Dear Friends,

Palm Sunday inaugurates Holy Week by placing the Church before a paradox that unsettles every shallow understanding of power, success, and faith: salvation comes through obedient self-emptying, not through domination or resistance. We are not invited liturgically to a sentimental admiration of Jesus’ suffering but required to have a theological clarity and personal decision. The question posed is not whether Christ suffered, but whether we are willing to follow the path by which suffering becomes redemptive.

Living in a world where it is easy to judge people by what we see-their race, their nationality, their color, their religion, their socio-political or economic affiliations we ought to remember this: what truly defines a person is not how they look, or which continent they come from, or which party they belong to, but the condition of their heart. All people are God’s children and are loved by God. God exalts the obedient Son, affirming that self-giving love is the true path to glory.

We celebrate Christ’s Obedience that saves. The Passion narrative in the Gospel of Matthew embodies this theology in historical detail. Betrayal, denial, false accusation, silence before injustice, and violent execution converge. Jesus does not resist because resistance would contradict His mission. His silence before Pilate is not weakness but authority exercised through restraint. Human power exhausts itself in violence; divine power endures through fidelity. The crowd’s shift from praise to condemnation exposes the instability of admiration detached from commitment.

Palm branches are replaced by crosses when expectations are unmet. Lent culminates in asking whether faith is rooted in convenience or obedience. For us, Palm Sunday confronts the temptation to follow Christ selectively. Obedience that saves requires surrender of control, acceptance of misunderstanding, and trust in God’s vindication.

The obedience that saves is not a heroic spectacle but daily fidelity shaped by listening, humility, and trust. In Christ, obedience becomes the way back to life. Christ teaches us that salvation comes through obedient self-emptying, not through domination or resistance.

Christ once said, “Amen, Amen, I say to you… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 And again he said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through him” John 3:17. We are encouraged this Holy Week to show mercy to others rather than adopting judgmental attitudes.

We all have our struggles, our weaknesses, our hidden battles. None of us is perfect. So before we point fingers or form opinions about someone, let us pause and ask ourselves: Do I really know them? Do I know their story, their struggles, their intentions?

Judging by outward appearances is shallow and can be unfair. True understanding comes from looking deeper, with patience and compassion. Let us strive to value what is inside every human being: a kind heart, a humble spirit, love for others, because that is what matters most in life. The world becomes better when we choose empathy over judgment.

May the Lord purify our hearts of fear and resistance. May he teach us to listen, to trust, and to follow him on the path of obedient love. And may he grant us the grace to remain faithful Christians. I love you and wish you all A Graceful Holy Week and a Happy Easter. Jesus, I trust in you!

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