Palm Sunday – 29nd March 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we enter a very holy week. A week in which the Gospel walks with us step by step through the last days of Jesus’ life. It begins with joy. Jesus enters Jerusalem and the people welcome him with palm branches. They shout, “Hosanna!” They greet him like a king. There is excitement, hope, and emotion. But we know that only a few days later the same crowd will shout: “Crucify him!”
This is the drama of the human heart. We can move very quickly from enthusiasm to abandonment, from promise to betrayal. And if we are honest, sometimes we can recognise ourselves in that crowd. There are moments when we follow God with joy, and other moments when, quietly, we walk away.
The Gospel of the Passion is long, but in it we see many faces in which we can recognise ourselves. There is Judas, who sells his friend for a few coins. Not because he was completely evil, but because little by little his heart moved away from Jesus. Sometimes we also sell what is good for small things: pride, comfort, personal interest. There is Peter, who says with great confidence, “Even if everyone leaves you, I never will.” But only a few hours later he says, “I do not know him.” Fear becomes stronger than his courage. We also have moments when our faith is weaker than we would like. There is Pilate, who knows that Jesus is innocent, but he washes his hands. He represents the person who knows what is right but does not have the courage to do it. And there is the crowd, the crowd that applauds today and condemns tomorrow. The crowd that follows the loudest voice. But in the middle of all these weaknesses stands Jesus. Calm. Silent. Dignified. He does not answer hatred with hatred. He does not answer violence with violence. He carries everything with a love that never retreats.
Perhaps the most powerful image is the cross. On the cross, Jesus does not speak words of condemnation. He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It is the cry of all people who suffer. It is the cry of those who feel alone, abandoned, or lost. Through this cry, Jesus enters into all the suffering of the world. Into the pain of the sick. Into the tears of those who have lost someone they love. Into the fear of those who do not know what tomorrow will bring.