April 10: Palm Sunday
Posted by Campus Ministry on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 9:19 AM PDT
Today we focus on the Passion of Jesus in a series of events starting with the arrival in Jerusalem, the Last Supper, and the Agony in the Garden, which all lead up to Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and death. It goes without saying that this is a lot to process all at once – and reasonably so. While the story begins with a joyous welcoming to Jerusalem, it all seems to turn very rapidly. He is betrayed by one of his own friends, Peter, on three separate occasions. Next, the council of elders pressure Pontius Pilate into persecuting Jesus. In his last days and even in the final moments of his death, he is betrayed, denied, reviled, and provoked over and over again. Finally, he is humiliated and forced to carry the cross that he would be crucified on.
The amount of pain that Jesus endured during these days is incomprehensible. While trivial at first, the story of the Passion is how Jesus teaches us how to suffer, that is, through patience and calm. When he was betrayed, he was forgiving. When he was provoked, he remained humble. During times of need, he turned to God for help. Even in the midst of so much hurt, Jesus persevered. Perhaps his example can teach us something about how to lead our own lives when we are hurt, when we are in trouble, and when we are at our lowest.
Palm Sunday comes to me as a bittersweet reminder that Lent is ending, Holy Week is beginning, and Easter is arriving. For many, Holy Week may feel like a mixture of both eagerness for the future and discomfort in the final stretch of Lent because we are so close, but not there yet. It’s a little painful, yes. However, maybe we can relate this experience of pain, and our own troubles, to those Jesus experienced, and endure them with the same calm and patience that he did. What prayer do you have as you consider your pain and the pain of the world today? How can we keep our hearts open to learn from Jesus this Holy Week?
~ Taylor-Ann Miyashiro, B.S. Electrical Engineering Class of 2022