Another Lent in our life has almost passed. The whole penitential attitude of the last weeks achieves its culmination in the Holy Week, with its beginning on Palm Sunday. This day brings ambiguous emotions – on the one hand, we rejoice with Christ’s disciples at the gate of Jerusalem; on the other hand, we are pushed into the depth of grieving over the Passion of the Lord in the Gospel during Mass. As we are close to celebrating the greatest mysteries of our faith, let us look at one aspect of the encounter of Jesus with his disciples and the Pharisees at the foot of Mount of Olives.
Were all of them aware of what was to happen? Probably not, with the exception of Jesus, and perhaps Judas and the Pharisees. The crowd, here explicitly linked with the group of the disciples of our Lord, sincerely rejoices over the arrival of their King. Yet, the Pharisees try to censor their public happiness.
As we are to celebrate Easter, let us remember all those who suffer persecution for the faith. Their voice and public expression of what they believe in are like the voices of those at the gate to Jerusalem, where some political authorities strive to make them silent. Our Western society is also full of attempts to eliminate Christianity from the social life, legislation, the media etc. Many of those who have faith lose jobs and become eliminated or even cancelled in public. One can say that, in a way, Palm Sunday is their fest day – the day of those who rejoice and who grieve, who have the strength to profess their faith and unite their suffering with the suffering of Christ. Those who are never silent because they know that truth has to be defended and known. Jesus tells the Pharisees that even if they make the disciples quite, the stones will cry out – because it is just that God’s truth is known. This truth comes not only from human mouths but also from the whole creation witnessing to His greatness.
We can’t also forget those who suffer the terrible violence of war in Ukraine. Even though not concerning religious reality, Ukrainians are forced to keep silent and subdued by the evil force of the enemy. The truth on their experience is cried out, even if the evil seems to be so overwhelming.
May this time of the Sacred Triduum drown us in an even deeper reality – not only of joy and grieve, but also hope, peace and victory over evil Christ gained for us through his Passion and Resurrection.
Happy Easter!
Łukasz Gołąb – Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney, Australia
Fot. Valentin Salja/Unsplash.com