Whenever we go on trips, most of us pick up souvenirs to remember the places we visit. On my last trip to the Holy Land and Egypt, I picked up icons, a Coptic cross, and a carpet depicting the tree of life made from camel hair. Today, each of us received a souvenir of Holy Week, a simple and yet profound reminder of a journey we have just begun; namely a palm branch.
We began our journey at the Mount of Olives near Bethany, where Jesus mounted a colt and rode into the city amid cries, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” We ventured with him into the Upper Room where he shared his last Passover with the apostles, a meal that has been celebrated many times since around the world at every Mass. From there we trekked back to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed fervently while the disciples slept.
After Jesus was arrested, we found ourselves in the high priest’s courtyard where we heard Peter deny Jesus three times, then we heard a cock crow. How often have we denied knowing Jesus in the past year? Then we witnessed his trial where he was mocked before Pilate in a place called Antonia’s fortress. There, Jesus admitted to being king of the Jews, but not the kind of king that his followers anticipated. I will never forget walking the Via Dolorosa in the snow to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. My feet were cold and wet but my discomfort paled compared to what Jesus endured for us. Before long, we were at the Place of the skull where the soldiers crucified him and divided his garments.
I hope your palm branch will remind you of what we have seen and heard from the words of praise that greeted Jesus as he came into Jerusalem to his dying words, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” to the words spoken by the centurion, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
Don’t discard your branch when you get home. Save it as a precious souvenir of the passion of Jesus. Treat your palm with reverence, perhaps mounting it behind a crucifix or icon as a reminder that Jesus is our king and savior. These palm branches are more than a souvenir of a past event; they invite us to recount our salvation history during Holy week.
A week from today, your palm branch will be more than a yellowed souvenir of this day. It will be a symbol to display proudly in your home as a reminder that someday you too will rise from the dead and feast with our risen Lord at the heavenly banquet.
I wonder how many who waved palm branches to welcome Jesus were later party to his death, crying out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” or jeered at him as he hung on the cross, disillusioned that he hadn’t met their expectation of the Messiah. It is easy to say that they were fickle, one moment supporting Jesus and the next rejecting him. Jesus did not meet their great expectations that.
History shows that during times of adversity, economic upheaval, and stress, many once faithful Christians have done the same, fleeing Christ, as though they were saying, “You let us down! Good by!” Have we done the same, lamenting the war in Ukraine or high inflation or this endless pandemic? When we begin to recognize the depth of God’s love, demonstrated by what Jesus did for us, we will become faithful rather than fickle followers. Now is a time for us to embrace Christ more than ever, knowing that Jesus is here to save us in these challenging times.
May these palms remind us daily that despite the many Good Fridays we encounter, Easter will always dawn.