Wisdom From the West for Holy Week

When I moved to Virginia, I left behind a job as communications director for the Sisters of Notre Dame in California. Fortunately technology keeps their spirituality nearby. I’ve been following their Lenten Reflections via email and blog and just had to share this reflection by Sr. Mary Regina Robbins about Palm Sunday. Both she and Pope Francis explore the tension between the joyful, triumphant entrance of Jesus through the gates of Jerusalem and his ultimate destination, the Cross.

Sr. Regina writes:

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ consistent Yes to the Father; going into Jerusalem which represents all of us who too often reject God’s outpouring love. Our response this Palm Sunday is to go up to Jerusalem with Jesus in love and to imitate his unconditional response of love in obedience.

Christ’s obedience led him to the Cross, the dark, terrible, painful conflict with evil that led to his death and resurrection, that final and most sorrowful mystery that saved us. But as Pope Francis told the thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square:

Christ’s Cross embraced with love never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing a little of what he did on the day of his death.

What I find most interesting about both reflections is how we are encouraged to imitate Jesus, doing a little of what he did… we are to live our faith with joy and with love, knowing the risks but following his example of serving, helping, healing others. All we need to do is say Yes.