Glory in the Cross of Christ
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”Ps. 22
“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even with tears, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.””Philippians 3:18-19
A true Christian is a disciple of Christ, and Jesus clearly tells us the conditions for discipleship: “My sheep recognize my voice, listen to my voice, and follow me.” “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” Whoever rejects the cross and does not accept it cannot be His disciple. That is why St. Paul, with tears, warns that some have distorted Christ, molding Him to their own desires and interests, twisting the truth, living as enemies of the cross, and thus becoming enemies of Christ.
Given the conditions Christ set for following Him, we must understand that we cannot embrace or follow Christ if we do not accept our cross. Christ did not come to take away our daily cross but to give it meaning. I can accept my fragile human condition, with tendencies toward sin, limitations, sickness, and mortality, because Christ assumed this very condition with all its weaknesses, making it valuable. It is the path that can lead us to eternal salvation if we live it as He taught us—through acceptance and offering to God.
As St. Paul says:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church.”Colossians 1:24
“As for me, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”Galatians 6:14
When Paul asked God to free him from some suffering, God replied: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, Paul declared:
“I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”2 Corinthians 12:9-10
We must recognize that in today’s pagan and hedonistic culture, where we are constantly indoctrinated by mass media manipulation, we have largely lost the sense of faith and obedience to God. As a result, we have lost the understanding of sin, sacrifice, and the fundamental values of Christian life —values that are inseparably linked to true faith, which leads us to love, a love always connected to sacrifice. The cross is an offering and self-giving, a sacrifice of love for God and neighbor; rejecting it means rejecting Christ Himself, while accepting it means accepting Him, manifesting our love and faith, which is expressed in obedience and trust.
Prayer for Holy Week
Dear Lord,
I open my heart to You, offering every day and night to You in sacred surrender. I pray for the grace to accompany You in a special way this Holy Week, joining and offering the trials I encounter on our shared journey to the cross… and to a victorious hope.
Amen.
Weekly Readings
Sunday: Lk 19:28-40/ls 50:4-7/Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 (2a)/Phil 2:6-11/Lk 22:14—23:56 or 23:1-49
Monday: Is 42:1-7/Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14/Jn 12:1-11
Tuesday: Is 49:1-6/Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17/Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a/Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34/Mt 26:14-25
Thursday:
Chrism Mass: Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9/Ps 89:21-22, 25 and 27/Rv 1:5-8/Lk 4:16-21
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18 (see 1 Cor 10:16)/1 Cor 11:23-26/Jn 13:1-15
Friday: Is 52:13-53:12/Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 (Lk 23:46)/Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/Jn 18:1-19:42
Saturday:
Easter Vigil: Gn 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a/Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10,12, 13-14, 24, 35 or Ps 33:4-5, 6-7, 12-13, 20-22 (5b)/Gn 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11 (1)/Ex 14:15-15:1/Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18 (1b)/Is 54:5-14/Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 (2a)/ /Is 55:1-11/ls 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 (3)/Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (Jn 6:68c)/ Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 (12a)/Rom 6:3-11/Lk 24:1-12
Next Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Lk 24:1-12
Observances for the Week
Sunday: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Tuesday: Tax Day
Thursday: Holy Thursday
Friday: Good Friday
Saturday: Holy Saturday
Next Sunday: Easter Sunday
