Dear St. Patrick family,

On Palm Sunday, we have two Gospels, one before the procession with palm branches and of course the Passion. In the Gospel before the procession, we hear how Jesus entered the holy city of Jerusalem, how the crowd greeted Him as their Savior, as the Anointed One, as the King of the Jews. The crowd greeted Jesus with excitement, waving branches and singing hosanna to the son of David. But not too long after these events, Jesus was nailed to the Cross. How people change. How things change.

This is a day to reflect on the meaning of the Cross. Jesus self-giving love for us. What does the cross of Jesus mean for us? The Cross reminds us that we have a savior who is able to sympathize and relate to our pain, sufferings and challenges because He, Himself has been tested in every way. As we meditate on the meaning of the Cross, it is important to remember that in one way or another, all of us will suffer. All of us will go through our own passion, our own Good Friday. Today we remember Jesus’ passion and death, but are we ready for our own passion? Are we ready for our own Good Friday? When we stand up for Jesus, the same thing that happened to Him will happen to us. We will get humiliated; we will receive a crown of thorns and we will be rejected. But this pain and suffering is not in vain. It is the continuation of building the Kingdom of God. Jesus gave His life for us on the cross. We are called to give our lives for each other. Are you ready for your passion? Are you ready to suffer as Jesus suffered? No matter what we experience in life, Jesus has been there before us. He understands. He loves us and wants to walk with us! Let us keep our focus on the cross of Jesus because in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.

Happy Palm Sunday and a Blessed Holy Week! Remember Jesus gave His life for you.

- Father Charles