Palm Sunday 2015 - A reflection

Courage to stand up for truth and right

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, which marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem days before his death on the cross. Traditionally Catholics celebrate this occasion by waving blessed palms as the celebrant leads the procession into the church for the special mass where the passion of Jesus is read. While this tradition of blessing of palms, procession and reading of the passion are firmly entrenched, the real meaning of Palm Sunday seemed to fading today.

Is Palm Sunday all about blessing and waving of palms? Is it all about going in procession and reading the passion of Jesus? It might have been so when we were children but should not be anymore as adults and having gone through our own “Passions” in life.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem with great courage knowing well he will be brutally crucified like a hard core criminal watched by the people of Jerusalem who used to call him Lord and master.

Jesus knew very well that his own people who welcomed him like a king coming to save them from the mighty Romans, will turn against him five days later when they realise he will not fight the Romans in the way they expected, with power and might. They will betray him and shout, “We do not know him” and “crucify him”.

Jesus knew very well the pain, agony and humiliation that he will have to endure in the next few days. All these were not for any crime he had committed but for speaking the truth, the truth that hurt many.

In short Palm Sunday is more about humility and courage to stand up for truth and right against all the forces of evil arrayed against us. Today each one of us may in similar situations of some sort. We see evil all around us where truth is blatantly suppressed and the righteous punished, persecuted, tortured and even killed.

Do we have the courage to stand up for truth and right even under these threatening and fearful circumstances? Even when friends, relatives and our own children turn against us for standing steadfast to our convictions of truth and right will we have the courage to go on with our struggle? This is the question we must pose ourselves this Palm Sunday.

Jesus chose to come in his own way to save us by humility,love, mercy and forgiveness.He did not come in the way we want, power and might.It is we who must follow him not he follow us.