Mar 24 2024 Reflection
Sunday 24 March 2024
First Reading: Mk 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm:
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
PS 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Second Reading: Phil 2:6-11
Gospel Reading: Mk 11:1-10
Today’s Note: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Gospel Reading:
And when they drew near to Jerusalem,
to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples,
and said to them,
“Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately as you enter it
you will find a colt tied,
on which no one has ever sat;
untie it and bring it.
If any one says to you,
`Why are you doing this?’ say,
`The Lord has need of it
and will send it back here immediately.'”
And they went away,
and found a colt tied at the door
out in the open street; and they untied it.
And those who stood there said to them,
“What are you doing, untying the colt?”
And they told them what Jesus had said;
and they let them go.
And they brought the colt to Jesus,
and threw their garments on it;
and he sat upon it.
And many spread their garments on the road,
and others spread leafy branches
which they had cut from the fields.
And those who went before
and those who followed cried out,
“Hosanna! Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of
our father David that is coming!
Hosanna in the highest!”
Reflection:
Does the King of glory find a welcome entry in your home and heart? Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing full well what awaited him – betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion. The people of Jerusalem, however, were ready to hail him as their Messianic King! Little did they know what it would cost this king to usher in his kingdom. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem astride a colt was a direct fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah (9:9):
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, and riding on an donkey and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.
Those who believe, hope, and love receive Christ’s kingdom of peace and eternal life
The colt was a sign of peace. Jesus enters Jerusalem in meekness and humility, as the Messianic King who offers victory and peace to his people. That victory and peace would be secured in the cross and resurrection which would soon take place at the time of Passover.
Augustine, the great 5th century church father, comments on the significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem:
“The master of humility is Christ who humbled himself and became obedient even to death, even the death of the cross. Thus he does not lose his divinity when he teaches us humility… What great thing was it to the king of the ages to become the king of humanity? For Christ was not the king of Israel so that he might exact a tax or equip an army with weaponry and visibly vanquish an enemy. He was the king of Israel in that he rules minds, in that he gives counsel for eternity, in that he leads into the kingdom of heaven for those who believe, hope, and love. It is a condescension, not an advancement for one who is the Son of God, equal to the Father, the Word through whom all things were made, to become king of Israel. It is an indication of pity, not an increase in power.” (Tractates on John 51.3-4)
Psalm 24 is another prophetic passage which echoes this triumphal procession of the King of glory:
Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.
Jesus Christ came to bring us the kingdom of God. He is the true King who offers peace, joy, and everlasting life for those who accept his kingship. Does the King of glory find a welcome entry in your heart and home? Do your walls echo with the praise of his glory?
Lord Jesus, be the King and Ruler of my heart, mind, life, and home. May my life reflect your meekness and humility that you may be honored as the King of glory!
