Palms are an
ancient symbol. For the people of the Old Testament they meant the righteous
person who walks in the ways of God.
To the Romans
palms were a symbol of victory. Conquering generals would bring them back as
souvenirs of distant lands. It became a Roman tradition to greet their
conquering heroes by waving palm fronds during his triumphal entry into the
city.
For us Palm
Sunday represents a victory, it is a celebration. But what is the victory we
celebrate?
We celebrate the
victory of life over death, righteousness over sin and ignorance. We celebrate
as the King arrives to take possession of His Kingdom and take up the final
battle against original sin. We celebrate because we have read the story, we
know how it ends … we win.
But we are not
mere spectators watching this drama play out from the sidelines; we are
participants. Throughout salvation history God has always needed our
cooperation to advance His plan. He still does. It is still necessary to carry
the good news of this victory to the darkest corners of the world and the
darkest corners of the human heart. Through baptism we share in the mission of
Christ.
We do this with
the ordinary and common abilities that God has given us. We do this through our
everyday relationships, troubles, and sufferings. We smile instead of frown, we
pray when we are in pain. This is how we help Christ conquer the world. This is
the victory we celebrate.
Pax vobiscum
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
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