A flood of thoughts and reflections grip my soul as I hold the blessed palm in my hand

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ

It is Palm Sunday! As I hold the blessed palm in my hand a flood of thoughts and reflections grip my soul. It is six days before the Lord’s Passover and one cannot help but see the inter connectedness of the different dimensions that make this day a profound spiritual experience. The PALM in my hand -

Participation:

Can there be a Palm Sunday without the ‘participation of people’? Surely not! We the people, the crowd, finally recognize Jesus! We see in him the ‘prophet’, the Messiah, the Saviour we are longing for! We are ordinary people; we are also people at the margins, like the shepherds, or for that matter even ‘pagans’ like the wise men of the East. We are people who have been conditioned by hierarchy, clericalism and patriarchy; by rites and rituals and in the political arena, by fascists, manipulators and powerful vested interests today!  However, the palm in my hand reminds me, that I am on a Synodal journey which mandates that I participate proactively in the building of God’s Kingdom of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity in the here and now! Shouting ‘hosannas’ is not enough! I need to break free and do all I can to help remove the shackles which tie down my sisters and brothers. Participation in the NOW moment, is essential

Articulation: 

One needs the courage of one’s conviction to articulate one’s hope. The crowds who came out to welcome Jesus demonstrated the courage to articulate their expectations and in a deeper way, their faith. Those who controlled their destinies could no longer cow them down. They sing their hosannas, loud and clear, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The angels sang similar words that first night in Bethlehem when this child was born in a stable. Now they use the words ‘King of Israel’ without any hesitation. The Prophet said long ago that he would come in humility seated on a donkey and they revel in this fulfillment. We are all called today to take a visible and vocal stand against all the evil, the injustices that plague our nation today. We are called to be persons who radiate the light of Christ. Hiding or being diplomatic because of our fears; our desire to protect our power, possessions, privileges and positions goes against the Gospel of Jesus

Love:

is all that mattered! For the people then as they take off their cloaks, spread it on the roads; break branches of palm and wave out to him. The significance of that action will never be lost. It was not a mere welcome or the salutations to royalty. It was much more. It was an external manifestation, to get rid of the obstacles that encumbered one in welcoming the Messiah into one’s heart and into one’s life. The cloaks were going to be trampled upon by the donkey, which in some ways represent the temporariness of all that is material. The breaking of the branches for the welcome, also signifies the constant pruning a tree needs, in order to bear good fruit, to be filled with compassion. In our world today which attempts to mainstream hate, the palm in my hand reminds me that only love triumphs! An unequivocal message of this Holy Week!

Mission:

The triumphant entry Jerusalem was for Jesus a ‘mission statement’. In the past, he said, “my hour has not yet come.” Now he is open, he is defiant; he knows that he is at the end of the journey. In a few days from now, in great agony, but with a sense of triumph we will boldly proclaim from the cross, “It is accomplished!” For the people who wave at him with their hosannas, he looks at them with a pierced heart, “Very soon, you will shout, ‘Crucify Him!’”. They are aware they do not have the determination to follow him to the cross. They will deny him several times over. Yet his supreme sacrifice will challenge all to live that mission here on earth. Our Synodal journey is about communion, participation and mission. The palm in my hand reminds me that I must be focused on the mission that has been entrusted to me!

The PALM in my hand, is therefore an invitation to me and to all God’s people to Participate in and to Articulate our discipleship in the small, simple, ordinary things of daily life; to Love others unconditionally and without ceasing and above all, to truly live the Mission entrusted to us, fearlessly, in the here and now!

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Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, justice, reconciliation & peace activist/ writer