Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

This is the holiest week in the liturgical year of the Church. The biblical account of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection comes to life again as the mystery of our salvation unfolds before our very eyes. With Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins. Or rather, we should say: with Jesus entering Jerusalem, Holy Week begins. Without Jesus – the Lamb for the Sacrifice [Gn 22: 7], the Lamb of God [Jn 1: 29] – there can be no salvation for all of us.

On Palm Sunday, it is a liturgical tradition for us Catholics to congregate outside the Church as the Gospel reading on ‘Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem’ is proclaimed. With palms in our hands, the Priest (representing Christ) leads us in a triumphal procession into the Church as we sing and shout, “Hosanna! Hosanna!”.

But upon entering the Church, the mood and mode of the liturgical celebration immediately take an about-turn – the whole atmosphere turns serious, sombre and somewhat melancholy – another Gospel reading on the Passion of Christ is proclaimed – and the shouts of ‘Hosanna! Hosanna!’ are now replaced by the shouts of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, perhaps it is a good time to reflect on ‘Why do I follow Jesus?’ Perhaps it is an opportune moment to re-examine our true intention and motivation of following Jesus.

(1) Do I follow Jesus because of herd mentality? Or do I choose to follow Jesus because I personally believe He is truly my Lord and my God? Will I continue to remain faithful at the foot of the Cross of Christ even if no one follows me?

(2) Do I follow Jesus for the sake of fame and fortune, power and pleasure, gold and glory? Do I follow Jesus just because I want to sit at His right hand or His left [Mk 10: 37]? Will I join the angry crowd in shouting ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ because Jesus does not meet my expectations or satisfy my whims and fancies?

At every Wedding Mass, the couple exchanges their vows: “I take you to be my wife/ husband, I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and honour you all the days of my life.”

Our covenantal relationship with Jesus is similar to that of a marriage covenant. Through our Baptism, we are, in a way, 'married' to Christ. We have pledged ourselves to God and His Holy Church. We must therefore strive to be faithful followers of Jesus all the days of our life – in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in richness and in poverty, in shame and in glory, in suffering and in comfort… regardless how others feel about Christ and His Holy Church.

As Jesus enters the Holy City of Jerusalem, the heart of Israel’s worship, let us also welcome Jesus into our heart, the centre of our being. As we sing “Hosanna! Hosanna!”, may we always acclaim Jesus as our Saviour and our King from the bottom of our hearts.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.”

Let us also pray with and pray for Ukraine that:

“The weapons of war be silenced, the evil of the aggressors be stopped, and those who hold the fate of the world in their hands may spare us from the horror and madness of war.”