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Palm Sunday  Year A - 9/4/2017 - Gospel: Mt 26:14-27, 66
King of the poor
Jesus entered the Holy City not riding on a mighty chariot with powerful army marching front and back and generals accompanied him. No, Jesus entered the Holy City riding on a donkey, surrounding by joyful crowds and his band of disciples. Their songs and shouting hosanna, hosanna were fitted to welcome a triumphant king who returned from a battle field. Kings and powerful men ride on fine horses; Jesus rode on a donkey. The poor and ordinary peasants employed donkey for carrying goods and for transportation. They could have not afforded to buy a horse. Jesus rode on a donkey and its back was covered not with red carpet but covered by a simple garment. It was not a new one but the one a bystander used to protect him from heat. All these symbols symbolized the simplicity and meekness and humility of Jesus. Jesus used the entry be means of identifying himself with the poor and the needy.

To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners, freedom, and to the sorrowful of hearts, joy. To accomplish your plan, he gave himself up to death, and, rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life.
Eucharistic prayer IV

There was no flag flying with the breeze but the multitude were wavering any palm they could pick up on the road side and shouted on top of their voices to praise and showed honour to Jesus. The glorification that the crowds gave were short lived and immediately followed by the long suffering. The following week Jesus was suffered on all levels of physical and psychological and spiritual. Physical suffering caused by the arrest and the unjust and rush trial and the cruel of soldiers who showed no mercy in their inhuman treatments. Psychological pain began with the betrayal of trust and love from his disciples and the humiliation of hanging between the two criminals. Spiritual sting was reflected through the loneliness and a sense of feeling being abandoned when he shouted aloud: Father, why are you abandoned me?
What paramount stood out in this whole ordeal was his unwavering fidelity to God the Father. Throughout the Passion the theme of obeying God the Father was evident and through it Jesus has reconciled us to God for the forgiveness of the human race's sins.

For the authority Jesus received a dead sentence not because he had done anything wrong but because his reputation spread far and wide and rapidly that created fear amongst the authority. They destroyed Jesus and had imposed more fear upon themselves living when they heard about the reappearances of Jesus.

Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey was not an incident but it had some connections to the way he was to be born in Bethlehem. Mary on her final days of her pregnancy rode a donkey on her returning home for the census registration. She gave birth on the way. Jesus on his final days had quietly arrangements for the donkey and the upper room for the Last Supper.

Some have experienced of being rejected as early as school applications and feel pain and fear in our sickness. In time of difficulties it is better to be in solidarity with Jesus' Passion and learn that pain and suffering is always part of the living.

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