Palm Sunday

At the beginning of Lent, we said that this Season was meant to purify our sight to see the mystery, the mysteries of Holy Week. We are there now: Palm Sunday. Let us pay attention to the Mystery.

The word “mystery” is used in the Church to refer to the Sacraments, especially to the Eucharist. Mystery, in this sense, refers to something we can see, but something which—at the same time—hides a deeper reality, something which cannot be seen. The word “mystery” refers also to the hidden reality itself, something difficult to see or to understand.

During Holy Week, we are invited to see this double aspect of mystery: the aspect by which a mystery is something deep that cannot be easily understood, something invisible; and the aspect by which a mystery is a sacrament, something which can actually be seen, but with a hidden meaning. We are invited to realize that, behind the Eucharist which we celebrate every Sunday, there is a reality: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ; and behind that reality there is still another mystery, the mystery of God reconciling humankind to Himself, the mystery of the love of God. But who can penetrate or understand the wealth of these mysteries? And how could we discover them, if we do not stop and reflect?

The sacraments we celebrate every Sunday are based on a historical event, and this is the focus of Holy Week: to relive that historical event. But that historical event is not like other events: the One who was condemned to death was not a criminal, was not a simple man—He was God Himself made flesh. The sacraments we celebrate every Sunday are full of divinity because, once upon a time, the Divinity entered our world and dwelt among us. And bled and died among us.

Holy Week is important, because it gives meaning to what we do every Sunday. Every Sunday our bodies are tinted with the blood of Jesus, a God-man who suffered, died and rose again for us. We celebrate His resurrection, because He died and rose again from the dead. His body and His blood are still present among us, and speak to us. But in order to understand what the Body and Blood say to us, in order to understand this mystery, we need to meditate on the Body and Blood itself, on the Passion of Jesus and His Resurrection from the dead two thousand years ago. It is not the death of a social activist or a simple prophet, it is the death of the Son of God made flesh. It is not the sacrifice of a man, but the love of God. It is not bread, it is His flesh, the flesh of the God-man given up to death for my sins.

Every Sunday we are invited to enter the mystery of the Eucharist, which is the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. But during Holy Week, we are invited to enter the mystery of the Passion and Resurrection itself, as if it were happening in front of our eyes, as if we were there, two thousand years ago. What’s going on here? Why do they kill Him? Why He does not defend himself? Who is this? What is He doing? Why?

Let us enter Holy Week wide awake. Let us pay attention to what happens in front of us. Let us try to understand more than we may have understood before. And let us react accordingly. In the first Holy Week some people ignored the events of Jesus’ Passion. Others pondered them. Some sided with Jesus. Others against Him. Perhaps some did both—first waving palms in celebration of Him as a King—then a few days later shouting that He be crucified as a criminal. Let each of us ask ourselves: what place will I take this Holy Week in front of the unfolding drama of the Lord’s Passion? May we be open to what is hidden. I pray your week is holy.