1. Holy WeekPalm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week

2. Jerusalem Its early in the morning and the streets are deserted on a daywhich will become a famous day in the history of Christianity. Today a young preacher and miracle worker from a smallvillage called Nazareth will come to Jerusalem to celebrate thePassover with His twelve disciples. He has carefully taught them and now they are nearly readyto become apostles, the first bishops, who will bring Hismessages to all nations. Many people have come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Suddenly, Jesus is seen in the distance riding towardJerusalem on a donkey, just like king Davids son Solomon onthe day of his anointing. 3. Many people think Jesus is theMessiah, the Christ, the Savior. Word spreads quickly. People areawakened and rush down to thestreet near the entrance toJerusalem. Just like any other great man thepeople want to welcome him into theHoly City in a special way, but how? Some spread out their coats on theroad while others cut palm branchesto lay in his path, signs of honor andrespect. 4. Soon, everything is inreadiness for His arrival. People wait with morepalm branches in theirhands ready to castthem in front of Jesus. 5. When he is seen, people begin to cryout, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in thename of the Lord. Still others call out that He is the King of Israel! 6. The Pharisees look at one On Palm Sunday we joinanother, You see thatthe enthusiastic crowds inyou can do nothing; Jerusalem as we long forlook, the world has goneour salvation.after Him. It is time for us to We will begin to walk examine ourselves andthrough the great our loyalty to Jesus.mysteries of our salvation Will we be like the crowdwith Jesus this week andlater in the week anddiscover how good God demand His crucifixion orhas been to call us out ofwill we have the couragethe darkness of our sin of John the Evangelist andinto the light of His Life. walk with He and HisMother to the cross? 7. Palm Sunday On Palm Sunday we will Are we the kind of Christianhear of Our Lords triumphal who will abandon our faithentry into Jerusalem and His when our emotions aredeath on the cross just aovercome with fear orfew days later.anxiety? As Holy week progresses we Are we the kind of Christianshall slowly draw back the like Judas who focus oncurtain and see the actors things of this world insteademerge to play their parts.of building up our treasure Some will be heroes whilein heaven?others will demonstrate Are we the kind oftheir need for the courage.Christian, like John the As we watch and listen toEvangelist, who will walkthe actors, we might findthrough the soldiers toourselves. remain loyal to Christ? 8. Holy Week - Monday We find Jesus in Bethany at the home ofMary, Martha and Lazarus the man Jesus hadraise from the dead. We hear of Mary, anointing Jesus witharomatic nard. Judas, a man of the world, quickly objectsthat the nard could have been sold and themoney given to the poor. Judas cared more about money from the saleof the nard, than about Jesus. Who is your god, money, a car, a house, a jobor the one true God? Are we Sunday Christians or 24/7 Christian? 9. Holy Week - Tuesday In todays gospel we find But that was not theourselves in the upper room Fathers plan.for the Passover meal. Peter says he is willing to Jesus announces that one of die for Jesus but Jesus tellsthe twelve will betray Him. Peter before the cock crows Every time we sin we join three times Peter will alsoJudas and betray Him. betray Jesus by denying It would have been easy for Him.Jesus to identify Judas as When pressed have youthe traitor and we can rest acted like Peter and deniedassured that Peter wouldyour faith or your faithshave taken action toteachings because you fearprevent his treachery.what others may thinkabout you? 10. Holy Week - Wednesday The Son of Man indeed Judas is the goat who willgoes, as it is written oflead the lamb to theHim, but woe to that man slaughter.by whom the Son of Man is Have you been willing tobetrayed.bargain away your honesty, Today we see Judas make aor your integrity, for a fewbargain with the life of andollars?innocent man. They agree on thirty piecesof silver, the price of a slave. 11. Holy Week - Thursday Today the bishops will At this point we leave theconcelebrate the Chrism Lenten season and enterMass with the other priests into the Easter Triduum.of their diocese. In the evening there will be The bishop will bless the the Mass of the LordsHoly Oils that will beSupper.distributed throughout the Following the homily thereparishes in his dioceses. will be a Washing of the This Mass is aFeet just as Jesus did at thedemonstration of the unityLast Supper.that exists between the At the conclusion of thebishops and the priests.Mass the tabernacle shouldbe entirely empty.