March 29, 2026
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Lectionary:
37 and 38
At
the Procession with Palms - Gospel
When
Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
"Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered,
and a colt with her.
Untie them and bring them here to me.
And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,
'The master has need of them.'
Then he will send them at once."
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Say to daughter Zion,
"Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,
and he sat upon them.
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and strewed them on the road.
The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
"Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest."
And when he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?"
And the crowds replied,
"This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee."
At
the Mass - Reading I
The
Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
that I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The
Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
Responsorial
Psalm
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20,
23-24
R.
(2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
R. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Reading
II
Christ
Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the
earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Verse
before the Gospel
Christ
became obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.
Gospel
One
of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity
to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.
When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."
While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
"Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you,
for this is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed on behalf of many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it with you new
in the kingdom of my Father."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them,
"This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken,
for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee."
Peter said to him in reply,
"Though all may have their faith in you shaken,
mine will never be."
Jesus said to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times."
Peter said to him,
"Even though I should have to die with you,
I will not deny you."
And all the disciples spoke likewise.
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
"Sit here while I go over there and pray."
He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
and began to feel sorrow and distress.
Then he said to them,
"My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch with me."
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying,
"My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as you will."
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep.
He said to Peter,
"So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again,
"My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass
without my drinking it, your will be done!"
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open.
He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time,
saying the same thing again.
Then he returned to his disciples and said to them,
"Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand
when the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
Get up, let us go.
Look, my betrayer is at hand."
While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders
of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
"The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him."
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
"Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
"Friend, do what you have come for."
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
"Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?"
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
"Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Those who had arrested Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
Peter was following him at a distance
as far as the high priest's courtyard,
and going inside he sat down with the servants
to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death,
but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward who stated,
"This man said, 'I can destroy the temple of God
and within three days rebuild it.'"
The high priest rose and addressed him,
"Have you no answer?
What are these men testifying against you?"
But Jesus was silent.
Then the high priest said to him,
"I order you to tell us under oath before the living God
whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"You have said so.
But I tell you:
From now on you will see 'the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power'
and 'coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
Then the high priest tore his robes and said,
"He has blasphemed!
What further need have we of witnesses?
You have now heard the blasphemy;
what is your opinion?"
They said in reply,
"He deserves to die!"
Then they spat in his face and struck him,
while some slapped him, saying,
"Prophesy for us, Christ: who is it that struck you?"
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.
One of the maids came over to him and said,
"You too were with Jesus the Galilean."
But he denied it in front of everyone, saying,
"I do not know what you are talking about!"
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him
and said to those who were there,
"This man was with Jesus the Nazorean."
Again he denied it with an oath,
"I do not know the man!"
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter,
"Surely you too are one of them;
even your speech gives you away."
At that he began to curse and to swear,
"I do not know the man."
And immediately a cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken:
"Before the cock crows you will deny me three times."
He went out and began to weep bitterly.
When it was morning,
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
They bound him, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned,
deeply regretted what he had done.
He returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and elders, saying,
"I have sinned in betraying innocent blood."
They said,
"What is that to us?
Look to it yourself."
Flinging the money into the temple,
he departed and went off and hanged himself.
The chief priests gathered up the money, but said,
"It is not lawful to deposit this in the temple treasury,
for it is the price of blood."
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter's field
as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why that field even today is called the Field of Blood.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah
the prophet,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the value of a man with a price on his head,
a price set by some of the Israelites,
and they paid it out for the potter's field
just as the Lord had commanded me.
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and he questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.
As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha
—which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.
From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
"Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"
There were many women there, looking on from a distance,
who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.
Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
When it was evening,
there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph,
who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus;
then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen
and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb
and departed.
But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
remained sitting there, facing the tomb.
The next day, the one following the day of preparation,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said,
"Sir, we remember that this impostor while still alive said,
'After three days I will be raised up.'
Give orders, then, that the grave be secured until the third day,
lest his disciples come and steal him and say to the people,
'He has been raised from the dead.'
This last imposture would be worse than the first."
Pilate said to them,
"The guard is yours;
go, secure it as best you can."
So they went and secured the tomb
by fixing a seal to the stone and setting the guard.
or
Jesus
stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
Jesus said, "You say so."
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders,
he made no answer.
Then Pilate said to him,
"Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?"
But he did not answer him one word,
so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now on the occasion of the feast
the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd
one prisoner whom they wished.
And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them,
"Which one do you want me to release to you,
Barabbas, or Jesus called Christ?"
For he knew that it was out of envy
that they had handed him over.
While he was still seated on the bench,
his wife sent him a message,
"Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him."
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds
to ask for Barabbas but to destroy Jesus.
The governor said to them in reply,
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They answered, "Barabbas!"
Pilate said to them,
"Then what shall I do with Jesus called Christ?"
They all said,
"Let him be crucified!"
But he said,
"Why? What evil has he done?"
They only shouted the louder,
"Let him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all,
but that a riot was breaking out instead,
he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd,
saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood.
Look to it yourselves."
And the whole people said in reply,
"His blood be upon us and upon our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them,
but after he had Jesus scourged,
he handed him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium
and gathered the whole cohort around him.
They stripped off his clothes
and threw a scarlet military cloak about him.
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head,
and a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying,
"Hail, King of the Jews!"
They spat upon him and took the reed
and kept striking him on the head.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.
As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon;
this man they pressed into service
to carry his cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha
— which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!"
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
"He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.
From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
"This one is calling for Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
'Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him."
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
And behold, the veil of the sanctuary
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened,
and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection,
they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus
feared greatly when they saw the earthquake
and all that was happening, and they said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032926.cfm
Commentary on
Matthew 21:1-11; Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14—27:66
Some celebrants are tempted to drop preaching a homily today
because of the length of the Gospel, not to mention the blessing of palms and a
procession. Yet, as this day is the opening of Holy Week, it seems a pity not
to say something, by way of introduction, about the meaning of this climax to
Lent, and about the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the high point of our
liturgical year. Partly due to traditional and commercial influences, we tend
to make more of Christmas than Easter, but in terms of our faith, Christmas
only has meaning in the context of what happens in Holy Week and Easter.
The theme of this week and of today’s liturgy is clear. What
Jesus experiences for us is a manifestation of God’s overwhelming love for each
one of us. Further, by our identifying ourselves with the ‘mystery’ of Jesus’
suffering, death and resurrection, we ourselves experience a great liberation,
a ‘passover’ from various forms of sin and enslavement to a life of joy and
freedom. Certainly our celebration of Holy Week is not just to be one of
memories, or even just of thanks, but of entering, together with Jesus, into a
new experience of living. It is meant to be real, and not merely religious,
pious and devotional make-believe.
Triumph and tragedy
Today’s liturgy combines both a sense of triumph and tragedy. Very importantly,
we are reminded at the beginning, that we are about to commemorate the triumph
of Christ our King. We do this through the blessing of palms, the procession
and the joyful singing. And the celebrant wears red vestments. We need to keep
this in mind as we proceed, in the Liturgy of the Word, to hear the long tale
of the sufferings and indignities to which Jesus was subjected. It is a tale
not relieved—yet—by the proper end of the story: the Resurrection to new life.
So as we listen to the Passion story unfolding, let us keep in mind the
Hosannas as Jesus our King entered Jerusalem, his city. Very soon it will be
difficult to recognise our King in the battered, scourged, crowned-with-thorns,
crucified remnant of a human being.
Why did Jesus have to undergo such a terrible fate?
Basically, there were two reasons. The first was political—Jesus had become the
object of hate and prejudice by people who saw him as a threat to their religious
authority and political standing. He had to be gotten rid of one way or
another.
But second, what happened was all in accordance with the
Father’s will. That is not to say, as some people seem to imply, that God
wanted to kill Jesus and engineered everything to happen that way. There are
perfectly understandable reasons why Jesus’ behaviour led to his suffering and
death.
At the same time, this behaviour was the result of Jesus’
unconditional love for every person he met—including his enemies. And Jesus’
love for everyone was a mirror of the same love of the Father. It was an agape-love
so intense that Jesus was ready to sacrifice his own life for it:
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends. (John 15:13)
In doing so, Jesus identified with his Father’s will,
namely, that all come to be aware of God’s unconditional love for them. (And we
might add, we are to have agape-love for those who have made us
their enemies as well.)
It is St Paul who says that:
…rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. (Rom
5:7)
But is altogether unusual for one to give up their life for
evildoers—and at times, that is what all of us are, in one way or another.
Eyes of faith
What we see in today’s readings is God using perfectly human situations in
order to convey, in dramatic fashion, his relationship to us. And it is only
with genuine faith that we are able to see the work of God in the tragic death
of Jesus. As Paul says:
…we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews
and foolishness to gentiles… (1 Cor 1:23)
Today’s readings also tell us that Jesus suffered—and he
really did suffer. There are those who tend to minimise the sufferings of Jesus
because “after all, he was the Son of God, he had a ‘Divine Nature’.” But this
is to deny one of the most central teachings of the New Testament, that Jesus
was one hundred percent a human being and, except for sin, shared our human
experiences in every way. In fact, as a particularly sensitive human person, it
is likely that, when Jesus suffered, his pain was more intense than that of
others.
Jesus suffered obviously in his body, and he underwent pain
that we might associate with the more barbaric forms of torture in our own day.
But he must also have suffered psychologically, and this pain may have been
even more intense. He saw his mission collapse all around him in total failure.
His disciples had all, for the sake of their own skins, taken to their heels.
Would anyone remember anything he taught or did? There was, at this special
time of need, a terrible loneliness. His disciples fell asleep in the garden
when he especially needed their support. They ran off as soon as people came to
arrest Jesus. Even the Father seems to be silent—the Father who could send
legions of angels to rescue him, but apparently did nothing.
There is the final poignant cry from the cross:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Yet through it all, Jesus’ dignity, power and authority keep
shining through, making his captors seem to be the ones on the defensive. After
the prayer in the garden, Jesus stands up to face those arresting him full of
an inner strength and authority. He stands in silent dignity before his judges,
refusing to be intimidated. In the midst of his own pain and indignities, he
can continue to think of the needs of others and can, after his own teaching,
pray for and forgive his enemies.
How were we saved?
How did Jesus save us? Was it because he suffered and died for us? Was it because
he made the ultimate sacrifice? Was it not because, in the words of the Second
Reading from Philippians, he “emptied himself” totally and in so doing became
filled with the Spirit of his Father? He clung to nothing; he let go of
everything (that is what we find so hard to do).
In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew says that at the moment
of his death, Jesus “breathed his last”—that he gave up his spirit and died.
But it also has the other meaning that the life, sufferings and death of Jesus,
when properly understood, released a power into the world, the power of the
Spirit of God, a Spirit with which Jesus himself was filled. Jesus’ followers
will soon also become filled with that Spirit.
Jesus’ disciples, energised by the power of their Lord and
Master, will go through similar experiences to his. They, like Jesus in the
garden, will be filled with fear, but later on, they will be filled with a
fearless courage and joy. No matter who threatens them, no matter that they are
thrown into jail or that members of their communities are murdered and
executed, they will continue to preach fearlessly the gospel of Truth and Love.
The Passion and death of Jesus, which we commemorate today, was not, in the
end, a sign of failure. It was Jesus’ moment of triumph and victory. The same
can be said of the long line of martyrs and witnesses over more than 2,000
years.
So, as we participate in the liturgy of Holy Week, let us
not concentrate simply on the sufferings of Jesus as if there was something
good about suffering. Those sufferings only have meaning because they lead to
resurrection, new life and new joy. The pain and sufferings of our lives are
not the punishments of God, still less are they to be sought out. Suffering,
pain, sickness are not in themselves desirable. They become, however, sources
of good when they help us to become more mature, more loving, more caring, more
sympathetic people—in other words when they lead us to be more like Jesus
himself, when they lead to our own liberation and the liberation of others.
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Sunday,
March 29, 2026
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, send
Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read
them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written
in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing
events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of
all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create silence in us so that we
may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the
Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and
suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the
way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to
others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and
peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us
and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
Suggestions for Holy Week
Palm Sunday is
the beginning of Holy Week, a week that is different from all others. We are
confronted with the deepest of all mysteries of our faith, the supreme
revelation of the love of God manifested in Jesus (Rom 8: 38-39). In the Old
Testament, at times of crisis, the people went back to meditating on and
re-reading Exodus. In the New Testament we go back to the exodus represented by
the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. For the community of Christians
of all times, the narrative of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus is
the source where we renew our faith, hope and love.
Many times, from the time of the
Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), Matthew’s
Gospel states that the aim of the
New Law is love and mercy (Mt 5: 43-48; 7: 12; 9:
13; 12: 7; 22: 34-40). Now, in this final
section of the passion, death and resurrection, he describes how Jesus put love
into practice, bringing the Law to fulfilment (Mt 5:17).
A Reading of the Passion and
Death of Jesus - Matthew 26: 14-27; 27: 1-66
A Key to the Reading:
In Holy Week, during the reading of the
Passion and Death of Jesus, it is not fitting to take an attitude of research
and rational investigation. It is more fitting to remain silent. Read the text
several times, taking as only guide the short titles which seek to be a key to
help us feel the text and experience again the love of God revealed in the
attitude of Jesus towards those who capture Him, insult Him, torture Him and
kill Him. As we read, let us not think only of Jesus, but also of the millions
and millions of human beings who today are imprisoned, tortured, insulted and killed.
Matthew 26:
14-16: Judas’ Betrayal
Love of money leads a friend to betray Jesus
14 Then one of the Twelve, the man called
Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, 'What are you prepared
to give me if I hand Him over to you?' They paid him thirty silver pieces, 16
and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray Him.
Matthew 26: 17-19: The Preparation for the
Paschal Supper
Preparing well the last meeting with friends
17 Now on the first day of
Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say,
'Where do you want us to make the
preparations for You to eat the Passover?' 18 He said, 'Go to a certain man in
the city and say to him, "The Master says, My time is near. It is at your
house that I am keeping Passover with My disciples." ' 19 The disciples
did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
Matthew 26: 20-25: The Proclamation of
Judas’ Betrayal
Even though Jesus knows everything, He sits
at table with the betrayer
20 When evening came He was
at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating He said, 'In truth I
tell you, one of you is about to betray Me.' 22 They were greatly distressed
and started asking Him in turn, 'Not me, Lord, surely?' 23 He answered,
'Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with Me will betray Me. 24 The
Son of man is going to His fate, as the scriptures say He will, but alas for
that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had
never been born!' 25 Judas, who was to betray Him, asked in his turn, 'Not me,
Rabbi, surely?' Jesus answered, 'It is you who say it.’
Matthew 26: 26-29: The Institution of the
Eucharist
Between the betrayal of the one and the denial of the
other, glows a sign of love
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and when He had said the blessing He broke it and gave it to the disciples.
'Take it and eat,' He said, 'this is My body.' 27 Then He took a cup, and when
He had given thanks He handed it to them saying, 'Drink from this, all of you,
28 for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins. 29 From now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine
until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of My Father.'
Matthew 26: 30-35: The Denial by Peter
Even though Peter breaks away from Jesus, Jesus does not
break away from
Peter
30 After the
psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to
them, 'You will all fall away from Me tonight, for the scripture says: I shall
strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, 32 but after
My resurrection I shall go ahead of you to Galilee.' 33 At this, Peter said to
Him, 'Even if all fall away from You, I will never fall away.' 34 Jesus
answered Him,
'In truth I tell you, this very night, before
the cock crows, you will have disowned Me three times.' 35 Peter said to Him,
'Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.' And all the
disciples said the same.
Matthew 26: 36-46: The Agony in the Garden
of Olives
Jesus chooses fidelity rather than flight
36 Then Jesus came with them to a plot of land called
Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, 'Stay here while I go over there to
pray.' 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him. And He began to
feel sadness and anguish. 38 Then He said to them, 'My soul is sorrowful to the
point of death. Wait here and stay awake with Me.' 39 And going on a little
farther He fell on his face and prayed. 'My Father,' He said, 'if it is
possible, let this cup pass Me by. Nevertheless, let it be as You, not I, would
have it.' 40 He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said
to Peter, 'So you had not the strength to stay awake with me for one hour? 41
Stay awake and pray not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing enough,
but human nature is weak.' 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed.
'My Father,' He said, 'if this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, Your
will be done!' 43 And He came back again and found them sleeping, their eyes
were so heavy. 44 Leaving them there, He went away again and prayed for the
third time, repeating the same words. 45 Then He came back to the disciples and
said to them, 'You can sleep on now and have your rest. Look, the hour has come
when the Son of man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up! Let
us go! Look, My betrayer is not far away.'
Matthew 26: 47-56: Jesus’ Capture in the
Garden
Even though He was innocent and good, Jesus
is considered a bandit and criminal
47 And suddenly while He was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared, and with him a large number of men armed
with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48
Now the traitor had arranged a sign with them saying, 'The one I kiss, He is
the man. Arrest Him.' 49 So he went up to Jesus at once and said, 'Greetings, Rabbi,'
and kissed Him. 50
Jesus said to Him, 'My friend, do what you
are here for.' Then they came forward, seized Jesus and arrested Him. 51 And
suddenly, one of the followers of Jesus grasped his sword and drew it; he
struck the high priest's servant and cut off his ear. 52 Jesus then said, 'Put
your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you
think that I cannot appeal to My Father, who would promptly send more than
twelve legions of angels to My defense? 54 But then, how would the scriptures
be fulfilled that say this is the way it must be?' 55 It was at this time that
Jesus said to the crowds, 'Am I a bandit, that you had to set out to capture Me
with swords and clubs? I sat teaching in the Temple day after day and you never
laid a hand on Me.' 56 Now all this happened to fulfill the prophecies in
scripture. Then all the disciples deserted Him and ran away. Matthew 26: 57-68: Jesus before the
Sanhedrin
The decision, which has already been made,
of sentencing Jesus to death, is given a semblance of legality
57 The men who
had arrested Jesus led Him off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where
the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 Peter followed Him at a distance
right to the high priest's palace, and he went in and sat down with the
attendants to see what the end would be. 59 The chief priests and the whole
Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus, however false, on which they
might have Him executed. 60 But they could not find any, though several lying
witnesses came forward. Eventually two came forward 61 and made a statement,
'This man said, "I have power to destroy the Temple of God and in three
days build it up." ' 62 The high priest then rose and said to Him, 'Have
you no answer to that? What is this evidence these men are bringing against
You?' 63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to Him, 'I put you on
oath by the living God to tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.' 64
Jesus answered him, 'It is you who say it. But, I tell you that from this time
onward you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of the Power and
coming on the clouds of heaven.' 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and
said, 'He has blasphemed. What need of witnesses have we now? There! You have
just heard the blasphemy. 66 What is your opinion?' They answered, 'He deserves
to die.' 67 Then they spat in His face and hit Him with their fists; others
said as they struck Him, 68 'Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You then?'
Matthew 26: 69-75: Peter’s Denial
At the moment of trial, Peter, the leader, denies knowing
Jesus
69 Meanwhile
Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came up to him
saying, 'You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.' 70 But he denied it in front
of them all. 'I do not know what you are talking about,' he said. 71 When he
went out to the gateway another servant-girl saw him and said to the people
there, 'This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.' 72 And again, with an oath, he
denied it, 'I do not know the man.' 73 A little later the bystanders came up
and said to Peter, 'You are certainly one of them too! Why, your accent gives
you away.' 74 Then he started cursing and swearing, 'I do not know the man.'
And at once the cock crowed, 75 and Peter remembered what Jesus had said,
'Before the cock crows you will have disowned Me three times.' And he went
outside and wept bitterly.
Matthew 27: 1-2: Jesus Is Led Before Pilate
It is not the Jewish people but it is the
élite who lead Jesus to His death 1 When morning came, all the chief
priests and the elders of the people met in council to bring about the death of
Jesus. 2 They had Him bound and led Him away to hand Him over to Pilate, the
governor.
Matthew 27: 3-10: The Death of Judas
A little of Judas lives in each one of us
3 When he found that Jesus had been
condemned, then Judas, His betrayer, was filled with remorse and took the
thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and elders 4 saying, 'I have
sinned. I have betrayed innocent blood.' They replied, 'What is that to us?
That is your concern.' 5 And flinging down the silver pieces in the sanctuary
he made off and went and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the
silver pieces and said, 'It is against the Law to put this into the treasury;
it is blood-money.' 7 So they discussed the matter and with it bought the
potter's field as a graveyard for foreigners, 8 and this is why the field is
still called the Field of Blood. 9 The word spoken through the prophet Jeremiah
was then fulfilled: And they took the thirty silver pieces, the sum at which
the precious One was priced by the children of Israel, 10 and they gave them
for the potter's field, just as the Lord directed me.
Matthew 27: 11-26: Jesus before Pilate
Like the Servant of Yahweh, Jesus remains silent before
those who accuse Him
11 Jesus, then,
was brought before the governor, and the governor put to Him this question,
'Are You the king of the Jews?' Jesus replied, 'It is you who say it.' 12 But
when He was accused by the chief priests and the elders He refused to answer at
all. 13 Pilate then said to Him, 'Do you not hear how many charges they have
made against You?' 14 But to the governor's amazement, He offered not a word in
answer to any of the charges. 15 At festival time it was the governor's
practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. 16 Now there
was then a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd
gathered, Pilate said to them, 'Which do you want me to release for you:
Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?' 18 For Pilate knew it was out of
jealousy that they had handed Him over. 19 Now as he was seated in the chair of
judgement, his wife sent him a message, 'Have nothing to do with that upright
man; I have been extremely upset today by a dream that I had about Him.' 20 The
chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the
release of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus. 21 So when the governor spoke
and asked them, 'Which of the two do you want me to release for you?' they
said, 'Barabbas.' 22 Pilate said to them, 'But in that case, what am I to do
with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said, 'Let Him be crucified!' 23 He
asked, 'But what harm has he done?' But they shouted all the louder, 'Let Him
be crucified!' 24 Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in
fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of
the crowd and said, 'I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your concern.' 25
And the people, every one of them, shouted back, 'Let His blood be on us and on
our children!' 26 Then he released Barabbas for them. After having Jesus
scourged he handed Him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:27-31: Jesus Is Crowned With Thorns
To undress, torture and strike someone is what humiliates
that person most
27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus
with them into the Praetorium and collected the whole cohort around Him. 28 And
they stripped Him and put a scarlet cloak around Him, 29 and having twisted
some thorns into a crown they put this on His head and placed a reed in His
right hand. To make fun of Him they knelt before Him saying, 'Hail, king of the
Jews!' 30 And they spat on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head
with it. 31 And when they had finished making fun of Him, they took off the
cloak and dressed Him in His own clothes and led Him away to crucifixion.
Matthew 27: 32-38: Jesus is Crucified
The law says
that the one hanging on a cross is “cursed by God” (Deut 21:23)
32 On their way
out, they came across a man from Cyrene, called Simon, and enlisted him to
carry His cross. 33 When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the
place of the skull, 34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall, which He
tasted but refused to drink. 35 When they had finished crucifying Him they
shared out His clothing by casting lots, 36 and then sat down and stayed there
keeping guard over Him. 37 Above His head was placed the charge against Him; it
read, 'This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.' 38 Then two bandits were crucified
with Him, one on the right and one on the left.
Matthew 27: 39-44: Jesus Is Insulted
Hanging, naked, bared before all, defenseless, without
any right
39 The passers-by jeered at Him; they shook
their heads 40 and said, 'So You would destroy the Temple and in three days
rebuild it! Then save Yourself if You are God's son and come down from the in God; now let God rescue Him
if He wants Him. For He did say, "I am God's son." ' 44 Even the
bandits who were crucified with Him taunted Him in the same way.
Matthew 27: 45-56: The Death of Jesus
“My God! Why have you forsaken Me?” He dies
letting out a cry
45 From the sixth
hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about
the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, eli, lama sabachthani?'
that is, 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?' 47 When some of those who
stood there heard this, they said, 'The man is calling on Elijah,' 48 and one
of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he filled with vinegar and, putting
it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink. 49 But the rest of them said, 'Wait! And
see if Elijah will come to save Him.' 50 But Jesus, again crying out in a loud
voice, yielded up His spirit. 51 And suddenly, the veil of the
Sanctuary was
torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, the rocks were split, 52 the
tombs opened and the bodies of many holy people rose from the dead, 53 and
these, after His resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the holy city and
appeared to a number of people. 54 The centurion, together with the others
guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they
were terrified and said, 'In truth this man was son of God.' 55
And many women
were there, watching from a distance, the same women who had followed Jesus
from Galilee and looked after Him. 56 Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the
mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Matthew 27: 57-61: Jesus is Buried
Jesus is not even buried decently
57 When it was evening, there came
a rich man of Arimathaea, called Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of
Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
ordered it to be handed over. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean
shroud 60 and put it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock. He
then rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Now
Mary of Magdala and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher.
Matthew 27: 62-66: The Guard of the Tumult
Darkness,
even the most intense, cannot extinguish life
62 Next day, that is, when Preparation Day was over, the chief
priests and the Pharisees went in a body to Pilate 63 and said to him, 'Your
Excellency, we recall that this impostor said, while He was still alive,
"After three days I shall rise again." 64 Therefore give the order to
have the sepulcher kept secure until the third day, for fear His disciples come
and steal Him away and tell the people, "He has risen from the dead."
This last piece of fraud would be worse than what went before.' 65 Pilate said
to them, 'You may have your guard; go and make all as secure as you know how.'
66 So they went and made the sepulcher secure, putting seals on the stone and
mounting a guard.
Some Thoughts
to help us
meditate and pray. a) The Death of Jesus:
From midday to three in the afternoon, it is
dark over the whole earth. Even nature feels the effect of the agony and death
of Jesus! Hanging on the cross, deprived of everything, a lament escapes from
his lips: “Eli! Eli! Lama Sabachthani?” That is: “My God! My God! Why have You
forsaken Me?” This is the first sentence of Psalm 22(21). Jesus goes into His
death praying, expressing the forsakenness He feels. He prays in Hebrew. The
soldiers who were standing by and who were guarding Him, say: “He is calling on
Elijah!” The soldiers were foreigners, mercenaries on contract to the Romans.
They did not understand the language of the Jews. They thought that Eli meant Elijah. Hanging on the cross,
Jesus feels totally isolated. Even if He wanted to say something to someone, it
was not possible. He was completely alone: Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied
Him, the disciples ran away, friends kept themselves apart (v.55), the
authorities derided Him, the passersby insulted Him, God himself abandoned Him,
and His language was useless for communicating. This is the price He paid for
being faithful to His decision to follow at all times the way of love and
service in order to redeem His brothers and sisters. “The Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve and to give His life for the redemption of many” (Mt
20:28). In the midst of abandonment and darkness, Jesus lets out a loud cry and
dies. He dies letting out the cry of the poor because He knows that God listens
to the cry of the poor (Ex 2: 24; 3: 7; 22: 22, 26). With this belief, Jesus
enters into death, certain of being heard. The letter to the Hebrews says, “He
offered up prayer and entreaty, with loud cries and with tears, to the One who
had the power to save Him from death, and, winning a hearing by His reverence, He
learned obedience. (Heb 5:7). God heard His cry and “exalted Him” (Phil 2: 9).
The resurrection is God’s answer to prayer and to the offering Jesus made of
His life. With the resurrection of Jesus, the Father proclaims to the whole
world this Good News: Those who live like Jesus serving the brothers and sisters, are victorious and will live
forever, even though they may die and even though they may be killed! This is
the Good News of the Kingdom born from the cross!
b) The Significance of the Death of Jesus:
On Calvary, we are before a tortured human
being, one excluded from society, completely isolated, condemned as a heretic
and subversive by the civil, military and religious courts. At the foot of the
cross the religious authorities confirm for the last time a failed rebellion
and publicly renounce Him (Mt 27: 41-43). And it is at this hour of death that
a new significance comes to life again. The identity of Jesus is revealed by a
pagan: “In truth this man was son of God!” (Mt 27: 54). From this point on, if
you really wish to meet the Son of
God, do not seek Him up above in the far away heavens, nor in the Temple whose
veil was torn, but seek Him close to you, in the excluded, disfigured, ugly
human being. Seek Him in those who, like Jesus, give their lives for their
brothers and sisters. It is there that God hides Himself and reveals Himself,
and it is there that we can meet Him. There we find the disfigured image of
God, of the Son of God. “Greater love
than this no one has than to give one’s life for the brothers and sisters!”
The Prayer of a Psalm
The psalms that Jesus recites on the
Cross:
•
Psalm 22 (21): 2: “My God, my God, why have You
forsaken Me?”
•
Psalm 31 (30): 6: “Into Your hands I commend My
spirit.”
Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that
has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit
enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has
revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice
the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy
Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
