Palm Sunday Meditation...
Today we are that donkey that leads Jesus into the world, reveals him and speaks of him as the late Cardinal Lustiger of Paris used to say. This is a beautiful picture because it reminds us that Jesus did not want to be led by imposing mounts but by the small and humble ones.
Jesus is a "poor" King and, therefore, is a King of peace who chose the Cross as a throne. He is a brave King because he enters Jerusalem knowing that he will meet the Crucifixion to ripen his fruit only beyond the Cross, passing through it to enter into eternal life: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life "(Jn 12: 24-25).
The cross which is a symbol of death and a symbol of a curse that is the expression of the worst of all sentences, with Christ and for Christ becomes the instrument of elevation of all mankind and the entire universe in the glory of God (cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch).
This is the Christian paradox: the one who orients himself to the eternal Kingdom following the instructions of Jesus Christ, is meek , merciful, a peacemaker, pure in heart and thirsting for God’s justice and is able to change the history of the world in a deeper and more efficient way than the power-holders for whom nothing is more important than supremacy.
It follows that the Cross is required. As Christians, we must not only direct our gaze to the permanent Kingdom beyond death and preach it. Together with Christ, we must live the need of the Cross for us so that for the Church and for the world we can complete in our body what is still in ourselves lacking in the Passion of Christ ( cf. Col 1: 24).
(Mons. Francesco Follo at Zenit)
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