Palm Sunday
One
Jesus enters Jerusalem
On Palm Sunday, Jesus came to the top of the Mount of Olives on the east side of Jerusalem overlooking the city and the Temple. There He sat on a donkey, and as He rode along, “the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."
Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey signaled to the Jewish people that He was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah and King, fulfilling a well-known prophecy from Zechariah 9:9, “Behold, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey.”
This act echoed how King Solomon was publicly proclaimed heir to David’s throne, riding on David’s mule to Gihon, where he was anointed king (1 Kings 1:33–40). Similarly, Jehu was declared king with garments spread beneath him in homage (2 Kings 9:13), a gesture echoed by the crowds spreading their cloaks before Jesus.
By deliberately choosing a donkey, not a warhorse, Jesus identified with the peaceful and humble Davidic king foretold by the prophets, and the people recognized the symbolism. That’s why they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” a royal acclamation.
Two
Am I the King or Jesus?
“Do I truly recognize Jesus as my King, and am I willing to welcome Him with humility, trust, and obedience, even when He comes in ways I don’t expect?” This question invites a deep examination of the heart, “Am I willing to lay down my own ‘cloak’ of pride, control, or comfort to honor Him? Do I follow Him when the crowd cheers Hosanna, and also when the cross draws near?”
It’s a personal invitation to enthrone Christ in every part of life, not just in moments of triumph, but especially in the way of humility and sacrificial love.
Three
The Call to Conversion
Halfway down the Mount of Olives, Jesus stopped, and he wept over Jerusalem, saying, “If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and your children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognize your opportunity when God offered it!”
Jesus came, inviting the Jews to conversion and faith. They rejected Him and continued their path of sin. Forty years later, just as Jesus foretold, the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem, leaving not one stone standing on another.
Jesus is inviting us to a deeper conversion, a radical change of life, are we, will we?
On March 25, 2025, Our Lady once again renewed her call for our conversion at Medjugorje, “Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you, little children: offer me your prayers, sufferings and tears for conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my Son Jesus. Pray with me, because, little children, without God you do not have a future or eternal life. I love you, but I cannot help you without you; therefore, say 'yes' to God.”
Four
The Cleansing of the Temple
Then Jesus entered the Temple and He drove out those selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the money changers, nor would he allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. Mark 11:15-17
What is the meaning of the cleansing of the Temple? On the surface it appears to be a condemnation of turning the Temple into a marketplace. But if we are to understand what Jesus was doing we must listen to what He said, for immediately He taught them by first quoting Isaiah 56:7, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” And then he quotes Jeremiah 7:11, “But you have made it into a den of robbers.”
Pope Benedict explains the precise meaning of the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus came to bring God not just to the Jews but to all peoples of all nations. “According to his own testimony, this fundamental purpose is what lies behind the cleansing of the Temple: to remove whatever obstacles there may be to the common recognition and worship of God.”
But all the Gentile nations were excluded. This was signified in the layout of the Temple. The Temple was a series of concentric circles of purity. Each area limited to a more select group. Gentiles were considered intrinsically impure and thus excluded from inner closeness to God. They even placed a sign over the entry to the Temple which read, “No Gentile may enter here…If you are caught here you alone will be responsible for your death which will follow.”
So, Pope Benedict tells us that Jesus came to bring God to all people and to usher in the true worship of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Five
The End of the Temple and the Beginning of the Mass
The Jewish Temple was the only place where the Jews were allowed to worship God through sacrifice. A Synagogue is a place of prayer and teaching and community, but not a place of worship through sacrifice. When Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying the Temple sacrifices had come to an end. Jesus had come to replace the worship of God in the Temple with the worship of God in the Catholic Mass.
Jesus Himself had foretold this, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was speaking of the Temple of His Body (John 2:19-21). The Body of Jesus is now the Temple of God. And where is the Body of Christ made present? In the Eucharist at every Mass.
Pope Benedict writes, “The era of the Temple is over. A new worship is being introduced, in a Temple not built by human hands. This Temple is his body, the Risen One, who gathers the peoples and unites them in the sacrament of his body and blood. He himself is the new Temple of humanity. The crucifixion of Jesus is at the same time the destruction of the old Temple. With his Resurrection, a new way of worshipping God begins, no longer on this or that mountain, but “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23).
Jesus came to replace the worship of God in the Temple with the Worship of God in the Catholic Mass so that everyone everywhere so that all the nations could make the Father’s house a house of prayer.
Suggested Resolutions:
Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
Profess Christ as King in your life by setting aside work on Sundays and giving Him your full focus.
Be careful of your judgment this week, knowing that Christ came to bring the Kingdom to all.