I am always puzzled every time we celebrate Palm Sunday on the change of mood that is experienced. There is a joyful singing of Hosanna at the beginning of the liturgy, the waving of the palms, the red color of vestments symbolizing Jesus’ joyful, triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Then, during the Mass we hear the Passion narrative telling us about the shameful, cruel and bloody death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The same crowd that sung Hosanna now shouted, “crucify him” and the red liturgical color seems now to symbolize agony, blood and martyrdom.
This contrast reflects our faith life, our reaction to Christ. There are moments when we are enthusiastic about Him, about our Church and our faith, followed by moments of doubt, of rejection of certain teachings which we personally dislike because they go against our lifestyle and habits. Often, we are like palms, green and beautiful today, but dry, brown and withered in a few days. The emotional religious outpouring during the Holy Week is forgotten by many a few days after Easter.
