‘Ride on, Ride on in Majesty’
 

One of my fondest memories from my seminary year in Spain was participating in the Palm Sunday Procession in Valladolid. This procession is rather different from the  other penitential processions in Spain as it is the procession where all the confraternities of the cities come together for a festive procession with the children’s sections at its heart. It was a truly happy occasion where it felt like the whole Church in the city came together to joyfully welcome the Messiah.

Holy Week is book-ended by two truly joyful Sundays, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday yet there are moments of great poignancy and tragedy in the intervening days – The last confrontations with the Pharisees ; the cleansing of the Temple; The Last Supper (the First Mass), with the washing of the feet; The promise of the Holy Spirit; Judas’ betrayal and the abandonment of Jesus by the apostles; Jesus’ torture, trial and execution; The despondency of that first Holy Saturday before Christ rose again. In many ways, the whole human experience occurs within this week.

In this troubled world of ours, it is important to face the trials of life with the joyful hope of Christ’s resurrection. He has conquered sin and death by his Passion and Resurrection. No matter what others may claim, the world is his and no one else’s. The Jesus who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey with joyful crowds is still riding on in majesty. A majesty of true service, of true love, of true glory. Let our cry this day and every day be ‘Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’.

Wishing you a blessed

Holy Week

Father Gary