Metro Creative

We are entering the Holy Days for Christians. But not only is this time sacred to Christians, but Ramadan is sacred to Muslims, and Passover is sacred to the Jewish people. They are all within the same time frame this year. These few weeks, we are called to return to the source of our spiritual selves. To take time out to look inside our hearts and find our God. This coming Sunday is called Palm Sunday. Christians shall begin the steps to Holy Week. Jesus will come to Jerusalem and ride in victory through the streets. The people will cheer Him and cast their cloaks before Him. These will be the same people who, a week later, will scream, “crucify Him.” Jesus will ride through the very people He will give His life for. He is love and bears with human nature he knows so well. He will hear their shouts of joy, the same people who will condemn Him on Good Friday.

Palm Sunday is so called because people use palm fronds to wave to Him as he proceeds through the streets. This event is spoken of in all four Gospels. So, it is something that all the gospel writers’ thought was important. Indeed, it is the Triumphant Jesus as opposed to the Crucified Jesus, a week away.

As I was meditating on this coming event of Palm Sunday, I began to see less of the historical event and more of the ordinary gospel. I wonder, in our own lives, if we take the good things for granted. The joys and triumphs that we have, and how we often do not connect or find these very beautiful and life-affirming events as gifts from God. We tend to leave God out of our celebrations today. We tend to leave Him out of our normal lives. For many, he is only for Church functions, not ordinary life. We no longer pray before meals, before graduations, before community events. When I held my new grandchild for the first time, I thanked God for this new life. I have almost had a car accident, but for the grace of God, a near tragedy was averted. I prayed in thanksgiving to God. We have been on long road trips, and we have prayed for protection and a safe journey. When we come home, we pray a prayer of gratitude. Even at a social gathering, we may be silent but offer a prayer from the heart; there is always a group that resents prayer or silence for prayer, in any form, so we let it go. Fearing misunderstanding or resentment.

The people in Jerusalem who saw Jesus that special day wanted to honor Him with a prayer of praise. Jesus knew, however, what was coming for Him, yet looked out on His people and, in silence, loved them back.

Like our own lives, one day we are happy to bring praise, and the next, we defy His authority and love in our lives. We bypass Him to do what we want, when we want to do it.

Our selfishness becomes evident, and we are part of the crowd that will scream “Crucify Him” in our own way. We, like Peter, will deny knowing Jesus. Remember, Peter was one of His own

disciples. Are we any different? God dwells in our lives, but we often ignore him when we want what we want. We forget Him when it is not convenient to praise Him.

The people of Jerusalem who sing Hosanna to Jesus on his entry way into the holy city are the very people standing in Pontius Pilate’s courtyard on Friday of the same week. I know this is a story from scripture, but our own lives are not much different when, one day, we are extolling God’s goodness and, the next day, ignoring His law that is knocking at our heart to enter.

Do not forget Jesus in your ordinary day. He is with you, standing right next to you. Share your gratitude and your challenges with Him. In this coming week, I ask you to see Jesus, to see His love for you. Travel with him to Calvary, and stand at the foot of the Cross, faithfully, and see the Love that gave all for you.

The next day, the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first, his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and done to him. (John 12:12-16)