At the beginning of Mass, we joined the people of Jerusalem shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” as Jesus entered into the Holy City. There’s excitement; there’s hope; there’s joy.

And then, only a few moments later, we hear the Passion. Jesus has been arrested, whipped, beaten, put on trial. And we find ourselves among those same people screaming, “Crucify him!”

What a remarkable shift. It’s uncomfortable. It’s unbelievable. But it’s also real, it’s exactly what happened. And, it’s not just the story of the people in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago. It’s our story as well. There are moments in our lives when we welcome Christ with joy, with hope, with excitement; and then there are moments when we decide to turn away from Him and when we crucify Him by falling into sin.

Every Palm Sunday we read the Passion and it places us right in the middle of that uncomfortable tension. But it isn’t meant to discourage us. Instead, it’s meant to invite us to go deeper with the Lord.

We are entering into the holiest of weeks in our faith. This is not the week to watch from the sidelines; this is the week to dive in. It’s a week to walk with Jesus, accompanying Him from the entry into Jerusalem, through the Cross, and, ultimately, to the empty tomb.

Will we walk with Him this week? Will we allow Him to take us deeper? Will we allow this week to change us forever?

Photo: Palms, Cody Board. Used under Unsplash license.