PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
29 MARCH 2026
In the
beginning of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, people receive messages
from God through dreams. In a dream,
Joseph is told that Mary, his betrothed, has conceived through the power of the
Holy Spirit. Joseph responds by taking
Mary as his wife and taking care of her and her child in Bethlehem. The Magi are warned in a dream not to return
to Herod. They expose his lies by
returning to their country by a different route. Joseph is told in a dream that Herod wants to
kill his child. He responds by taking
the child and his mother into exile in Egypt.
Finally, Joseph is told in a dream that it is safe to return to
Galilee. He obeys so that he and Mary
can raise Jesus in the safety of Nazareth.
Today, the
wife of Pontius Pilate is told in a dream that his prisoner from Nazareth is a
righteous man. She sends a message to
her husband to have nothing to do with him.
But, Pilate ignores the message and condemns Jesus to death. He pretends to have no guilt by washing his
hands. He goes against the truth,
because he is afraid of the crowds and the religious leaders.
The Lord
continues to speak to us in a number of ways:
through the Word of God at Mass, through the words and examples of those
who care enough for us that they speak the truth, in our everyday lives, and
sometimes through dreams. Today, the
Lord invites us to listen to the central mystery of our faith by participating
in the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Lent ends
on Thursday night when we begin the Triduum by celebrating the Mass of the
Lord’s Supper at 6:00. Be with us as we
observe the Passion of the Lord on Friday at 1:00. Join us for the most incredible Liturgy of
the Year as we begin the Easter Vigil on Saturday night at 9:00. Be with us on Easter Sunday for the Mass of
the Resurrection at 10:00.
Participating
in these Liturgies is a powerful way of allowing the Lord to speak to us and
deepen our understanding of the Paschal Mystery, the central mystery of our
faith. When we come to the Sacred
Paschal Triduum, we will better understand that hatred is replaced by love,
that betrayal is forgiven by mercy, that cowardice gives way to courage, and
that the risen life of Jesus Christ defeats the power of death. Unlike Pontius Pilate, we can hear and walk
away with a more profound desire to live the dying and rising of Jesus Christ in
our lives.
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