First Reading – Isaiah 50, 4-7;
Second Reading-Philippians 2, 6-11;
Gospel – Luke 22, 14 – 23, 56
Dear friends,
As we enter this sacred week, I invite you to pause with me—not just to remember what happened to Jesus long ago, but to experience it again in our own hearts. Holy Week isn’t just about his dying and rising—it’s about ours, too. It’s about letting his story become our story—letting his healing, his forgiveness, and his love transform us from the inside out.
This week is powerful. When we fully enter into the liturgies, we don’t just watch from the sidelines. We walk with Jesus. We walk with him through the joy of being welcomed in Jerusalem, and through the pain of betrayal, suffering, and death. And when we do, something changes in us: our faith deepens, our hearts open, and we find ourselves becoming more like the disciples we’re meant to be. Today’s readings take us on quite a journey. The first reading from Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant—someone who stays faithful, even when everything is stripped away. Sound familiar? It’s a glimpse of Jesus long before he arrived.
In the second reading, Paul gives us a beautiful hymn that reflects the early Church’s awe at what Jesus did—how he humbled himself, even to the point of death on a cross, so that we could live. And then, in the Gospel, we hear both the triumph of Palm Sunday and the heartbreak of the Passion. It’s jarring, isn’t it? One minute, people are waving palms and calling Jesus a king. The next, they’re shouting for his crucifixion.
And maybe that’s why this week hits so close to home. Because when we look closely, we don’t just see their story—we see ours, too. Think about it: Are there parts of your life that resemble Peter’s fear or Judas’ betrayal? Times when, like Pilate, you’ve gone against your better judgment just to keep the peace or protect your own interests? Maybe there are moments when we, too, have turned away from Jesus—not out of hate, but out of weakness, or pain, or confusion.
Let’s be honest with ourselves today. Am I bearing the fruit God longs to see in me—fruit like kindness, justice, humility, patience, and love? Or do I keep slipping back into bitterness, selfishness, or pride? Am I treating my body and soul—the temple of the Holy Spirit—with reverence? Or are there parts of my life that need cleansing and renewal? This week is a chance to welcome Jesus in again—not just with our lips, but with our whole lives. Are we ready to let him into every corner of our hearts? Into the places that are hurting, and the places we’re ashamed of. Into the messy, complicated, beautiful reality of our lives?
And let’s not forget something important: We are not the Saviour. We’re more like the little donkey that carried him. Our job isn’t to be perfect—it’s to carry Jesus into the world. In our families, our workplaces, our schools, our conversations. Through our forgiveness, our service, our small acts of love. Even when it feels ordinary, if we’re carrying Christ, it becomes holy.
So let’s walk this week with open hearts. Let’s reread the story of Jesus’ Passion and find ourselves in it—not to feel ashamed, but to remember that his mercy is bigger than our failures. Let’s allow this week to reshape us. And when Easter comes, may we rise with Jesus—renewed, forgiven, and full of life.
Amen.