyful cries of “Hosanna!” by the people who believe him to be the long-awaited Messiah is up-lifting indeed! This joy-filled acclamation at the beginning of the week increases our sense of shock and wonder at his arrest, mock trial and brutal death on Friday. How could the mood in Jerusalem change so quickly? How could some of the people who acclaimed him one day, turn around and hatefully condemn him a few days later? We are moved to consider our own fickle behavior. It seems like Jesus is lifted up only to be thrown down by betrayal and corruption. How did Jesus endure and keep his faith through this erratic drama? The readings from Isaiah and the Philippians give us some insight: Jesus was committed completely to God his whole life. He was familiar with the fickleness of human beings and found that God was his final hope. He chose obedience to God above all things even though it brought suffering and death, he believed God would reward him. As Holy Week unfolds, we are reminded of our own call to holiness, to faithfulness and obedience to God’s will. If we are disciples of Jesus, we too can expect to have hardship, suffering and even persecution in our own lives. These forces are brought about by sin. It should make us feel remorseful to know that our sins brought this injustice and pain upon Jesus and we should be acutely mindful of our treatment of others. It is also uplifting to know that when we suffer for Christ and remain true to his teachings, we can be confident that that God will not abandon us but will sustain us and give us strength to persevere. This week, let us draw closer to Jesus by uniting our YES to God with him so that through our suffering we remain constant in faith and grow in holiness giving increase to a rightful hope in the joy of his resurrection! May God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter