Saint of the Day for 24 March: Prayer to Jesus entering Jerusalem

Palm Sunday: Meaning and Traditions of the Beginning of Holy Week

The Saint and Mission

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, a central period in Christian life that commemorates the last week of Jesus Christ’s earthly life, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem until the Resurrection. This day has profound theological and spiritual significance, since it begins the journey towards the culmination of the Paschal mystery, offering essential reflections on the mission of Christ and the meaning of his sacrifice for humanity. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, welcomed with palm branches and welcome songs, is a moment of apparent triumph which however preludes the events of the Passion. The crowd that greets Jesus as king, hoping for political and earthly liberation, does not fully understand the nature of his mission. This scene reveals the tension between human expectations and God’s salvific plan, underlining Jesus’ willingness to voluntarily embrace suffering and death for the redemption of humanity. Palm Sunday invites the faithful to reflect on the dimension of service and sacrifice at the heart of the Christian mission. Jesus, upon entering Jerusalem, does not seek power according to the world’s criteria, but offers himself as the “lamb of God” who takes away the sins of the world. His is a royalty that manifests itself in vulnerability and love to the extreme, a model of leadership that is based on mercy, humility and self-giving. This day also calls us to meditate on our personal response to the mission of Christ. The crowd that acclaims Jesus during his entry into the city is the same one that a few days later will ask for his crucifixion. Palm Sunday challenges us about the coherence and depth of our following of Christ, challenging us not to limit ourselves to superficial and momentary enthusiasm, but to a constant and conscious commitment to the journey of faith. Furthermore, the celebration of Palm Sunday is an invitation to bring the peace and love of Christ to the world. Just as Jesus entered Jerusalem to carry out his mission of salvation, so every Christian is called to be a bearer of the good news in his own living environment, bearing witness with words and deeds to the hope and liberation that come from the cross and from the resurrection. Palm Sunday opens not only Holy Week, but also a profound spiritual journey that invites us to follow Christ on the way of the cross, rediscovering the true meaning of his sacrifice and renewing our commitment to living according to the Gospel. It is a moment to reaffirm our mission as disciples of Christ, called to spread the light of his Easter throughout the world.

The Saint and Mercy

Palm Sunday, with its rich symbolism and profound spirituality, opens the door to Holy Week, inviting us to meditate on the mystery of divine mercy that pervades the entire narrative of the Passion of Christ. This day, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, presents us with a paradox: the King of kings choosing to enter the holy city not on a war chariot, but on a humble donkey, foreshadowing his coming humiliation and suffering on the cross. This act of humility and self-giving is the first in a series of actions that reveals the depth of God’s mercy towards humanity. Mercy on Palm Sunday is manifested in the warm welcome of Jesus by the crowd, who, although not fully understanding his kingdom of peace and love, senses in him a source of hope and salvation. However, this scene also prepares us to reflect on the times when, like that crowd, we welcomed Christ into our lives with enthusiasm, only to abandon him in moments of trial or difficulty. Palm Sunday invites us to recognize our need for mercy, to acknowledge our failures, and to return to Him with repentant hearts. Furthermore, Palm Sunday places us before the mercy of Christ, who, despite knowing that he would be betrayed, denied and abandoned, freely chooses to walk towards his passion and death for our redemption. This path towards the cross is the supreme expression of divine mercy: a God who does not keep himself away from human pain and suffering, but who enters fully into it to transform it from within, offering us salvation and new life. This day calls us, therefore, to meditate on how we can be instruments of God’s mercy in the world. It invites us to ask ourselves how we can welcome Christ into our hearts not only in moments of joy and triumph, but above all in times of challenge and suffering, both personal and communal. It challenges us to extend this mercy to others, especially those who are on the margins, who suffer, who are excluded or forgotten by society. Palm Sunday opens us to a week of profound reflection on the passion of Christ and his immeasurable love for us. It reminds us that at the center of the Paschal mystery there is the mercy of God, who incessantly seeks to meet us, to forgive us and to renew us. In this sense, Palm Sunday is not only the beginning of the commemoration of the final events of Jesus’ earthly life, but also an invitation to live every day in the light of his saving mercy, welcoming his love and becoming messengers of this mercy in the world.

Hagiography

On Palm Sunday, the liturgy commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey while the whole crowd spread cloaks on the ground and waved palms. This is the day on which Holy Week begins, which will end with the resurrection of Jesus, commemorated on the following Sunday, Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday does not end Lent, which, instead, will end on Holy Thursday, the day on which the Easter Triduum begins. Palm Sunday is also known as Second Passion Sunday, since in the Tridentine Mass, Passion Sunday is celebrated a week earlier. It is a holiday rich in symbolism and…

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