March 24 2024: Bible Verse of the Day – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – Jesus Enters Jerusalem in Jubilation for His Passion and Cross
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” – Mark 11:9
Catholic Readings For Today
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Today’s Bible Verse of the Day Reflections
Today, we’re celebrating Palm Sunday, a special day in the story of Jesus. In the Gospel, we read about Jesus entering Jerusalem, a big city, on a little donkey.
The people were very happy and shouted “Hosanna!” They put their coats and palm branches on the road for Jesus.
This event fulfills an old promise from the Bible that said the King would come riding on a donkey. Jesus chose a donkey instead of a big, strong horse to show that he is a different kind of King – one of humility and peace, not someone who conquers with force.
In today’s Liturgy, we face quite a contrast of experiences and emotions. We begin our celebration by listening to the story of Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem with great joy and exultation!
“Hosanna!” they cried out. “Hosanna in the Highest!” Jesus was treated as He should have been treated. People were excited to see Him and there was much excitement.
When the crowd shouted “Hosanna,” they were asking Jesus to save them. But sometimes, like those people, we might expect God to fix our immediate problems, not realizing that Jesus brings a deeper and everlasting kind of help.
But this excitement quickly turned to shock and horror as we enter more deeply into today’s readings.
The Gospel culminates with Jesus hanging on the Cross crying out “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And with that, “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.”
At that moment the entire congregation kneels in silence as we ponder the reality of Christ’s death.
How things can change in one short week. What happened to all the people who were shouting and praising Him as He entered Jerusalem? How could they allow Him to enter into this Crucifixion and death?
The deepest answer to this question is one that we may not expect. The answer is that the Father willed it.
The Father willed, by His permissive will, that so many would turn on Him, abandon Him, and allow Him to be crucified. This is so very important to understand.
At any time during that first Holy Week, Jesus could have exercised His divine power and refused to embrace His Cross. But He didn’t.
Instead, He willingly walked through this week anticipating and embracing the suffering and rejection He received. And He didn’t do so begrudgingly or even with regret. He embraced this week willingly, choosing it as His own will.
Why would He do such a thing? Why would He choose suffering and death? Because in the Father’s perfect wisdom, this suffering and death was for a greater purpose.
God chose to confound the wisdom of the world by using His own suffering and Crucifixion as the perfect means of our holiness. In this act, He transformed the greatest evil into the greatest good.
Now, as a result of our faith in this act, the crucifix hangs centrally in our churches and in our homes as a constant reminder that not even the greatest of evils can overcome the power, wisdom, and love of God.
God is more powerful than death itself and God has the final victory even when all seems lost.
As we go through this week, from the joy of Palm Sunday to the sadness of Good Friday, let’s think about our own hopes and what we expect from God.
Let’s remember that true salvation comes from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, not just from quick solutions to our everyday challenges.
Let this week give you divine hope. So often we can be tempted toward discouragement and, even worse, we can be tempted toward despair. But all is not lost for us either.
Nothing can ultimately steal away our joy unless we let it. No hardship, no burden, and no cross can conquer us if we remain steadfast in Christ Jesus letting Him transform all we endure in life by His glorious embrace of His own Cross.
The people who cheered for Jesus on Palm Sunday turned against him later in the week. It makes us think about how our own faith can sometimes be unsure.
Let’s use this Holy Week to reflect on our lives, say sorry for our mistakes, and renew our commitment to follow Jesus, the humble King, who loves us without limits.
Reflect, today, upon the contrast of emotions from Palm Sunday through Good Friday. Ponder the fear, confusion, and despair that many would have had as they saw Jesus murdered.
Reflect, also, upon this being a divine act by which the Father permitted this grave suffering so as to use it for the greatest good ever known.
The Lord gave His life freely and calls you to do the same. Reflect upon the cross in your life. Know that the Lord can use this for good, bringing forth an abundance of mercy through your free embrace as you offer it to Him as a willing sacrifice. Blessed Holy Week! Put your eyes upon the Lord’s Cross as well as your own.
A Short Story About How Fulfilling It Is to Serve the Lord
Maria is a devout Catholic and has been serving her church for as long as she can remember. She has instilled the same values in her family, and they have been serving alongside her every Saturday, preparing the church for the Sunday mass.
Maria’s family cleans the pews, dust the altar, and arranges the flowers with utmost care, making sure everything is perfect for the mass. Maria leads her family with a smile on her face, knowing that they are doing the Lord’s work.
Moreover, Maria’s favorite day is Palm Sunday, a day when the church is adorned with palm branches, and the congregation raises their palms in a procession, singing Hosanna to the Son of David.
Maria and her family join the procession, and their hearts are filled with joy and hope for eternal salvation.
As they sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest,” Maria feels a sense of deep gratitude for the Lord’s sacrifice, and her family feels the same.
Maria knows that she and her family are blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this way, and they will continue to do so with all their hearts.
They know that their service is not only a duty but a privilege, and they are grateful for the opportunity to show their love for Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
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Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to despair, give me hope. Help me to see your presence in all things, even in those things that are most troubling to me.
May this Holy Week transform my darkest moments and weakness as I surrender all to You, my God. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
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