Joke : A three years old boy named Johnny. When it was Palm Sunday, he couldn't wait to go to church to see what Palm Sunday was. But sadly, Johnny came down with chickenpox. His parents hired a babysitter to take care of Johnny while they went to church. When they came home holding palm leaves, Johnny asked, "What are the palm tree leaves for, mom?" She replied, "When Jesus walked through the town, people waved palm leaves at him in respect." Johnny looked upset and said, "Wouldn't you know? The first day that I'm not in the church, he shows up!"

This time two years ago, on this Palm Sunday, we began the Holy Week during a pandemic throughout the whole world, we didn’t celebrate the first part, the commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into the Holy City of Jerusalem as a King seating on a donkey. Why? It was because of the spreading of the coronavirus that there were only those involved in the celebration present. This year, we come back to celebrate with two parts: The commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into the Holy City of Jerusalem as a King seating on a donkey with the congregation’s participation and the long Passion of the Lord describes a King who was to suffer and to die on the Cross. Why does the Church arrange this setting for us to celebrate every year? It is to help us relive Jesus’ last moments on earth. Is it a contradiction when on one hand, we celebrate Jesus’ entrance into the Holy City of Jerusalem as a King, and on the other hand, we celebrate his passion and the death of the Lord Jesus?

This contradiction in this liturgy rather portrays a true contradiction within ourselves that we are invited to look at ourselves to see who do we identify ourselves with those people involved in the suffering, passion, and death of Jesus Christ.

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples that he called for himself, whom the Lord Jesus loved like the other eleven. He entrusted to him the money bag of the group for him to take care of. He had a seat at the dining table with the Lord Jesus among the other eleven. However, greed entered his heart, mind, and soul that the words of his master Jesus at the supper saying, “And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” Even at the words of his master at the supper, Judas still allowed evil spirits that possessed him to betray his master with a kiss. We are Christians, aren’t we? The followers of Christ, aren’t we? We are at the Eucharistic celebration, and we all hear the words of Christ in the celebration of the Word which is the readings. Have you and I ever allowed evil spirits that possessed our mind, heart, and soul to betray Jesus and his Church through our words and our deeds like Judas?

Pilate, the wicket king, wanted to protect his seat that he failed to stand for the truth. Have you and I ever failed to stand for the truth out of our selfishness?

The two criminals were crucified with Jesus one on each side of him. They were punished for what they committed. However, one was recognized for his wrongdoing and asked for forgiveness, and the other was not. To the one who asked for forgiveness, he was forgiven. Have you and I ever recognized our sins and asked God for forgiveness?

Peter, the prince of the apostles, another disciple of Jesus that he chose for himself, also had a seat with Jesus at the dining table. Even at the words of Jesus warning him of his denying his master, he said to Jesus, “Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you.” But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me.” And so it happened. However, between Judas and Peter, one didn’t believe in the mercy and compassion of God that he hung himself after he recognized his false doing, the other, Peter, recognized his denying his master and came back and led the Church that his master entrusted to him before his passion and death. Have you and I ever denied the Lord Jesus? Have you and I ever failed to do the sign of the Cross to say grace before a meal? What does it mean when we fail to do the sign of the Cross?

The twelve apostles that the Lord Jesus called to himself and chose for himself, all sit with the Lord at the table, disputed among themselves when the two of them asked to sit one on his left and one on his right. They all strongly said to follow the Lord Jesus no matter what, but they all ran away when he was caught. Recalling our first Holy Communion, how hunger and thirst we had to receive our first Holy Communion. Later on in our life, we learn to engage in gossip, criticizing, and judging one another. We even said to follow the Lord Jesus when we profess the Creed that we believe in one God, but then we worship other gods as well such as money, work, pleasures of all kinds, and excused ourselves do not having time to Church on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Jesus prayed for his disciples not to be put to the test when they saw them asleep and exhausted, have you and I ever got tired of following the Lord Jesus and the teaching of the Church? Should we pray more when we caught ourselves exhausted in following him and his Church?

The crowd, the people, who were among them received healing from leprosy and other diseases, restored sight from blindness, and restored good health from evil possessions. They then picked the side with Barabbas, the rebellion and murder, to crucify the innocent Jesus.

Through all these people involved in the passion and the death of Jesus, who have you and I identified ourselves with? Have we been able to identify the times that we hurt the Lord Jesus Christ, the times that we hurt our loved ones either in words or in deeds? Have we recognized the moment we hurt someone is the moment that we disfigure the face of Jesus in him or her? How should we restore our relationship with God and with one another imprinted on the Cross? Are you and I still created in the image and likeness of God?