Seventh Sunday of Great Lent | Palm Sunday

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech 9:9)

This is how the Lord invites us to rejoice and be extremely glad, through the words of Zechariah the prophet, on the day Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem. Hence we hope to take our share and enjoy that spiritual happiness on this day. Jesus has entered unto us this day to reign over us. Then rise O beloved ones with praises and rejoice and spread your clothes, take off the old, raise the banner of victory in your life and hold the palm branches in your hands. Say to the Lord: Amen, come O our Lord Jesus, reign over us, reign over our heart, like the temple in Jerusalem. Drive out those who hinder our worship…for our hearts have become the den of thieves. The world has entered it in negligence and has ruined its beauty, though it was once the house of prayers. O Lord drive out those who sold doves, overturn the tables of the money exchangers. Purify our hearts so that they can return to you. Once more fill our heart with the incense of prayers and the offerings of praises.

Hosanna

This is our praise for today. This is our asking of the Lord, ‘Save us…save us.’ Today is the day of salvation. On the dawn of this day the Lord entered the house of Zacchaeus and said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9). Today Timaeus the blind cried out saying, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48). So the Lord opened his eyes. Do not stop repeating the name of salvation that is for our Lord Jesus Christ…experience the power of His salvation and the strength of His arms.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord

The Lord has preceded that by saying, “I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:35). This phrase benefits our hearts to accept the kingdom of Jesus. Then we can welcome Him to reign in our hearts. We hope to always say it to the Lord so that we can see His face….we always say this phrase before the reading of the Gospel, in every liturgy, to welcome the words of the Gospel in a prepared heart. For he who accepts the Word accepts Christ the King, because He is the incarnate Word of God.

The characteristics of the Kingdom of Christ as it has been declared unto us today:

The King of Peace:

The first thing that was declared in the Kingdom of Christ was the great rejoice and the peaceful heart. Since the first moments of His birth, the multitude of angels rejoiced with the everlasting praises, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…” (Luke 2:14). Hence, today the multitudes glorify the Lord saying, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” (Luke 19:38). Peace is just one of the signs that Christ is among us, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” (John 14:27). Therefore, if we miss this peaceful heart and the spiritual joy, then we are not ready for Jesus to live within us.

The King of victory:

Christ has come to destroy the deeds of Satan. Our faith in Jesus is a victory over the world, over death, over bodily desires and over the love of the world. Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead, so we were victorious over the fear that threatened our lives. That is why the multitudes rejoiced on this day and went out to meet Him, for they heard that he carried out those miracles, “The justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:26) He who accepts Jesus as King on this day will never be enslaved, for Jesus has reigned over us and gave us freedom to become the sons of God.

The King of Tears:

He who was victorious over death, cried over Lazarus who died. He who sanctified the temple has cried over Jerusalem. This day Jesus is in our midst. He is the King who is crying for those who are laying around us in the desire of the world and sins, the ones who have ignored the time for their salvation. This day Jesus is in our midst crying for those slain by sin. Those are the ones who have rejected to shelter under the spread of the cross and the shadows of the wings of His love. On this day, we hope to recognize the extent of His tears, enter into the partnership of His love and sacrifice for mankind.

The King of meekness:

Jesus neither reign with the sword, nor with the power of mankind. The kingdom of Jesus is not spread by wars, or by a materialistic power….Jesus is a meek King, gentle and lowly at heart. He gently reigns, not with vehemence. He who accepts the kingdom of Christ learns to be like his teacher. He does not shout, does not feud and no one on the streets hear his voice. Every time we lose our meekness and humility, then we have lost the characteristics of Jesus and we are no longer in His likeness.

The law of Christ is, “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” (Matt. 10:25)

Christ is the King over the children

One of the major characteristics of the Kingdom of Christ is the likeness of children. That is why the Lord has previously said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3)
John the evangelic witnessed in the Revelation one hundred forty four thousand children in heaven…a large band with amazing secrets. Also Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.” (Luke 10:21) This day the children are like the angels praising without ceasing. Today, we need to return to our childhood, the warmth of love, which is pure without question and without glamor or pride. The closer we approach our first childhood we recognize the kingdom of Christ.

Jesus Reigned with Love

Today, Jesus entered Jerusalem to be crucified. This is the objective. He set his sight toward Jerusalem. For Jesus, the cross was His secret throne, on which the Lord has reigned with love. He has stretched His arms to encompass all mankind, and has sacrificed Himself for the whole world.
The cross is the sign of the kingdom of Christ. It is the sign of the Son of Man and at the same time it is the sign of the overwhelming love. It is the sign of sacrifice…through the cross there is no room for selfishness, self esteem or a place for hatred, detest or resentment. When we enter the kingdom of Jesus on this day it means our acceptance to become deep in love, every day, not only for our kin or close ones but for everyone. Here, love does not know any distinction or peculiarity.

If only, on this day, we persistently ask, ‘Your Kingdom come…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord…save us.’

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