Palm Sunday

Palm/Passion Sunday, March 29, 2026

Walking the journey of Lent we consciously and unconsciously hold onto melodies, images, and words. What has stayed with you? Mine are deeply embedded melodies of compassion, mercy, pleas for courage, Kyries, and ultimately praise for God’s constant love in the midst of our chaotic world. The celebration of liturgy does this to me.

A world torn by war, hatred, violence is evil personified. A Eucharistic heart grown large out of the mystery of dying and rising is indeed Love personified. When the texts of our liturgical prayer draw in the reality of our world situation, we breath in and out Divine compassion.

This Sunday, Palm/Passion Sunday, we praise as we parade with palm branches, then we try to settle our joy into a deep listening, making space for the suffering of the Anointed One, the Messiah, Jesus, the Christ.  The proclamation of the Passion is indeed a sustained poignant experience.

There is an earlier moment in the liturgy that makes way for the hearing of the passion story: the singing of Psalm 22, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” The melody in Catholic Book of Worship III was written by Brother Donatus Vervoort, (1931 – 2014) a deeply spiritual man who strove to serve persons in need with an understanding mind and a warm heart. I dare to say in the shaping of the melody for Psalm 22 his lived experience of war in the Netherlands, stretched and molded his understanding heart. When we sing that plaintive antiphon, our hearts are stretched to encompass the passion of the Christ, and the passion of our world.

But let me introduce you to another setting of that psalm. This is the composition of David Willcocks, SJ. This 6-minute video begins with a brief commentary on Psalm 22, followed by the cantor’s prayerful ministry.

Jesus lived among the people of his time in humanness not clinging to his divinity. He came to show us how to manifest God’s love in our world.

This Palm/Passion Sunday might we be shaped by the liturgy and carry into our lives the remembrance of his suffering, and all who know abandonment, cruelty and the horror of war.  May our liturgy this Palm/Passion Sunday reveal to us Christ’s compassionate heart for the whole world and all creation.

-Sister Loretta Manzara, CSJ

All four gospels record this significant and prophetic event. You can find them in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.

Image: Paul Moody/Unsplash

Palm Sunday Memories

I have wonderful memories of Palm Sundays past. My friend and I for many years went to visit her Dad on Palm Sunday weekend in a rural village in eastern Ontario. The village was small; the parish smaller but the spirit was alive and well. I could see Jesus being very comfortable here riding through town on his wee donkey, a sign of peace rather than dominance in His day.

Sadly, short days later his celebration of welcome turned to one of scorn, the suffering servant was about to be revealed. (Isaiah 50:4-7) He accepted this treatment with faith in His loving Father. With humility, putting others before Himself, (Phil 2:6-11) Jesus submitted to the torture of the cross. Luke’s passion narrative (Luke 22: 14-23, 56) reminds us of Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial and repentance, the women’s faithfulness  and centurion’s acknowledgement that Jesus was “this was a great & good Man”.                  

As we move into this most Holy of weeks, let us remind ourselves, daily, of our own faithfulness, our own weaknesses and our belief that Jesus was and is truly our God who loves us especially in our admitted weakness. May you have a blessed Holy Week my friends.

-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate

Images from Unsplash: Brooke Lark/Alessandro Bellone

This Palm Sunday

This Palm Sunday, March 24, my daughter Rochelle will celebrate her 52nd birthday.  She was born with a myriad of problems and we were told to put her in an institution and forget about her and get on with our lives. How I had longed for this baby girl and never for a moment did I think she wasn’t a gift.

The advice of that pediatrician was harsh, in keeping with the times, but unthinkable.  I would not leave her orphaned; I would not give her up.  When I decided to follow Jesus I knew without a word of a doubt He would be at my side.  I knew He would help and guide me.  I had no idea what we would encounter, what barriers would be presented, what hurdles we would need to jump.  But I believed that Jesus does not make junk and that all life has value and we would do whatever was needed to support her life.

Her birth for me was the triumphant entry into my life path of following Jesus. Rochelle began my Holy week and my commitment to caring for her in the best way I knew how. I knew that with the power of the Holy Spirit and the assistance of my beliefs we would succeed.  For over 50 years we have been a team, breaking barriers and showing others what God can do if you are open.  Her life has been very challenging, but she has been a leader, she has taught so many others countless lessons.  She has been my greatest teacher in life. Often those considered by many in society as “bụi đời”, (less than dust is the translation) those who live undervalued by society give us the servant leaders our direction. My mother gave a poem to me many years ago that reads.

God hatH not promised skies ever blue

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain.

But he hath promised Strength for each day.

Rest after labour, Light for our way

Grace for all trials, Help from above

Unfailing sympathy and undying love.           

Jesus tells us,

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  Mark 8:36

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Matthew 16:24

-Grace King, CSJ Associate

Image: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

Palm Sunday: Ancient Prophecy and Personal Remembrance

The Gospel of Matthew is chosen today by the Church to begin the Holy Week events leading to Jesus’ death and resurrection.  I have been reading about the juxtaposition of personal episodes that happened to Jesus as witnessed by the apostles and are rooted in the words of the Old Testament and its prophets concerning the Messiah who would appear.

In the Palm Sunday experience, Matthew explains that Jesus, heading to Jerusalem, reached Bethphage and called for a donkey and colt in the village ahead of them. As he rode through the town, the crowds spread palm branches on the road and hailed him “Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

After Jesus’ death, the disciples remembered the amazing happening along the route and recalled the ancient Prophet saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

During the reading of Palm Sunday’s Passion narrative, Matthew includes in his Gospel several other incidents that happened the day before Jesus’ crucifixion.  Later recalling them and realizing that these events were rooted in the prophets solidified forever that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

Pointing to his disciples dispersing and hiding in fear after the Last Supper, Jesus spoke of a prophecy matching their behavior: “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.’” No doubt due to fear, it was some time after the crucifixion that the disciples remembered the prophecy to which Jesus had referred.

After Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and thirty pieces of silver, Matthew writes that Judas repented but hanged himself.  After conferring, the chief priests used the money to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver… and gave them for the potter’s field.”

Gospel writers Mark, Luke and John also quoted Old Testament prophecies to validate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.  The written word of the Gospel, eyewitness accounts, the prophetic word of the Old Testament prophets and the fulfillment of the prophetic word give authenticity to Jesus as Messiah.

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

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Image: Unsplash/Brooke Lark

Palm Sunday

Who doesn’t love a parade? So much coming together to prepare (Luke 19: 28-40), to celebrate an event or accomplishment with colour, singing and cheering. In ancient times parades also included the use of palms to prepare the way for those being celebrated and loud Hosannas rang out. Palm branches, which symbolized goodness, wellbeing, grandeur, steadfastness and/or victory, were strewn before the celebrated persons. And so it was fitting that after all the wonders of Jesus’ public life he was welcomed to Jerusalem in exactly that manner.     

This Palm Sunday the readings drawn me to journey with the apostles. (Philippians 2:6-11, Luke 22: 14, 23-56)

They must have been so excited and engaged as they witnessed Jesus’ amazing welcome. Suddenly they would have been in a daze - things started to change in frightening ways. Over the Passover dinner Jesus tells them how eager He was to eat this Passover with them before He “suffers”. He invites them to take bread and wine “in memory” of Him. What did He mean “suffer” and where was He going? Jesus asks them to become servants and then confers on them a kingdom like the one his Father conferred on him. Servants, really? What kingdom? They were told Satan would sift them, but Jesus prayed their faith would not fail. Peter, ever the man of action, confirmed his faith by saying he would go to prison or die for Jesus. Quickly he heard the prediction from Jesus that he would in fact deny Jesus three times. Then Judas who was found to be planning to betray Jesus left the dinner only to return later to hand Jesus over for persecution. And then the unthinkable happened, Jesus was led away, tortured, and crucified. All of this happened within two days. No wonder they ran away, no wonder they were frightened. They had no time to process, to think through their responses and no time to pray. They had no idea how the story ended but we do.

Sadly, stories of injustice, persecution and death abound today. As apostles, how do we respond? Running away, putting heads in the sand or hiding the truth are not options for those of faith. Finding strength in faith, in communion with others and through compassionate action is where I hope to find myself.

How about you?

-Maureen Condon

Header Image: Unsplash/Brooke Lark