GOSPEL: MT 26:14-26:66
Hosanna, hosanna!!!!!
Dear friends,
After five and a half weeks of preparation, we now enter into the climax of the Lenten season namely Holy Week, the chief week of the Liturgical Year. Today is the first day of Holy Week and it is called “Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion.” In a way, the whole week from today until Easter 
Sunday should be seen as one unit, namely, the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, which is the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this Sunday, the Church celebrates the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem in order to accomplish his Paschal Mystery. Today, all the readings highlight the ordeal and humility of Christ. Today’s gospel is from the passion narrative of Christ. It could be divided into three scenes: the arrest of Christ, his arraignment before Roman authorities, and his suffering and death. It is a drama of both praise and betrayal. It started like a comedy, but seems to end like a tragedy.
Hence, the journey that started with praises (Hosanna, Hosanna), eventually ended with castigation (crucify Him, crucify him). However, at both ends, God is still at work and in control because: “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom 8, 28).
The passion narrative of Jesus Christ is very crucial to our understanding of the true nature of Christ. It presents us with the nature of Christ as a true man. He suffered, and died like every other human being. Yet, this did not diminish the fact that he is Lord and God. Through his passion, He has become our role model, while his cross has become our symbol of hope and salvation. So, before seeing Christ as the glorious Lord of Easter, first, we must think of him as the wounded, and crucified Christ.
So, as we go through this day and this week, let us look very carefully at Jesus our Savior. We watch, not just to admire, but also to learn, to penetrate the mind, the thinking, the attitudes and the values of Jesus so that we, in the very different circumstances of our own lives, may walk in his footsteps. Amidst this global challenge of COVID-19, let us unite our pain, our worries, our cries and lamentations to Christ’s pain and sufferings.
If we are to be his disciples, he invites us to walk his way, to share his sufferings, to imitate his attitudes, to empty ourselves, to live in service for others – in short, to love others as he loves us (CARITAS). This is not at all a call to a life of pain and misery, but an invitation to a life of deep freedom, peace and happiness.
Finally, as we sing hosanna, hosanna today, let us ask God to keep us faithful till we sing the great alleluia to the glory of the risen Christ at Easter.
Fr. Kyazze Frank Lwanga
