Palms are an ancient symbol. For the people of the Old Testament they meant the righteous person who walks in the ways of God.
To the Romans palms were a symbol of victory. Conquering generals would bring them back as souvenirs of distant lands. It became a Roman tradition to greet their conquering heroes by waving palm fronds during his triumphal entry into the city.
For us Palm Sunday represents a victory, it is a celebration. But what is the victory we celebrate?
We celebrate the victory of life over death, righteousness over sin and ignorance. We celebrate as the King arrives to take possession of His Kingdom and take up the final battle against original sin. We celebrate because we have read the story, we know how it ends … we win.
But we are not mere spectators watching this drama play out from the sidelines; we are participants. Throughout salvation history God has always needed our cooperation to advance His plan. He still does. It is still necessary to carry the good news of this victory to the darkest corners of the world and the darkest corners of the human heart. Through baptism we share in the mission of Christ.
We do this with the ordinary and common abilities that God has given us. We do this through our everyday relationships, troubles, and sufferings. We smile instead of frown, we pray when we are in pain. This is how we help Christ conquer the world. This is the victory we celebrate.
Pax vobiscum
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord