Painting by Pietro Lorenzetti (1280–1348), Assisi Frescoes

Blessings on this Palm Sunday!

“Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,

shout for joy, o daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king shall come to you;

a just savior is he,

Meek, and riding on an ass,

on a colt, the foal of an ass.” Zech 9:9

There is a lot to learn on Palm Sunday simply from how Jesus entered Jerusalem: in humility –riding a peaceful, inexperienced, small animal. Even though we may say we believe that Jesus’ way is the way that leads to life, it is often hard for us to opt for the humble approach to life that he takes and that he invites us to in our own lives.

This was difficult for the disciples too. In Luke’s gospel, just before this scene, they were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus replies:

The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. . . . I am among you as the one who serves. (Lk 22:24-26)

Those who want to lord their authority over others are operating out of an assumption that there are important and unimportant people: and they are obviously one of the important ones! On the other hand, a humble person recognizes he or she is no better or worse than anyone else. The social meaning of humility is solidarity, especially with those who are suffering. The humble person feels the pain of others and gives a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty, food to the hungry, welcomes the stranger. And, according to Jesus, living in this way opens out onto eternal life. (See Mt 25:31-46)