The Labour Spokesman
Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week, the most solemn one on the Church’s calendar, also known as the week of Our Lord’s Passion. The trials and tribulations which Christ endured throughout that first Holy Week serve to remind us that the path to heaven is not an easy one. Indeed, it is straight, narrow, and very difficult.
That first Holy Week began with The Son of Man entering Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey, a lowly beast of burden. But, even as he did so, large crowds of people sang and shouted happily, waved palms which, along with their garments, they spread on the ground before our Lord. Yet, just under a week later, many of those same persons shouted for Jesus — an innocent person — to be crucified, and for a convicted criminal to be set free in his stead. Throughout that week Jesus was tested with extreme severity. Satan knew that Jesus’ fulfilment of his divine mission would result in his ultimate defeat. The Prince of Darkness therefore spared no effort in his attempts to weaken The Son of Man and turn Him away from God’s mission.
We, as mortals, will likewise have to face increasing temptations. To strengthen ourselves let us all reflect on Christ’s sufferings, and on how He found strength in fasting and in prayer, which helped him to stay the course, and submitted himself to the will of His Heavenly Father. This week of Our Lord’s Passion is a wonderful opportunity for us to come to know God in new ways. With firmness of resolution we can seize upon it as a wonderful opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the Paschal Mystery — Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again — and submit to God’s lead as He works in our lives a deeper knowledge and understanding of the mystery of our faith.