Daily Gospel Reflection for March 24, 2024: Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflecting on the reading, I am most struck by all the emotions swirling around Jesus’s last week. The triumphal entry must have been a joyous occasion for Jesus, the Apostles, and disciples. During the Last Supper with the Apostles, Jesus might have felt prepared for what was about to transpire and not ready all in the same breath. When Jesus takes Peter, John, and James to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus must have felt frustration when His apostles kept falling asleep. While praying to God, Jesus asks God to “take this cup away from me.” Jesus must have been so scared, knowing what was to come, and so certain because He knew we needed Him to save us. The next day--down to the hours, minutes, and even seconds, Jesus had to have gone through all the emotions, all for us, so that we can one day be in heaven with Him.

There were other people with strong emotions during this time as well. Peter wept after realizing that he denied Jesus, just as Jesus told Him he would. Simon the Cyrenian probably felt confusion when he was commanded to carry the cross for Jesus. Mother Mary, who knew from the beginning what Jesus’s life would be, must have gone through a myriad of emotions that week as well, including the sorrowful agony of losing her child.

Out of all of the emotions mentioned in these verses, one stands out the most to me. When the centurion stands at the foot of the cross and says, “Truly this man is the Son of God!” that centurion must have felt pain and joy, like we all do during this sacred week of our faith.

Ponder:

What emotions do you have going into Holy Week? Are you happy that fasting is almost over? Are you feeling much of the same emotions as many of the saints must have felt during the first Holy Week?

Pray:

Jesus, prepare our hearts for the week ahead. Prepare us for the swirling of emotions that surround us during this truly sacred week. Thank You for loving us so completely.

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When the centurion stands at the foot of the cross and says, “Truly this man is the Son of God!” that centurion must have felt pain and joy, like we all do during this sacred week of our faith. #DailyGospel

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