Sunday Gospel Reflection
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Matthew 26:14- 27:66 | April 2, 2023
Christ’s Passion is Our Life
by Carlo S. Dureza
We officially commence Holy Week today and our reflective mood gets more somber as we ponder on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel today is an account of the gruesome days of Jesus’ suffering that ushered the salvation of mankind.
From the tumultuous moments of the last supper with His disciples to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the persecution of Caiphas and Pilate, to the draping of a scarlet robe on His battered body and pressing of thorns on His head, to the carrying of His cross to Golgotha, and finally to his final breath and entombment, we see that Christ the Savior has accomplished His mission.
Throughout His earthly ministry, His strength and stamina to do healing miracles for the sick, to feed multitudes, to raise the dead, to forgive sinners, to confront authoritarian Jews over unjust laws are staggering. He showed us the way to the Kingdom by living God’s reign on earth.
He showed us how to love.
Christ’s passion parallels our lives in this world. He accepted our frailties and brokenness, and underwent struggles and sufferings just like all humans do. He embraced the human condition. As the high point in the story of our redemption unfolds, we get a glimpse of what we go through ourselves. We see that Jesus had been subject to betrayal, persecution, disownment, humiliation, criticism, torture, suffering, and death. As the Savior, He experienced all of these for us.
The Jesus who came to us as a human baby born in a manger and worshipped by kings is the man who died on the cross to atone for our sins. Though divine in nature, Jesus was also human like us. He teaches that as humans, we too are much capable of loving like Him. We can carry our crosses, withstand pain and sorrow, and courageously face opposition to our faith.
As children of God the Father, we possess His indomitable Spirit, much like Jesus. It is not impossible to imitate Him.
May we be like the repentant thief beside the cross of Jesus who realized His Savior was there beside Him, ready to redeem him. This Holy Week, let us bring ourselves to conversion that we may be with the Lord in paradise one day.
Happy Sunday! God bless!🙏🌿💖
Artwork: Ecce Homo by Mateo Cerezo (circa 1663)
