In the first Gospel proclaimed today, Jesus rides into Jerusalem in advance of the Passover celebration. The feast of the Passover goes back to ancient Israelite history, which we see recounted in The Books of Genesis and Exodus. The patriarchs of Israel settle in Egypt, where the Israelites start to prosper greatly over several generations. But in time Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, turns against them and starts to oppress them to the point of enslaving them.
God then sends Moses and Aaron to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Pharaoh refuses, so God punishes Egypt with ten plagues, the last of which involves the angel of death going through Egypt and striking down the firstborn male of every household. The Israelites can escape this punishment by sacrificing a lamb to be eaten and smearing its blood on the doorframe of their home. The angel of death will then see the blood and pass over the house, sparing that family from the punishment to be inflicted.
After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally relents and lets the Israelites go. But soon after they escape, he changes his mind and sends his mighty army after them. The Israelites get trapped at the Red Sea, but God separates the waters and the Israelites are able to cross dry-shod. When Pharaoh's forces pursue them, the waters close up again, drowning the mighty Egyptian army.
Each year, the Israelites are to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of their liberation and, each year, large crowds gather in Jerusalem for the feast. But the celebration of their liberation is clouded by the political situation. The Israelites have been under foreign occupation for centuries by various powers - the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and now the Romans. The mood is tense as the crowds gather in Jerusalem and rebellion could erupt at any time.
In preparation for the feast, the Romans reinforce their presence in the city, stationing extra soldiers. Pontius Pilate himself, the Roman governor of the area, stays in Jerusalem for the occasion, leaving his headquarters in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean seacoast.
It is under such circumstances that Jesus rides into the city triumphantly. For centuries, ancient Old Testament prophecies had pointed to the first century as the time of the coming of the Messiah, who would liberate Israel from their oppressors. The crowds who joyously welcome Jesus into the city recognize the fulfillment of the prophecies. They recognize Jesus as the Messiah, who has finally come.
They are ready to embrace Jesus as their king, as the one who can overthrown the Romans and restore Israel. The Roman soldiers are watching the situation closely, ready to squash any uprising. A confrontation seems imminent.
But Jesus is not claiming the kingship just yet. He allows himself to be arrested, humiliated, and then tortured to death upon the cross, as he had told the apostles that he would do. What is more, all along, he had been telling his disciples that they too must accept the cross in order to follow him. Though they do not understand the words of Jesus at first, in time the apostles face their own martyrdom of death for the faith, with the exception of John, who experiences a slower form of martyrdom, imprisoned in a stone quarry instead. We too must do likewise. Like Jesus and the apostles, we must accept our cross, however it may present itself in our lives. And we must always be ready to accept the suffering we might have to endure for our faith.
But our story does not end at the crucifixion. Having risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven, Jesus has assumed his kingship. We are to build his kingdom on earth. We are to bring his values into our communities, our society, the world of entertainment, the government.
To do so, we must start in our own hearts, in our own homes, in our own lives. A good way to begin is to consecrate our lives and our homes to Christ the King. You can find a suggested consecration text in the Prayers section of this site. If possible, we should say the act of consecration together with all those with whom we might be sharing our home. Let us welcome Christ into our homes as the crowds welcomed him into Jerusalem. This Palm Sunday let us proclaim Christ the King of our lives.
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The readings for the Palm Sunday, Cycle B, are:
Gospel before Procession Mk 11:1-10 or Jn 12:12-16
Is 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Phil 2:6-11
Mk 14:1—15:47
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: The Kidron Valley facing toward the Temple Mount and the Golden Gates, where Jesus processed into Jerusalem by Zoltan Abraham (c) 2016.